Ten Dolphins earn Atlantic Sun Conference postseason honors

ATLANTA – Jacksonville University women's lacrosse has seen 10 players honored with ASUN All-Conference awards, the league announced Wednesday afternoon.

Kaila Stasulli dominated the polls, winning two honors: one as Atlantic Sun's Defensive Player of the Year and the other by earning a unanimous selection to the conference's All-ASUN First-Team. The All-ASUN second team had a slew of 'Phins, including Maggie Cuddy, Lauren Ellis, Abby MoranAnd Mackenzie Boyle. The ASUN All-Freshman Team had unanimous selections for Allyx Berry And Maddie Herman. Paige Pagano And Brianna Samuels represented the Dolphins on the Academic All-ASUN Team.

Stasulli, a forward from Severna Park, Maryland, played and started in all 16 games for the green and white. She scored two goals on two shots against Marquette on February 10 of this year, and made just five shots on the season, finishing with a shooting percentage of 0.40%. Stasulli led the team by collecting 29 ground balls, causing 14 turnovers, and providing the Dolphins with 48 draw controls, second-most for JU. The junior had a season-high of five draw controls against Coastal Carolina on 4/18/24 and four ground balls against Queens on 4/20/24. Conference highlights for Stasulli included four ground balls against Queens and seven draw controls against Liberty.

Like Stasulli, the Second Team All-ASUN selection in Cuddy also led the team with 29 ground balls during the regular season, while simultaneously leading the charge in turnovers with 24. The sophomore from Ontario, Canada, played and started in all 16 this year games for the Dolphins. year and managed to score two goals against Coastal Carolina and Queens. She committed a season-high four turnovers against Queens and collected a season-high five ground balls against Towson.

A second-team All-ASUN member, Ellis maxed out 225 minutes played this season, starting in all 16 games for the Dolphins. Ellis scored 11 goals and 6 assists for 17 points this year. The Alexandria, Virginia native also added 14 ground balls, 35 draw controls and 9 caused turnovers. The midfielder recorded a season-high in field goals against Marquette with four, a season-high of seven draw controls against Coastal Carolina and three ground balls against KSU.

Dubbed a Second Team All-Conference player, Moran is the latest Dolphin to lead the program in single-game draw control, as he defeated JU in that category this season and finished second in the ASUN Conference. The Austin, Texas native also ranks 16th nationally in draw control per game, moving the Dolphins up to 11th in draw control percentage. After setting a record with 16 draw controls against Princeton, the sophomore came back to break her own record with 17 draw controls against KSU. Moran played 13 games for the Dolphins, starting in 11, and finished with 95 draw controls, three caused turnovers and two ground balls.

Last but not least, Dolphin was named to the conference All-Second Team in Boyle, leading the Dolphins in scoring and assists. She was a consistent force, recording three or more points in most of the Dolphins' conference games. The graduate student had a six-point performance against Liberty and Lindenwood and a four-point performance against Coastal Carolina. Boyle had a season high of five goals and six points against Lindenwood. The Rumson, New Jersey native played in all 16 games for the Dolphins, starting every game. Boyle finished the regular season with 26 goals and 16 assists, good for a total of 42 points. Of her 63 shots, 48 ​​were on target, giving her a shot-on-target accuracy of 76%. Boyle also added 9 ground balls and caused 8 turnovers.

One of two freshmen named to the league's All-Freshman team, Berry played in all 16 games for the Dolphins. The midfielder scored eleven goals in the last seven games of the season, bringing his season total to fourteen goals. With 26 total shots, Berry achieved a shooting percentage of 52%. The freshman midfielder also finished with 15 points, 7 ground balls, 5 caused turnovers and a draw. Berry's highest goal total on the season came against KSU; after taking just three shots in that match, she finished with three goals, achieving a 100% shooting percentage. Berry's conference highlights were three goals and four points against KSU.

The second Dolphin on the ASUN All-Freshman team, Herman, averaged a point per game in ASUN conference play, recording five goals and one assist, including a three-goal performance against Queens. Herman scored the two opening goals in the Queens match that helped clinch the Dolphins' first place finish in the ASUN. The freshman forward played in 13 games for the Dolphins, scoring 11 goals and adding two assists for a total of 13 points. She also added three ground balls.

Both Berry and Herman were unanimously selected for their respective honors.

In addition to the on-court honors, seniors Pagano and Samuels were both named to the conference's Academic All-ASUN Team.

Pagano, an English major and Criminal Justice and Writing minor, picked up 17 ground balls this season. Samuels, who majored in Psychology and Sociology and minored in Management, scored two or more points in most of the Dolphins' conference games, including an eight-point performance against Lindenwood. The forward scored her season high, scoring five goals from five shots and adding three assists to finish with eight points. Samuels played in all 16 games and started all 16 for JU. As the Dolphins' third leading scorer and second leading assister, she finished with 19 goals, 12 assists, 7 ground balls and 4 caused turnovers.

Jacksonville begins tournament play tomorrow, May 2, in a rematch of the 2023 ASUN Championship against Liberty. The first draw is scheduled for 1:00 PM and the entire tournament can be streamed on ESPN+