Women’s Lacrosse to Host NCAA First and Second Rounds

5/7/2026 6:22:00 PM

Granville, Ohio - The Denison women's lacrosse team is set to host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Tournament from Saturday, May 9 to Sunday, May 10. The Big Red welcomes Transylvania University out of the HCAC, and Carthage College from the CCIW, as both teams will compete in the First Round to play against the host Denison in the Second Round. Transylvania and Carthage will square off at 1:00 pm this Saturday, with Second Round action coming on Sunday, May 10 at 1 pm.

About the Big Red: Roster | Schedule | Stats

Denison entered the postseason at 18-1 and riding a 15-game winning streak, while also ranking fifth in the national power index (NPI). The Big Red earned the NCAC automatic bid after defeating The College of Wooster 19-10 in the conference championship game. This will be Denison's 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and 12th-straight dating back to 2014 (no tournament held in 2020 due to COVID-19).

The Big Red offensive attack is led by a slew of scorers, as preseason Honorable Mention All-American Mary Martinson leads the team in goals with 53, causing 26 turnovers and having 67 draw controls. Martinson just recently recorded her 150th goal of her career, and now has 156 and counting. MK Barnhart has been one of the most prolific offensive weapons for the Big Red, leading the team and conference in assists with 46 while scoring 22 goals for 68 points. This season, she has tied the single-game assist record at seven, and broke the single-season assist record. First-year Finlay Harmon has bursted out onto the scene for the Big Red offense, as she is currently second on the team in goals with 49 while dishing off 14 assists. She has recorded a goal in every game but one, and scored three or more goals in 11 games. Bridget Sheehy and Grayson O'Marra have been key on both sides of the playing field, as Sheehy has scored 28 goals and 67 draw controls, while O'Marra has scored 24 goals and caused 18 turnovers. In goal, Julianne Henigan has started all 19 games, and currently holds an 15-1 record. She has saved 106 shots and has a 53% save percentage on the season.

The Big Red defense has been stout this season, ranking 18th in the country in scoring defense at 6.53, and have only given up double-digit goals five times this season, and held nine of their opponents to four goals or less. They also average over 10 caused turnovers per game, and 20.4 ground balls. The defense reflects the offense, as the Big Red rank top-10 in the country in scoring offense at 16.5 per game, and are not selfish as they rank fifth in the country in assists at 9.58. They tally 32.58 shots per game with 24 being on target, and have a clear percentage of 88.2%, good for ninth in the nation. Denison has had seven games of scoring 19 or more goals, and in their winning streak have outscored opponents 264-88.

About the Firebirds: Roster | Schedule | Stats

Carthage entered the NCAA Tournament with a 15-3 record, and earned the CCIW automatic bid after defeating Carroll University in the championship game 9-6 for their first conference tournament championship. The Firebirds rank 36th in the NPI, and will be their first even appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Carthage has one of the most prolific scorers in the CCIW, as first team all-conference recipient Auggie Caridge ranks second in the conference in goals with 55 and first in points with 89. She has also picked up 27 ground balls and caused 23 turnovers. Rosie Nolan was named second team All-CCIW, as she racked up 36 goals and 13 assists The midfield is stacked across the board, as Hannah Kim and Piper Lefevre were first team all-conference, as Kim netted 15 goals and caused 30 turnovers, while Lefevre scored 34 goals and dished off 17 assists. In the cage is one of the best goalies in the country in Xochitl Delvale-Vera, who ranks second in the country in goals-against average (5.10) and 15th in save percentage (50%). She currently holds a record of 13-3, and also recorded three shutouts on the season so far.

The Firebirds come in as one of the best defensive teams in the nation, ranking first in the nation in scoring defense, only allowing 4.72 goals per game. They have three shutouts on the season, and have had 10 games in which they held their opponents to three goals or less. Carthage also ranks 12th in the country in caused turnovers (14.28) and rank 33rd in draw control percentage (58.5%) to complement their stifling defense. In the cage, the Firebirds rank 13th in save percentage at 50.3%, and clear with ease with 85.5%.

About the Pioneers: Roster | Schedule | Stats

Transylvania entered the NCAA Tournament with a 10-7 record, and earned the HCLC automatic bid after defeating Spalding University 16-7 in the conference championship game. The Pioneers are ranked 133rd in the NPI, and will be making their eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Pioneers include a slew of scorers, with Avery Kirkhope and Sofie Garrett leading the way on the offensive end. Kirkhope leads the team in points with 55, with 32 goals and 23 assists. The sophomore has also collected 36 ground balls and caused 10 turnovers. Garrett leads the team in scoring with 41 goals, and has also dished off 10 assists for 51 total points for the Pioneers. She also leads the team in caused turnovers with 31, and draw controls with 68, proving to do it all. Other scorers include Kaelin Truman (36), and Layla Hobbs-Powell (33). Defensively, Chandler Worth has scooped up 23 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers, while Lily Haroules and Ruby Himes have both collected over 20 ground balls each. In goal, Himes has saved 122 shots, and currently has a save percentage of 37.4%. She has started in all 17 games, and holds a record of 7-5.

Transylvania's offense shoots at will, ranking as some of the highest in the country in shots per game (29.94) and shots on goal per game (23.53). They average 13.12 draws per game, and scoop up over 20 ground balls. The Pioneers are currently riding a six-game win streak, and have won 31-straight conference matchups.

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