No. 12/10 Clemson Women’s Lacrosse Opens 2026 Season Against Vanderbilt

🐾 No. 12/10 Clemson vs. Vanderbilt
🗓️ Date: Feb. 7, 2026
⏰ Time: Noon
📍 Venue: Clemson Lacrosse Complex | Clemson, SC
🎟️ Tickets: Clemson Lacrosse Single Game Tickets
📺 Watch: ACCNX
📊 Live Stats: StatBroadcast
📙 Game Notes: Clemson
🥍 Rosters: Clemson | Vanderbilt

CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 12/10 Clemson women’s lacrosse opens the season at home this Saturday, Feb. 7, as they take on Vanderbilt. Saturday will be the second time that Clemson and Vanderbilt have met, with Clemson taking the first matchup against the Commodores on the road last year, 20-12.

Clemson welcomes a talented freshman class, including the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked players in the country, Alexa Spallina and Emma Penczek, respectively. Under the leadership of Head Coach Allison Kwolek, the Tigers brought in five five-star recruits, adding significant depth and talent across many positions.

The Tigers return 24 players from last year’s squad, including captains Kayla MacLeod and Paris Masaracchia, joined by newly elected captain Bridget Babcock. MacLeod led the attack last season, scoring 77 goals, before suffering a season-ending injury. Babcock, a graduate midfielder, finished second in ground balls (43), while Masaracchia enters the season as the program’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 66. Clemson also added two key veterans through the transfer portal, graduate Maddigan Miller (Stanford) and junior Mikaela Mooney (UAlbany). With leadership at all levels of the field, the Tigers are well-suited for another impressive year.

Offensively, the Tigers are returning the program’s leading point scorer in Natalie Shurtleff (99), followed by a close second in MacLeod (90). Kira Balis also returns to the Tigers after an impressive and record-setting freshman campaign, holding the first (20) and second most (18) draw controls in a single game, while also shattering the season record of draw controls with 148. Brooke Goldstein, the team’s leader in assists last season (42), returns for her sophomore campaign.

The Tiger defense, led by Masaracchia, looks to reload after losing two graduating seniors in Summer Augustino and Emily Lamparter with the additions of six freshmen defenders and four position changes.

PRESEASON INTERVIEWS

• Coach Kwolek
• MacLeod

PRESEASON AWARDS / RANKINGS

• Clemson enters 2026 ranked in the top 15 of all major polls: IWLCA (No. 12), Inside Lacrosse (No. 10) & USA Lacrosse (No. 9).
• Shurtleff (midfield) and MacLeod (at‑large) were named to the preseason All‑ACC Team.
• Three Tigers appeared in Inside Lacrosse’s Top 50 Players for 2026: Shurtleff (No. 11), MacLeod (No. 30) & Balis (No. 39)
• USA Lacrosse named Shurtleff a Second Team preseason All-American; Masaracchia earned honorable mention.

TICKETS

Fans can purchase women’s lacrosse tickets at ClemsonTigers.com/Tickets/.

For complete coverage of Clemson’s women’s lacrosse program, follow @ClemsonWlax on X, Instagram and Facebook.