Super Sophs: North Carolina's Eliza Osburn
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© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
© 2025 USA Lacrosse. All Rights Reserved.
Chloe Humphrey—perhaps you heard of her. The redshirt freshman stormed back from injury and into the college lacrosse zeitgeist, lifting the Tar Heels to a national championship with a massive (literal and figurative) assist from her older sister Ashley (and a roster stacked with a constellation of stars).
Humphrey became the first freshman to win a Tewaaraton. There’s no asterisk—there shouldn’t be, however, lest we forget about the true freshman that made an impact (including two of Humphrey’s teammates). The number of freshmen who worked their way to the top of depth charts and onto stat sheets in 2025 marked a departure from previous seasons, where fifth years took advantage of their extra year of eligibility and added to their legacies.
As our choices for the most impactful true sophomores repeatedly shared, the experiences they gained from being thrown into the fire served as one of the best teachers — and motivators — ahead of the 2026 season. We spoke to them about their rookie experiences, the work they did over the summer to stave off any rumors of a sophomore slump and their visions for their next three seasons.
Their responses showcased players who are older, wiser and as hungry as ever to carve their own legacies.
First up is North Carolina’s Eliza Osburn, who just finished up a training camp with the U.S. women’s sixes national team at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md.
Midfield
Freshman year stats: 35G, 9A, 16GB, 10CT, 56DC
Postseason honors: USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American (honorable mention), NCAA All-Tournament Team, ACC Freshman of the Year, Second-Team All-ACC
Eliza Osburn admits she’s “easily overwhelmed.” As the No. 6 player in the Class of 2024 according to Inside Lacrosse, Osburn knew the calls and texts would hit her phone at midnight on Sept. 1, 2022, her junior year. Those closest to her encouraged her to research schools and narrow her list before the Big Day. Osburn counts herself lucky in that two of those people were in her own home. Her sister, Tess, plays at Marquette, and her brother, Truman, played at Tampa.
“That way, when September 1 did hit and people started reaching out, I would only entertain about seven schools and get to know the people,” Osburn said. “It was hard to create relationships with people, knowing they’d end if I said no and continue if I said yes.”
But that’s the nature of the beast. The predictable subjects made Osburn’s list: Florida, Boston College and UNC. She loved them all, so the plot thickened.”
“But when I came to North Carolina, they just blew everything out of the water,” Osburn said. “I fell in love immediately. [Head coach] Jenny [Levy] was so passionate and smart. She loves the game and drew me in, and I watched the chemistry on the team and thought it was special. I love the area, the history at North Carolina and how all the alumni come back and stay connected.”
While roster turnover was a theme heading into the 2025 season, North Carolina brought back many stars — including players like Chloe Humphrey and Marissa White, who sat out 2024 with injury (and had an axe to grind). Yet, Osburn didn’t seem overwhelmed by the prospect of playing time. She saw an opportunity.
“I knew that they might be looking for a change and that they were excited about our class,” Osburn said. “I had played with other people in my class at different tournaments, and I knew how special we were.The fall went great ... There was a mental game of, ‘Am I going to play with all of the people coming back? What will it look like?’ But it fired me up. There was so much potential on the team.”
There was also the potential to learn while playing, which Osburn did, seeing action in 22 games and making 13 starts. The veterans weren’t clogging the lane. They were helping her to find hers.
“Ashley was a huge voice on our team last year, so she and I got to know each other on a different level outside of lacrosse,” Osburn said. “Defensively, Sam [Forrest] and Brooklyn [Walker-Welch] were also key voices, and Ellie [Traggio] helped me in the midfield, and I had a great connection with Sophie [Student] and Kayleigh [Harden].”
Offensively, Osburn saved some of her best performances for the playoffs. With the Humphreys' faceguarded in the ACC Championship game, she netted a hat trick, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Her three assists in the NCAA Tournament Second round against Clemson marked a season-best. She matched her season-high with a four-goal performance against Princeton in the quarterfinals to send the Tar Heels back to Championship Weekend for the first time since 2022 — technically a two-year drought, a figurative eternity in Chapel Hill.,
“The Humphreys would say, ‘Eliza, this is your draw. ‘” If you get hte ball, I want you to go down and score,’” Osburn recalled. “The second I got the ball, I’d then hear Ashley’s voice, ‘Go, go, go. The confidence they had in me, to take the ball or control of the game, gave me the confidence to go so. Toward the end of the season, I felt like I grew into the player that I am — I can take the skills I am blessed with, put them forth and show what I’ve got.”
The Tar Heels went forward and won the NCAA Championship. Over the summer, Osburn turned the page, tapping into the alumni network that had drawn her to Chapel Hill and working with Emily Parros, a member of UNC’s championship team in 2013. Though Ashley’s voice will no longer be in her ear this season, Chloe’s will — and the Tewaaraton winner was a regular in Osburn’s DMs this summer.
“We texted all summer about how we’re excited to get back and do it again,” Osburn said.
“It” includes hopes for another natty. And with redshirt and true sophomores Humphrey, Osburn, Kate Levy, Addison Pattill and goalie Betty Nelson all back (among others), it begs the question: Can anyone stop the ‘Heels any time soon?
“I don’t think we have a doubt in our minds that we can do it again,” Osburn said. “We have so much chemistry and talent. If we can continue to grow, we can probably be unstoppable.”
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.
