GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Conference Carolinas office announced their annual preseason women's lacrosse coaches poll and players to watch list, Converse University was selected to finish seventh overall.
 
Converse tallied 49 total points in the preseason poll, finishing ahead of Shorter, Southern Wesleyan, Lees-McRae and Ferrum. Belmont Abbey was selected to win the poll with 96 total points and six first place votes. Mount Olive was picked to finish second with 95 total points and five first place votes. Young Harris, Barton, North Greenville and Emmanuel were all selected to finish third, fourth, fifth and sixth place.  
 
Hailey Obenchain (Newburgh, Ind.) was picked to be a preseason player to watch for the Valkyries. The junior is a three-time Conference Carolinas All-Conference selection and the 2023 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year. Last season, Obenchain led the team with 56 goals, 39 assists and 95 points. Obenchain finished with 80 draw control wins which ranks second in program history. Entering her senior season, Obenchain has 127 career goals, 141 assists and 268 career points.  
 
Samantha Sparks (Cazenovia, N.Y.) was also selected as a preseason player to watch by the Conference Carolinas office. Sparks is a two-time All-Conference selection, last season she appeared and started in all 15 games for Converse. Sparks led the team with 33 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers.
 
Becky Reinhard (Middle Island, N.Y.) was picked as a preseason player to watch as well for the Valkyries. Reinhard was a Second Team All-Conference selection from a season ago. Reinhard finished second on the team with 52 goals scored last season and 57 total points. The junior is entering the season with 112 career goals which ranks third all-time.  
 
2026 Conference Carolinas Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
 
School                        Total (First Place)
1          Belmont Abbey            96 (6)
2          Mount Olive                 95 (5)
3          Young Harris               81
4          Barton                         73
5          North Greenville          60
6          Emmanuel                   57
7          Converse                     49
8          Shorter                        31
9          Southern Wesleyan     29
10        Lees-McRae                18
11        Ferrum                        16
 
2026 Conference Carolinas Women's Lacrosse Players to Watch
Barton
Berghan Balparda, So., M, Melbourne, Florida
Julia Erickson, Sr., A, Sunderland, Maryland
Danielle Lester, Sr., M, Columbus, Georgia
 
Belmont Abbey
Triniti Cassidy, Jr., M, Snellville, Georgia (2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas, 2024 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Summer Eddinger, Sr., GK, Fallston, Maryland (2025 third team All-Conference Carolinas, 2023 and 2024 first team All-Conference Carolinas)
Taylor Tobin, Jr., D, Golden, Colorado
 
Converse
Hailey Obenchain, Sr., Newburgh, Indiana (2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas, 2024 and 2023 second team All-Conference Carolinas, 2023 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
Sammy Sparks, Sr., Cazenovia, New York (2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas, 2024 third team All-Conference Carolinas)
Becky Reinhard, Jr., Mdle Island, New York (2025 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
 
Emmanuel
Kristie Fisher, Sr., M, Thornton, Ontario, Canada
Demi Czynski, Jr., M, Greenwood West, Australia
Meghan Jennings, Sr., A, Evans, Georgia
 
Lees-McRae
Saige Jones, Sr., M/D, Corona, California
Crystal Johnson, Sr., D, Gloucester City, New Jersey
Courtney Bednarz, Sr., A, Fulton, New York
 
Mount Olive
Simone McCraw, Jr., D, Columbus, Ohio (USA Lacrosse All-American, Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year, first team All-Conference Carolinas)
Lily Mahoney, So., GK, Warwick, New York (First team All-Conference Carolinas)
Madison Dow, Sr., D, White Hall, Maryland (Third team All-Conference Carolinas)
 
North Greenville
Kami Straub, So., D, Kingsport, Tennessee (2025 third team All-Conference Carolinas)
Isabella Ortiz, So., M, Greenville, South Carolina
Aubree Mayse, So., M, Moore, South Carolina
 
Shorter
Cassidy Jones, Sr., A, Memphis, Tennessee
Kaitlyn Dwyer-Peppers, Sr., M, Cumming, Georgia
Maggie Wallace, Sr., A, Cumming, Georgia
 
Southern Wesleyan
Fianna Steves, Sr., M, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (2025 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Ava Lombardi, So., GK, Cary, North Carolina
Caelyn Little, Fr., A, Anderson, South Carolina
 
Young Harris
Megan Magil, Jr., Center Moriches, New York
Riley Parker, Jr., Woodstock, Georgia (2025 first team All-Conference Carolinas)
Mary Troyer, Sr., Johns Creek, Georgia (2025 third team All-Conference Carolinas)
 
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