CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Seniors Samantha Brown and Christina Del Sesto and High Point University women’s lacrosse head coach Lyndsey Boswell were honored with year-end awards by the Big South Conference, as the all-conference accolades were announced Thursday (April 27).
Brown was named the Big South Offensive Player of the Year, while Del Sesto was honored as the Big South Defensive Player of the Year. Brown joins Mackenzie Carroll (2014) as Panthers to earn Big South Offensive Player of the Year honors. Del Sesto is High Point’s second student-athlete to earn Big South Defensive Player of the Year, joining Jasmine Jordan, who won the award in 2013 and 2014.
Boswell, who has led the Panthers to a 13-3 record overall and an undefeated 7-0 record in conference play, was named the Big South Coach of the Year. It is the second-consecutive and third time in four years Boswell has earned the honor. It is her fourth overall honor after being named the NLC Coach of the Year in 2011.
HPU earned five first-team selections, the most of any program in the conference, and three second-team honorees. The eight selections ties the program record from 2016.
Brown and Del Sesto were named to the all-conference first team, along with junior Erica Perrotta, sophomore Samantha Herman and freshman Ashley Britton. Juniors Brooke Stevens and Olivia Nostrant and freshman Jill Rall were named to the All-Big South Second Team, while Brown was the Purple and White’s representative on the Big South All-Academic Team.
Brown leads the Panthers with 66 points on 48 goals and 18 assists. Her 48 goals rank 26th in the nation (second in Big South), while her 66 points is 32nd in the NCAA (second in Big South).
Del Sesto anchors the Panther defense that has held Big South opponents to 6.00 goals a game. She has tallied 34 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers, both of which are second on the team.
Boswell has led the Panthers to their second Big South undefeated regular season and first since 2014. HPU has won 13 games in a row, which is the second-longest active win streak in the nation.
An excellent two-way player, Perrotta has recorded 30 goals, 22 assists, 38 ground balls (team leader), 33 draw controls and 28 caused turnovers (team leader and fifth in the Big South).
Herman has won 46 draw controls (second on team and 65th in NCAA), 22 caused turnovers (third on team) and 26 ground balls (third on team).
Britton has won an HPU single-season record 55 draw controls (57th in NCAA), while also tallying 12 goals, 12 ground balls and a pair of assists.
Stevens leads the Panthers with 26 assists (47th in NCAA) and is second on the team with 60 points. She has scored 34 goals and is 25th in the nation in shooting percentage (56.7%).
Nostrant has picked up 25 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers and 12 draw controls in the heart of the Panther defense.
Rall is seventh in the nation in goals against average at 8.09, and is second in the Big South with 40.7 percent save percentage. She is 12-0 in the cage for the Panthers this year.
The Panthers host the Big South semifinals (May 5) and final (May 7) at Vert Stadium.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
ATT Samantha Brown, Sr., High Point
ATT Nicole Beatson, Jr., Winthrop
ATT Kayla Reilly, Jr., Campbell
MF Katherine Judge, Jr., Winthrop
MF Melissa Placek, Soph., Campbell
MF Erica Perrotta, Jr., High Point
MF Carly White, Fr., Liberty
MF Molly Barkman, Fr., Longwood
D Christina Del Sesto, Sr., High Point
D Maura Talvacchia, Sr., Presbyterian College
D Paige Jenkins, Sr., Winthrop
GK Merredith Bechler, Sr., Campbell
AL Emma Rogers, MF, Soph., Radford
AL Samantha Herman, MF, Soph., High Point
AL Ashley Britton, MF, Fr., High Point
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
ATT Kayla Foster, Soph., Liberty
ATT Brooke Stevens, Jr., High Point
ATT Kristen Shriver, Jr., Winthrop
MF Kaitlin Luccarelli, Fr., Longwood
MF Courtney Brown, Sr., Liberty
MF Stephanie Roberts, Soph., Longwood
MF Callie Bonnel, Soph., Radford
MF Abby Hanscom, Soph., Gardner-Webb
D Erin O’Hara, Sr., Campbell
D Victoria Tickle, Sr., Liberty
D Maddie Rollins, Sr., Longwood
GK Jill Rall, Fr., High Point
AL Megan Reilly, D, Jr., Campbell
AL Olivia Nostrant, D, Jr., High Point
AL Lindsey Carroll, ATT, Fr., Radford
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE
ATT Amanda Steinmuller, Jr., Gardner-Webb
ATT Brianna McCaffrey, Soph., Liberty
GK Imani West, Jr., Longwood
D Lindsey McNamara, Jr., Liberty
ATT Mackenzie Koeller, Jr., Campbell
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Samantha Brown, Sr., ATT, High Point
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Christina Del Sesto, Sr., D, High Point
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Carly White, Fr., MF, Liberty
COACH OF THE YEAR
Lyndsey Boswell, High Point
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Mackenzie Koeller, Jr., ATT, Campbell