Back in Action

Lacrosse visits 10/9 Clemson in season opener

Vanderbilt (0-0, 0-0 AAC)  at No. 10/9 Clemson (0-0, 0-0 ACC)
Saturday, Feb. 7 • 11:00 a.m. CT • ACCNX
Clemson Lacrosse Complex • Clemson, S.C.

Series History
• This will be the second match up between the programs in a series that Clemson leads 1-0
• The first meeting between the teams was last season in Music City with the Tigers winning 20-12

The Opponent
• In 2025, Clemson boasted a 14-7 overall record, with four wins over top-25 opponents
• Clemson returns 24 players from the 2025 roster, including three All‑ACC selections and one USA Lacrosse All-American
• Clemson enters 2026 ranked in the top 15 of all major polls: IWLCA (No. 12), Inside Lacrosse (No. 10) & USA Lacrosse (No. 9)

The Scouting Report
• Clemson’s 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 nationally by Inside Lacrosse, additions included: Tessa DeLuca, Aubrie Eisfeld, Marleigh O’Day, Kyla Orlando, Ella Pauley, Emma Penczek, Kiera Schwartz, Teagan Scott, Alexa Spallina and Ella Wilner. Spallina was ranked the No. 1 freshman in the country; Penczek was ranked No. 2
• Natalie Shurtleff: All‑ACC First Team, Tewaaraton Watch List, USA Lacrosse Third Team All-America, IWLCA
Second Team All-America
• Three Tigers appeared in Inside Lacrosse’s Top 50 Players for 2026: Shurtleff (No. 11), MacLeod (No. 30) &
Balis (No. 39)

Preseason Honors
• Graduates Brooke Baker and Nancy Halleron along with junior Alex Gladding were unanimously named All-Conference Preseason Team
• Baker, who was named all-conference first team last season, had the third-most goals with 41 and dished a career-high eight assists for the second-most points on the team at 49. The graduate picked up 29 ground balls, won 25 draws and caused nine turnovers during the regular season. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native was named AAC Midfielder of the Week twice during 2025 and honorable mention once
• Gladding, named 2025 all-conference second team, was named AAC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, helped anchor a defense that picked up 281 ground balls and caused 135 turnovers. The native of Pompano Beach, Florida, scored her first collegiate goal this season and dished out two assists
• After missing the 2024 season due to injury, Halleron scored a career-best 43 goals off 62 shots on frame and dished four assists to total 47 points, third-most on the team. Halleron received weekly honorable mentions five times after scoring 16 goals during conference play to earn an all-conference second team selection
• Out of the seven teams in the conference, Vanderbilt was picked to finish fourth while James Madison, South Florida and East Carolina were picked ahead of Vandy, respectively, by the coaches