TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati lacrosse defender Morgan Dukes was named the American Athletic Conference Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year and three other Bearcats earned preseason All-AAC honors as the league unveiled its 2021 preseason awards Tuesday.
Alyssa Adams, Monica Borzillo and Peyton Mottice joined Dukes on the preseason all-conference team. The Bearcats were pegged to finish fourth in a vote of the league's coaches, behind Florida, Vanderbilt and Temple. Dukes shared the preseason defensive honor with Florida's Cara Trombetta.
The Bearcats saw their 2020 season ended after seven games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UC was in the middle of a three-game winning streak in early March when the campaign came to a close.
Head Coach Gina Thomas returns for her eighth season at the helm of the Bearcats program. In its last complete season in 2019, UC made the postseason for the first time in school history, playing in the American Athletic Conference Championship game at the Sheakley Athletics Center.
Dukes was a first-team all-conference selection in 2019 who led The American in ground balls per game last season (2.86 per game). Borzillo (18g, 13a) also earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2019 while Mottice (14g, 7a) and Adams (14g, 1a) were among UC's leading attackers in 2020.
Kylie Nause, the 2019 AAC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-AAC selection, returns along with fellow 2019 All-AAC performers Sam Mlkvy (first team) and Adrianna Fess (second team)
The 2021 lacrosse season for American Athletic Conference teams begins Friday, Feb. 12, as five of the league's six teams are in action during the opening weekend, while conference play begins March 19. Each team in The American will play 10 conference games, facing the other five teams in the conference twice each on a Friday-Sunday scheduling format.
The 2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship is scheduled for May 6 and 8 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida.
UC is set to open 2021 on Sunday, Feb. 14 at noon ET against Marquette.
View UC's 2021 lacrosse schedule online.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Lacrosse, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Lacrosse (@GoBearcatsLAX) and Head Coach Gina Oliver (@GinaOliverUC) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
Alyssa Adams, Monica Borzillo and Peyton Mottice joined Dukes on the preseason all-conference team. The Bearcats were pegged to finish fourth in a vote of the league's coaches, behind Florida, Vanderbilt and Temple. Dukes shared the preseason defensive honor with Florida's Cara Trombetta.
The Bearcats saw their 2020 season ended after seven games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UC was in the middle of a three-game winning streak in early March when the campaign came to a close.
Head Coach Gina Thomas returns for her eighth season at the helm of the Bearcats program. In its last complete season in 2019, UC made the postseason for the first time in school history, playing in the American Athletic Conference Championship game at the Sheakley Athletics Center.
Dukes was a first-team all-conference selection in 2019 who led The American in ground balls per game last season (2.86 per game). Borzillo (18g, 13a) also earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2019 while Mottice (14g, 7a) and Adams (14g, 1a) were among UC's leading attackers in 2020.
Kylie Nause, the 2019 AAC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-AAC selection, returns along with fellow 2019 All-AAC performers Sam Mlkvy (first team) and Adrianna Fess (second team)
The 2021 lacrosse season for American Athletic Conference teams begins Friday, Feb. 12, as five of the league's six teams are in action during the opening weekend, while conference play begins March 19. Each team in The American will play 10 conference games, facing the other five teams in the conference twice each on a Friday-Sunday scheduling format.
The 2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship is scheduled for May 6 and 8 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida.
UC is set to open 2021 on Sunday, Feb. 14 at noon ET against Marquette.
View UC's 2021 lacrosse schedule online.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati Lacrosse, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati Lacrosse (@GoBearcatsLAX) and Head Coach Gina Oliver (@GinaOliverUC) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.