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Opening day of the 2026 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse season is Feb. 6.
Throughout the month of January, we'll pose three burning questions for each team ranked in the USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Preseason Top 20, presented by CWENCH Hydration, starting with No. 20 James Madison and finishing with No. 1 North Carolina.
Join the conversation on social media @USALMag (IG/X/FB). Wrong answers only.
North Carolina answered every question and cashed every receipt on its way to a national title in 2025. Along the way, Chloe Humphrey became one of the sport’s biggest superstars and the first freshman to win the Tewaaraton Award.
Humphrey headlines a returning roster that reads like an All-American list.
True freshmen like midfielder Kate Levy and attacker Eliza Osburn, key cogs especially in Carolina’s postseason push, are likely to serve larger roles this season. Defensively, stalwarts Brooklyn Walker-Welch (18CT, 28GB), IWLCA Defender of the Year Sam Forrest (18CT, 23GB) and Ellie Traggio (19CT, 34GB) return to a unit that limited opponents to a Division I-low 6.86 goals per game last season.
Sophomore goalie Betty Nelson is back after an All-American freshman campaign. And Carolina brings in a talented group of freshmen that can — yes — even crack the deepest of depth charts.
“If you have a fearless, bold mentality to go after it, you’ll find yourself in a great spot for us,” UNC head coach Jenny Levy said.
The scariest part about Humphrey is that she’s just getting started.
We have never seen anyone have a debut season like Humphrey (90G, 28A). She lived up to every expectation, not only with the Tar Heels but also in the summer with the U.S. Women’s National Sixes Team, leading the team to gold with 21 points, including 13 goals, in Hong Kong, China.
But Humphrey isn’t satisfied, and she’s continued to hit the wall for extra reps, as she did before she ever donned the Carolina blue. This season, though, it’s about evolution and refinement.
“Now, it’s more about the nuances of timing, spacing, reading defenses — not just the person on you, but the one who is about to slide to you,” Levy said.
That field vision will be even more important this season as Humphrey steps into a larger leadership role without her sister, Ashley, who she dubbed the “voice of the offense.”
On that note…
Unless you’re part of our Tar Heel nation, no one likes us.
Jenny Levy
The largest loss is Ashley Humphrey, a Tewaaraton Award finalist and UNC’s leader in points (121) and assists (80) last year.
“Ashley was like having a coach on the field,” Levy said.
UNC will (again) get two savvy, high-IQ players back from injury who could contribute. Eva Ingrilli impressed the staff with 16 goals in seven games before sustaining a season-ending injury in 2024. And high school All-American Tess Calabria, a product of St. Anthony’s (N.Y.), will also come off the bench after redshirting last season.
Addison Pattillo, Inside Lacrosse’s top incoming freshman last season, has also just scratched the surface of what she can be. Pattillo taillied 31 goals, played in all 22 games and produced a 52.5-percent shooting percentage, placing 86.4 percent of her shots on goal.
Ditto for Osburn (35G, 9A). Senior Caroline Godine (22G, 20A) provides steady leadership and a veteran presence, and 5-10 attacker Reese King — a “big finisher” — represents a bright future.
Plus, Kiley Mottice (31G, 4A) and Kate Levy (14G, 9A) will likely push the pace and get the Heels possessions in the midfield. Freshmen Mairyn Dwyer and Charlotte Rathjen could help in that regard, too.
Last year’s revenge tour included an old-timey cash register. The Tar Heels cashed in every time they beat a team they lost to during 2024’s injury-ridden season. What’s the rally cry this year?
“Unless you’re part of our Tar Heel nation, no one likes us,” Levy said with a laugh. “We’ve always got a chip on our shoulders, but we’ll see how things develop. The [theme] usually develops organically. It’s not something we pre-establish. We’re not a mantra-type group, unless it just happens.”
A cash register bell might not ring, but it’s safe to predict Carolina will answer each bell in 2026 — and probably beyond.
Beth Ann Mayer is a Long Island-based writer. She joined USA Lacrosse in 2022 after freelancing for Inside Lacrosse for five years. She first began covering the game as a student at Syracuse. When she's not writing, you can find her wrangling her husband, two children and surplus of pets.
