CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference (HCLC) has announced the results of its Women's Lacrosse preseason poll, with Transylvania University claiming the top spot in the race in a vote amongst league coaches. 

The Pioneers picked up all three available first-place votes for the team and got 12 overall points from the other three coaches.  Spalding University is projected to finish in second place and secured the other first place vote.  The four-member league is expected to be rounded out by Hanover in third and Franklin in the final spot. 
 
The HCLC season will conclude with a three-team championship slated for Tuesday, April 28 and Friday, May 1.   
 
The 2026 season will mark the final year of play for the HCLC Women's Lacrosse Conference.  A public announcement on the next destination for the four remaining member institutions will be made soon. 
 
2026 HCLC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
(#) Denotes Number of First-Place Votes

1.	Transylvania University (3)	12
2.	Spalding University (1)	10
3.	Hanover College	8
4.	Franklin College	6

 
 
2026 Team Capsules
 
Transylvania University Pioneers – Projected Finish = 1^st Place
 
Transylvania second-year coach Brianna McCulley looks to 'run it back' in her second season leading the Pioneers.  During Coach McCulley's debut season, the Pioneer alum led her team to an undefeated HCLC campaign and an impressive HCLC Championship game victory over Anderson University.
 
Sofie Garrett, a junior from Stone Mountain, Ga. is the only returning HCLC All-Conference First Team player for Transylvania this season. The junior midfielder will look to her teammates Jayden Otto (Taylor Mill, Ky.) and Avery Kirkhope (Lexington, Ky.) to help in defending the conference title.  Otto and Kirkhope, for their part, are returning after notable 2025 seasons that saw each of them earn HCLC All-Conference Second Team honors.
 
In addition to those three talented returners coach McCauley is looking for a quartet of young Bluegrass State natives to leave their mark this season. The latest group of rising talents for the Pioneers include two sophomores and two freshmen and are spread across the playing field.  Expected to be between the pipes on most days for the Pios will be Ruby Himes, a freshman from Lexington.  Himes will look to sophomore teammate Lilly Haroules (Union, Ky.) to stand strong as one of the defenders protecting the goal.  Freshman midfielder Layla Hobbs-Powell (Lexington, Ky.) will look to have a solid rookie season, and she can count on     Kaelin Truman, a sophomore from Louisville partnering with Garrett and Kirkhope to make an impressive attack for Transylvania. 
 
If the Pioneers do indeed retain the league title, they will be the only school in HCLC Women's history to be crowned Champions, as no other HCLC women's team has ever worn the crown. 
 
 
Spalding University Golden Eagles – Projected Finish = 2^nd Place
 
Coach Shannon Witzel continues to show marked annual improvement with her Golden Eagle squads and this year they have the most All-HCLC returners of any league team.  With senior goalie/defender Brooke Bradley (Maryville, Tenn.) returning after her Second Team All-HCLC campaign in 2025 and senior First Team All-HCLC returner Nicole Hollowell (Orlando, Fla.) joining Bradley on defense, the Golden Eagles should be able to count on good security in the back.
 
Those two will shore up the defenses while Grace Mitchell returns on the attack after a freshman season that saw the St. Louis native earn First Team All-HCLC honors.  Holding down the midfield will be junior middie Taylor Young (Newburgh, Ind.), looking to improve on her Second Team all-conference performance from a year ago.
 
Those four honorees will have help from four additional talented teammates to watch: 

• Harleigh Beumer- FR - Louisville, Ky. – Attack
• Mahalia Dominguez - SR - Long Beach, Calif. - Midfield    
• Erin Eggar - JR - Brandenburg, Ky. - Defense        
• Whitney White - JR - Fort Brag, N.C. - Goalie

 
Look for Witzel and the Golden Eagles to continue their steady improvement and challenge the Pioneers for that coveted HCLC Championship trophy from the final year of the league.
 
Hanover College Panthers – Projected Finish = 3^rd Place
 
Head coach Ashlie Bobb enters her second season at the helm of the Hanover women's lacrosse program in 2026. In her first season with the Panthers, Bob's team claimed three HCLC All-Conference honorees and two of those will be returning this spring for Hanover.
 

• Quinn Cherry - SO - Louisville, Ky. - Attack         
• Adair Dooley - SR - Crestview Hills, Ky. – Defender

 
In addition to Cherry and Dooley, the Panthers will look for additional strength from junior Emma Williams (Crestwood, Ky.) who will hold down the primary goalie duties.  Williams will welcome a talented freshman defender in Mary Catherine Sutherland (Lexington, Ky.) playing in front of her. 
 
In the midfield, the Panthers have a local Madison, Ind. sophomore, Iyana Phelps, who will hope to have a successful sophomore season.  She will be joined in the midfield by junior Kaitlyn Madden (Austin, Ind.). 
 
 
Franklin College Grizzlies – Projected Finish = 4^th Place
 
The Franklin College Grizzlies return a single All-HCLC player this season.  Luckily for new head coach Morgan Krause, the returner is the talented senior defender Maddie Cary from Chesterton, Ind.
 
Krause and Cary are hopeful to find promising assistance in the attack from junior Franklin native, Addie Whitman.
 
The Grizzlies will feature sophomore Kelsey Moran (Westfield, Ind.) between the posts.
 
If the Coach Krause can get some solid play from these returning players, the Grizzlies can hopefully improve on Franklin's winless HCLC campaign from a year ago. 
 
 
For more information on HCLC Lacrosse, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the HCAC's home on the Internet at www.heartlandconf.org.  Be sure to stay up to date on all of your Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference news by following @HCACDIII on Twitter and by liking the "HCAC DIII" Facebook page.