Maier & Sorvillo named Preseason All-SAC; Women’s Lacrosse picked ninth in coaches’ poll

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Catawba College women's lacrosse team was selected ninth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll per league announcement on Wednesday morning. Midfielders Sarah Maier and Mary Sorvillo earned placements on the preseason all-conference second team.

Limestone was voted to repeat as conference champions with nine first-place votes, slotting ahead of defending runner-up Wingate who collected the remaining three top nods. Newberry and Anderson filled the third and fourth positions, respectively, projecting another semifinal appearance for the Palmetto State programs. Lenoir-Rhyne and UVA Wise rounded out the expected postseason field as Lincoln Memorial was put on the bubble in seventh place. Tusculum narrowly beat out Catawba for the eighth spot, while Mars Hill, Coker, and Emory & Henry claimed the final three slots.

Entering her third year as a Catawba Indian, Maier hopes for another big year after leading the team with 53 draw controls. The Evans, Ga. product shined in SAC play, collecting a team-high 18 points on 15 goals and three assists in the squad's 10 conference tilts. All seven of her multi-goal contests occurred in league action including three-point affairs against Mars Hill, Emory & Henry, and UVA Wise. Defensively, Maier paced the Catawba midfield with 16 caused turnovers and placed second with 18 ground balls.

Sorvillo embellished on her standout freshman campaign with a second 22-point season as a sophomore, placing second on the squad at 20 goals as she found the twine on 46.5% of her attempts. Among six contests with multiple goals were a trio of hat tricks, featuring a three-score outing in the season finale against Lenoir-Rhyne. Sorvillo was a weapon on defense as well, ending the year second on the team in ground balls (32) and caused turnovers (16); her 19 ground balls in SAC action was good for 15th in the league.

The Catawba Indians open their 2025 season on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Shorter to begin a five-game road trip. Opening draw is slated for 3 p.m. at Ben Brady Field.