BETHLEHEM, Pa. – In a vote cast by the league's coaches, defending champion Navy has been picked to finish first in the 2026 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll, it was announced by the conference office Thursday afternoon. The Midshipmen boasted a league-best five student-athletes – Alyssa Chung, Jaclyn Johns, Emma Kennedy, Mikayla Williams, and Ava Yovino – on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team with Johns claiming Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
It is the fifth time in program history that Navy has earned the top spot in the preseason poll and the first time since 2018. The Mids were tabbed as the Patriot League favorites in 2011, '12, '13, and '18 prior to the 2026 selection.
 
Additionally, Johns becomes the first Midshipmen to be named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year since Annalise Heyward ('20) claimed the honor as a senior prior to the 2020 season.
 
Head coach Cindy Timchal and the Mids received 80 points and eight first-place votes, while Loyola, the 2025 regular-season champions, received 71 points and one first-place vote. Army placed third in the preseason poll with 68 points and one first-place vote. Holy Cross (51), Colgate (48) and Boston University (41) ranked fourth through sixth, with Lehigh (35), Bucknell (23), American (15) and Lafayette (13) rounding out the 10-team preseason poll.
 
Navy placed a League-high five student-athletes on the 18-member Preseason All-Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Team, while Army had four student-athletes recognized, including three major awards. Loyola had three Preseason All-Patriot League selections, Colgate had two, and Bucknell, Boston University, Holy Cross, and Lehigh each had one representative on the squad.
 
Fifteen of the 18 preseason team selections were selected to one of the two 2025 All-Patriot League squads, including seven first-team honorees. Navy's Williams and Chung were the 2024 and 2025 Patriot League Rookies of the Year, respectively.
 
Voting for the Patriot League women's lacrosse preseason poll, major awards and All-Patriot League team was conducted by League head coaches. The group was not permitted to vote for its own team or student-athletes.
 
Navy Preseason All-Patriot League Selections
Jaclyn Johns – Defense | Jr. | 5-5 | Marietta, Ga. – Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Johns has played in 40 games in her career, making 39 starts. She is a member of the Navy defense that has held 24 teams to single-digit goals over the last two seasons. In her career, Johns has picked up 39 ground balls, while causing 33 turnovers. Last season, Johns and the Navy defense allowed a league-low 9.9 goals per game for the 19th best scoring defense in NCAA Division I. She picked up 22 ground balls and caused 21 turnovers during her sophomore season. She had at least one ground ball in 14 games, with seven multi-ground ball contests. The Marietta, Ga. native had 15 games with a caused turnover, including five multi-cause-turnovers, with a season-high three against Bucknell.
 
Alyssa Chung – Attack | So. | 5-7 | Severna Park, Md.
As a freshman in 2025, Chung earned USA Lacrosse All-American (Honorable Mention), Inside Lacrosse All-American (Honorable Mention), ECAC Rookie of the Year, Patriot League Rookie of the Year, All-ECAC, and All-Patriot League (First Team). Additionally, she was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week a conference record seven times, including six consecutive. Chung was one of two freshmen to play in all 21 games during the season, finishing the year with a team-high 66 goals with 15 assists for a team-best 81 total points, while adding 17 ground balls, 11 caused turnovers, and a draw control. The Severna Park native recorded 16 multi-goal performances, including 14 hat tricks. In Patriot League games, Chung led Navy with 49 points (5.44 per game) on a team-best 39 goals (4.33), while adding 10 assists (1.11), registering multiple goals in all nine conference games with eight hat tricks. After being named to the top 10 of the Inside Lacrosse Power 100 Preseason Freshman Ranking (#8), finished the year in second among the ILWomen Freshman Impact Ranking.
 
Emma Kennedy – Attack | Sr. | 5-6 | Cooksville, Md.
Kennedy, who was named team captain for the 2026 season, has appeared in 55 games, making a pair of starts in her career. The attacker has recorded 90 points on 67 goals and 23 assists, while adding 16 ground balls. As a junior, Kennedy finished the year with 54 points on 43 goals and 11 assists with eight ground balls. She scored goals in 18 games with 13 multi-goals performances, including six hat tricks. For her efforts last season in the Patriot League Tournament (10g 4a), Kennedy was selected to the all-tournament team.
 
Mikayla Williams – Midfield | Jr. | 5-4 | Bexley, Ohio
Williams, who was the 2024 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, had a breakout sophomore season. She earned honorable mention USA Lacrosse All-American accolades, while also being tabbed IWLCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region (Second Team), All-Patriot League (First Team), Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, and Patriot League All-Tournament Team. Williams played and started all 21 games during the season, finishing with 65 points on 51 goals and 14 assists with 54 draw controls, 20 ground balls, and six caused turnovers. She scored at least one goal in 20 games with 16 multi-goal performances, including eight hat tricks. The Bexley, Ohio native ended the season with multiple goals in the final six games (17 total goals), including three hat tricks. Williams finished the Patriot League Tournament with eight points on seven goals, including the game-winning goal against #15 Loyola in the Championship, en route to Tournament MVP honors.
 
Ava Yovino – Midfield | Sr. | 5-8 | Parkland, Fla.
Yovino, who was named team captain for the 2026 season, has played and started 40 games in her career. The midfielder is a two-time All-Patriot League performer (2023, '25), earning All-American honors from USA Lacrosse Magazine (2023) and Inside Lacrosse (2023) following her freshman year. In her career, Yovino has 124 points on 60 goals and 64 assists, while adding 54 draw controls, 64 ground balls, and 35 caused turnovers. Last season, she finished with 32 points on 18 goals and 14 assists with 39 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers, and three draws. Yovino scored goals in 13 games with five multi-goal performances.
 
 
 
2026 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
1. Navy, 80 points (8 first-place votes)
2. Loyola, 71 (1)
3. Army, 68 (1)
4. Holy Cross, 51
5. Colgate, 48
6. Boston University, 41
7. Lehigh, 35
8. Bucknell, 23
9. American, 15
10. Lafayette, 13
 
2026 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Preseason Major Awards
Preseason Attacker of the Year – Allison Reilly, Army, Sr.
Preseason Midfielder of the Year – Brigid Duffy, Army, Sr.
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Jaclyn Johns, Navy, Jr.
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year – Lindsey Serafine, Army, Sr.
 
2026 Women's Lacrosse Preseason All-Patriot League Team *
Sarah Chernik, Army, Sr., D
Brigid Duffy, Army, Sr., M
Allison Reilly, Army, Sr., A
Lindsey Serafine, Army, Sr., GK
Tessa Geddes, Boston University, Jr., M
Jess Leon, Bucknell, Sr., D
Aubrey McMahon, Colgate, So., A
Caroline Panzirer, Colgate, Sr. A
Racheli Levy-Smith, Holy Cross, Sr., D
Molly Snow, Lehigh, Jr., A
Elisa Faklaris, Loyola, Sr., M
Cydney Lisk, Loyola, Sr., D
Mim Suares-Jury, Loyola, So., M
Alyssa Chung, Navy, So., A
Jaclyn Johns, Navy, Jr., D
Emma Kennedy, Navy, Sr., A
Mikayla Williams, Navy, Jr., M
Ava Yovino, Navy, Sr., M
 
* – Additional student-athletes selected due to ties in the voting