TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida women’s lacrosse team turned their dominant 6-0 conference run into a massive haul of hardware this week.
As the American Athletic Conference announced its season honors, the Bulls secured three of the league’s top individual prizes and placed six players across the All-Conference first and second teams.
Leading the charge for South Florida were Sofia Chepenik and Kaitlyn Tartaglione, who both repeated as First-Team selections in unanimous fashion.
Chepenik was named the American Conference Attack Player of the Year after a prolific season where she racked up 45 goals and 15 assists. During the 2026 campaign, the junior attacker reached major milestones, crossing both the 150-career point and 100-career goal marks.
Tartaglione, a senior, took home the Midfielder of the Year title. Known for her two-way play, she finished her final regular season with 25 points, 19 ground balls, and 26 draw controls, providing a veteran presence in the center of the field.
The coaching staff, led by Head Coach Mindy McCord alongside Brittney Orashen, Paul McCord, and Vincent Lodato, was recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year.
In just their second season of play, the staff guided USF to an 11-4 overall record and a perfect conference slate. Under their leadership, the Bulls led the AAC in nearly every major statistical category, including scoring offense, draw controls, and scoring margin, eventually climbing to a program-high No. 14 in the RPI.
USF’s depth was further reflected in the Second-Team selections. Senior attacker Elise Grissett and graduate student Maggie Newton earned spots for their offensive contributions.
Grissett netted 35 goals this year, while Newton acted as the primary playmaker with a team-high 33 assists.
On the defensive side and in the transition game, sophomores Kali Cleary and Maddie Morris also landed Second-Team honors. Cleary was a force in the circle with a team-best 70 draw controls, while Morris anchored the backline, leading the team with 16 caused turnovers.
The Bulls’ performance this year makes them only the second program in history—following Florida in 2011—to capture a conference championship within their first two seasons of existence. With the regular season wrapped up, the Bulls currently sit at No. 25 in the national media poll.
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