How far can we go in 2014?

Varsity Field Hockey, which finished second in the VISAA Division II State Tournament last fall, opens at home at 4 p.m. on Tuesday (Sept. 9), against Middleburg Academy. Coach Michelle Woodruff will have to find able replacements for three All-State players: midfielder Alex G. ’16, who is running cross country this fall, and two graduated players, goaltender Alicia H. and defender Lilly M.,  both two-time All-State selections. Several new field players, including junior transfer Laney M., and a pair of promising young goalies, Elle L. '17 and Jessie H. '16, have looked good in preseason practice. 


Cross Country, which will participate in the Quantico Invitational at Tuesday at 4pm, also lost a star in two-time All-State selection and DAC Champion Amy E., now a freshman at Virginia Tech. But Coach Matt Mohler has his largest squad to date with 11 runners, including Alex and junior Malan J. '16, who also played field hockey last fall. Among the returnees is All-Delaney Athletic Conference selection Patia F. ’16, and comers Brittany H. '17, Lexie W. '16. and Subin L. '16.

Varsity Tennis,which won the DAC and reached the semifinals of the state tournament in its first year under Coach Susan Erba, lost two key players to graduation in Amalia S. and Kelly B., but returns All-State performers Marina S. ’16 and Annie M. ’16, who also was selected as the Player of the Year in the DAC. The team opens its season on Thursday, Sept. 11, with a match at the Madeira School in McLean.

JV Volleyball begins Tuesday with a match at St. James in Maryland at 4 p.m., preceding the varsity team’s second match of the season. JV Coach Esther Sanchez has very few experienced players but she will be ably assisted by student coach Phoebe F. ’15, a former varsity letter-winner, as they guide a group of 13, most of whom are freshmen with little or no volleyball experience.

Field hockey's JV squad, coached by Callie Hughes, opens its season on Thursday at Madeira with a young largely inexperienced crew and JV Tennis will not begin its campaign until Sept. 30.

As part of her preseason program Woodruff invited Carrie Lingo, a member of the 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Field Hockey team, to work with the field hockey players on Sunday (Sept. 7) afternoon.  Lingo is also bringing Jackie Kintzer, a member of the 2012 Olympic team, to work with the goaltenders in the afternoon and will talk to students at 6:30 p.m. in Engelhard.

Lingo has impeccable credentials. She won a national championship with the North Carolina Tar Heels in 1997, earned All-America honors in 2001 and was selected as one of the top 50 players in Atlantic Coast Conference history. She played on two U.S. World Cup teams and was honored as USA Field Hockey Female Athlete of the Year in 2009.

Kintzer helped North Carolina win two NCAA titles before joining the U.S. National Team in 2010. She helped Team USA defeat Argentina to win its first Pan American gold medal.