The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2021 Women's Lacrosse Award Winners
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – UVA Wise's Jesse French was selected as the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Women's Offensive Lacrosse Player of the Year, while Wingate's Megan Biase was selected as the Defensive Player of the year. Also from Wingate was this year's Freshman of the Year, Annie Plotts and Coach of the Year, Abby Wiley, the SAC office announced today.
French, a senior from Dumfries, Va., played in all 12 games for the Cavaliers and started in all 12 of them. She led the conference in points totaling 70 points with 25 goals, including four goals each in games against Newberry and Lincoln Memorial this season. French leads the league in assists with 43 and has scored five free-position goals, alongside 17 ground balls and four caused turnovers overall this season. French was named South Atlantic Conference AstroTurf Offensive Player of the week three times this season.
Biase, a sophomore Goalie from Nesconset, N.Y., started every game for the Bulldogs in her second year. She ended her regular season ranking first in the league for minutes played (670:20), third in total saves with 93 and first in save percentage (49.2). Biase was an instrumental part in the Bulldogs 22-0 shutout over Coker earlier this season and was named the South Atlantic Conference AstroTurf Defensive Player of the Week three times this season.
Plotts, an attacker from College Grove, Tenn. was second in the league for goals with 40 and third in points with 58. She leads the Bulldogs with 55 draw controls, and comes in second for assists with 18. She also caused a team-leading 22 turnovers in addition to 13 ground balls.
Wiley, enters her third year with the Bulldogs earning her first Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bulldogs to a 10-2 record overall and a seven-game win streak to wrap the regular season. The No. 3 seed in the SAC Championship leads the league in multiple categories, most notably goals (206), shooting percentage (55.8) and save percentage (48.8). The Bulldogs also rank in the top 10 for assists (131), ground balls (203), draw controls (190), caused turnovers (108) and goals-against average (8.58).
Joining French and Plotts on the first team attack list is Limestone's Britannie Ouimet and Queens' Ally Blood. In the midfield is Limestone's Julia Foster, Wingate's Leah Knowles, Queens' Kyleigh Masteran and Newberry's Chloe Wood. On the defensive line is Sydney Hussey of Queens, Erin Smith of UVA Wise and a pair of Limestone defenders, Bailey Stumpf and Alexandria Allen. Wingate's Megan Biase and SAC Defensive Player of the Year captured the first team goalkeeper accolade.
The 2021 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship will take place April 23-25 at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C.
2021 All-SAC First Team
A – Annie Plotts, Wingate
A – Jesse French, UVA Wise
A – Britannie Ouimet, Limestone
A – Ally Blood, Queens
MF – Julia Foster, Limestone
MF – Leah Knowles, Wingate
MF – Kyleigh Masteran, Queens
MF – Chloe Wood, Newberry
D – Bailey Stumpf, Limestone
D – Alexandria Allen, Limestone
D – Sydney Hussey, Queens
D – Erin Smith, UVA Wise
GK – Megan Biase, Wingate
All-SAC Second Team
A – Kara Blanchard, Queens
A – Kendall Wells, Wingate
A – Cathleen Gaffney, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Sophie Moore, Newberry
MF – Sydney Bracken, Queen
MF – Sydney Joyce, Mars Hill
MF – Becca Ruiz, Wingate
MF – Shannon Donovan, Queens
D – Sierra Street, Wingate
D – Cassie Lafler, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Caroline Heffner, Wingate
D – Isabelle Dunnam, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Madelyn DeSoto, Limestone
Honorable Mentions
A – Rachel Perrett, Queens
A – Elizabeth Muscella, Limestone
A – Suzy Smith, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Sydney Trask, UVA Wise
MF – Frances Williams, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Mallory Trimble, UVA Wise
MF – Gracie DePaul, Limestone
MF – Caroline Earnshaw, UVA Wise
D – Madalyn Messersmith, Newberry
D – Grace Guglielmo, Queens
D – Liz Black, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Maren Lawrence, Limestone
GK – Sara Mitrecic, Queens
Offensive Player of the Year
Jesse French, UVA Wise
Defensive Player of the Year
Megan Biase, Wingate
Freshman of the Year
Annie Plotts, Wingate
Coach of the Year
Abby Wiley, Wingate
Statistical Champions
Team Points per Game – Queens, 28.18
Team Caused Turnovers per Game – Limestone, 13.00
Team Ground Balls per Game – Queens, 25.45
Team Scoring Offense – Queens, 18.73
Team Scoring Defense – Limestone, 5.73
Team Scoring Margin – Queens, 11.73
Team Draw Controls per Game – Queens, 17.36
Draw Controls per Game – Juliette Cusano - Tusculum, 7.57
Ground Balls per Game – Alexandria Holleran – Mars Hill, 4.45
Assists per Game – Jesse French – UVA Wise, 3.75
Saves per Game – Aryn Dorr - Catawba, 11.60
Goals-Against Average – Madelyn DeSoto - Limestone, 6.01
Save Percentage – Megan Biase, Wingate, 0.492
Goals per Game – Sophie Moore - Newberry, 4.00
Caused Turnovers per Game – Aryn Dorr - Catawba, 3.20
Points per Game – Britannie Ouimet - Limestone, 6.10
– #MakeSACyours –