For a group of athletes to become a cohesive and successful unit, there must be leadership exhibited by certain players on the team who are willing to put others before themselves. Leaders must not only possess a high skill level but must also work for the benefit of the group as a whole. It is no coincidence, then, that the two standout players on the KSU women’s lacrosse team are also their undisputed leaders.
Over the last five years, the women’s lacrosse team has evolved from a club sport to a competitive Atlantic Sun Conference team. In that time span, it has come from winning just a single match in the first season of existence to winning eight matches last season.
At the forefront of that progress has been Haley Swift and Connor Zophy, who were chosen as ASUN preseason all-conference players.
“People come to us when they aren’t sure what to do,” Swift said. “We’re not selfish players, so that really helps with the gelling of the team.”
The duo is quick to credit coach Laura Maness with much of the team’s success, chiefly due to her recruiting strategies and ability to sell the team to lacrosse club members and high schoolers alike.
Although the vast majority of players are from the state of Georgia, Zophy and some others have been recruited from the northeastern part of the country, which happens to be a haven for club lacrosse.
“I think [the team] is going to be so successful, just seeing Maness’ recruits that are coming in,” Zophy said. “I bet three to five years from now they will be a big threat.”
As for now, the mindset is to train hard and keep improving on the previous seasons.
Despite losing its first three matches, the team has shown signs of significant improvement, and the two leaders have no doubts that the season can be a successful one. The trust between players has grown through intense practices, and that bond will be important for future improvements.
“We’ve definitely improved,” Swift said. “I’m really excited to see where this season goes, especially with the group of girls we have.”
“We have pretty much all but one same starter, so we have really good chemistry,” Zophy said. “The team’s overall IQ and game sense has progressed so much.”
