UNC Women’s Lacrosse 2026-27

[3397char]

FWIW, the consensus at Fanlax is that fewer players will be recruited to D-1 schools in view of the 5 for 5 ruling. D-1 schools are predicted to have smaller classes.

UNC's 2027 class (high school seniors who committed last fall) was small - 6 players. By comparison, this year's freshman class (class of 2026) has 10 commits.

Good call. logically all classes will be about 10-20% smaller depending on the sport. You would think that it would be 25% smaller, but so many players were already using redshirt years to log a 5th that the impact will be less than it might appear on the surface.

It is also important to remember that we already experienced all of this for 4 years after the COVID free year impact. So it is not new per se, just reverting back to a familiar recent history, this time with a better feel of what to expect. The biggest difference will be compounding 5 years of eligibility with hard roster limits. No more HPU games where they have 50 men riding the pine on the sideline during play.

And just like COVID years, there will be a ton of developed talent exiting Ivy League schools for their last year; possibly their last 2 if they graduate early. You will see the most impact in sports that The Ivy excels at such as rowing, fencing, wrestling, lacrosse and field hockey. But there will be individuals who showed out at most every sport.

 

[airball]

Nice post, 3397. Essentially this is the COVID years revisited. I'll be curious to see how many players actually play five years.

As you point out, the Ivy League has been a very significant source for the transfer portal. If there was ever a thought about the transfer portal drying up, 5 for 5 has breathed new life into it. The tranfer portal has been a very significant factor in the determination of national champions in woman's lacrosse over the past five years.

 

[airball]

Re: girl's lacrosse recruiting, which opens tomorrow (Sep 1):

FYI, in the 2026 class, Cece Powell was the first commitment, on September 2. Last year, Saia Hansra was the first 2007 commit, on September 8. FWIW, my recollection is that the later date (Sep 8) is more typical.

EDIT: as recruiting classes are getting smaller, some think that commitments will be made earlier to lock down the scarcer openings. Makes some sense, especially if a school makes offers and accepts commitments on a first come - first serve basis.

From Fanlax, FWIW -

“Rumour is UNC only taking three.”
(Paint me somewhat skeptical, but I don’t have any insider knowledge. I think five is very plausible.)

 

[zheel]

It appears we have our first commitment, a 5-star middie ranked #16 in the class by IL

16. Bryce Birkholz, M, West Forsyth (Ga.), Eagle Stix

 

[3397char]

It appears we have our first commitment, a 5-star middie ranked #16 in the class by IL

16. Bryce Birkholz, M, West Forsyth (Ga.), Eagle Stix

 

[zheel]

Birkholz's 5-star high school and club teammate to Maryland

25. Luca Diehl, M, West Forsyth (Ga.), Eagle Stix

 

[airball]

Re: Bryce Birkholz

The Best-in-Class summer event (July 21, 2026) for rising juniors recognized UNC commit, Bryce Birkholz, as a standout midfielder:

#18 BRYCE BIRKHOLZ | WEST FORSYTH | EAGLE STIX

Every ground ball seemed to matter when Birkholz was on the field. Her work ethic in the middle of the field was evident, she attacked the cage with confidence, and routinely made winning plays on both ends of the field. Her physical on-ball defense, timely doubles, and ability to force turnovers made her a constant presence defensively. She is a kid you could recruit and then find a role at any position, speaking to her versatility.

 

[Jriv23]

Welcome to the family Birkholz. Go Heels!

 

[Nate1972]

Addison Patillo's sister Harper to dook.

 

[unc80]

Addison Patillo's sister Harper to dook.

 

[Jriv23]

Interesting and wow. That is like Jeff and Jason Capel in men's basketball. Jeff went to Duke and Jason went to UNC.

 

[3397char]

 

[airball]

Here’s an evaluation of new UNC goalie commit, Cambria Williams:

Cambria Williams was evaluated at Philly Classic

---

93​

/100

---

You're going to want to remember the name Williams. Between show-stopping saves on the doorstep and one-handed interceptions around the crease, she is in a complete league of her own. There's nothing better than an active goalie who plays with intent, and Williams is exactly that.

 

[Jriv23]

Welcome to the family, Lax. Go Heels!

 

[Jriv23]

Thanks for sharing and for the updates. Go Heels!

 

[airball]

As of this morning, 21 of IL-Women’s top 50 recruits have committed. UNC has two commitments, while Maryland and Clemson lead with three commitments each.

Four of IL’s top 10 have committed - two to Maryland and one each to dook and Michigan. Recruits ranked 2-7 are uncommitted as of this morning (Tue, Sep 8).

A new ranking source - Prep Girls Lacrosse - has appeared (new to me at least). What’s remarkable is that there are frequently large disparities in how the two sources rank the players.

 

[3397char]

A new ranking source - Prep Girls Lacrosse - has appeared (new to me at least). What’s remarkable is that there are frequently large disparities in how the two sources rank the players.

The "Prep Network" brand has websites for softball, basketball, volleyball, etc... and have been around for a while. I have referenced them for soccer a good bit just because Top Drawer and they (Prep Soccer) are subscription only, so the information comes in piecemeal. They certainly do seem to do their own thing in terms of evaluation; no idea how they are going about it across so many sports. Generally speaking, I do not think that they are the top referenced service in any sport. Their lacrosse service is new to me also: I do not think they have been around long.

They do have lists by state for recruit rankings, which does expand their coverage to more players in some sports than a top 100 national list only might, so there is some use in seeing how good those three-star tertiary tier recruits are regarded (at lest by this one source). Those recruits often round out the tail end of a recruiting class.

 

[Jriv23]

As of this morning, 21 of IL-Women’s top 50 recruits have committed. UNC has two commitments, while Maryland and Clemson lead with three commitments each.

Four of IL’s top 10 have committed - two to Maryland and one each to dook and Michigan. Recruits ranked 2-7 are uncommitted as of this morning (Tue, Sep 8).

A new ranking source - Prep Girls Lacrosse - has appeared (new to me at least). What’s remarkable is that there are frequently large disparities in how the two sources rank the players.

I think for UNC, we are going to recruit a small class like someone had stated which is understandable based on the 2026 and 2027 classes. Also Chloe Humphrey's class will still be around. If I had to take a guess, I think Jeni and Staff are only recruiting what they project they will need in 2028. They clearly will not need a lot of scoring because the 2025, 2026, and 2027 classes will provide more than enough.

 

[airball]

UNC has received its third commitment from the class of 2028 — 5-star attacker Meaghan O’Brien from Victor Senior HS (NY) and the Monster club team. IL ranks her as the #6 player in the class.

Here’s a writeup on Meaghan:

Strengths​

• 2-Handed
• High IQ
• Field Vision

“An exceptional stick handler who uses her body to protect the ball, navigate through traffic, and create scoring opportunities against tight defensive pressure. Attacks aggressively from behind the goal line, forcing slides and consistently putting the defense in difficult positions. Displays outstanding vision and composure, moving the ball with accurate, well-timed feeds that create quality scoring chances for her teammates.”

(in June, Victor won its fifth consecutive NY Class B championship. I suppose it is an understatement to say that she looks like a winner.)

Welcome aboard, Meaghan.

 

[3397char]

UNC has received its third commitment from the class of 2028 — 5-star attacker Meaghan O’Brien from Victor Senior HS (NY) and the Monster club team. IL ranks her as the #6 player in the class.

Here’s a writeup on Meaghan:

Strengths​

• 2-Handed
• High IQ
• Field Vision

“An exceptional stick handler who uses her body to protect the ball, navigate through traffic, and create scoring opportunities against tight defensive pressure. Attacks aggressively from behind the goal line, forcing slides and consistently putting the defense in difficult positions. Displays outstanding vision and composure, moving the ball with accurate, well-timed feeds that create quality scoring chances for her teammates.”

(in June, Victor won its fifth consecutive NY Class B championship. I suppose it is an understatement to say that she looks like a winner.)

Welcome aboard, Meaghan.

 

[oldwell]

I think for UNC, we are going to recruit a small class like someone had stated which is understandable based on the 2026 and 2027 classes. Also Chloe Humphrey's class will still be around. If I had to take a guess, I think Jeni and Staff are only recruiting what they project they will need in 2028. They clearly will not need a lot of scoring because the 2025, 2026, and 2027 classes will provide more than enough.

This makes sense. Also, seems like they’re willing to hit the portal for holes.

 

[airball]

It looks like five more of the top 50 players in the IL 2028 women’s lacrosse class list committed yesterday, which means 26/50 have committed thusfar. UNC received its third commitment yesterday from Meaghan O’Brien who plays at Victor Senior HS (NY).

 

[airball]

ODDITY:

I mentioned previously that Prep Girls’ Lacrosse was a new ranking source and that its rankings vary substantially from those of Inside Lacrosse. To illiustrate, I counted 26 of IL’s top 50 players have committed. Of the top 50 ranked by Prep Girls’, only 13 have signed.

Obviously, the two lists are vastly different.

 

[Jriv23]

Welcome to the family, Meaghan. Go Heels!

 

[airball]

By my calculation, 16 of IL-Women’s top 50 players are uncommitted.

Of IL’s top 50, 30 are graded as 5-star recruits. Nine 5-star players have not committed, including 5 of the top 7 players.

I suspect that following visits this weekend, virtually all of the top players will commit in the next week. IIRC, the last 2025 5-star recruit committed on September 20.

Nine schools have 1 5-star recruit, including ACC members dook and Virginia.
Schools with more than one 5-star: Maryland 4, UNC 3, Stanford 3 and Clemson 2.

 

[airball]

UNC’s fourth recruit in the 2028 class is Price Orcutt, a midfielder from Conestoga HS (PA) and Philly Blast 2028 club. IL ranks her as the 45th player in the class. She participates in track (sprint events) and field hockey. Her athleticism was on display at the BIC Summer Showcase where she recorded the fastest sprint time and had the longest broad jump; she was third in the vertical jump.

Here is the write-up from 2025 Best in Class Fall Showcase, where Price was identified as a standout:

“Orcutt has elite next level speed in the midfield. A lefty with a punch, she set herself up well for 1v1 dodges and used her quickness to get to cage. Defensively, she was able to double and help, creating turnovers, scooping the ball and immediately moving to the offensive end.”

[Conestoga is the alma mater of UNC star, Scotty Rose Growney.]

Welcome, Price.

 

[3397char]

UNC’s fourth recruit in the 2028 class is Price Orcutt, a midfielder from Conestoga HS (PA) and Philly Blast 2028 club. IL ranks her as the 45th player in the class. She participates in track (sprint events) and field hockey. Her athleticism was on display at the BIC Summer Showcase where she recorded the fastest sprint time and had the longest broad jump; she was third in the vertical jump.

Here is the write-up from 2025 Best in Class Fall Showcase, where Price was identified as a standout:

“Orcutt has elite next level speed in the midfield. A lefty with a punch, she set herself up well for 1v1 dodges and used her quickness to get to cage. Defensively, she was able to double and help, creating turnovers, scooping the ball and immediately moving to the offensive end.”

[Conestoga is the alma mater of UNC star, Scotty Rose Growney.]

Welcome, Price.

 

[Jriv23]

UNC’s fourth recruit in the 2028 class is Price Orcutt, a midfielder from Conestoga HS (PA) and Philly Blast 2028 club. IL ranks her as the 45th player in the class. She participates in track (sprint events) and field hockey. Her athleticism was on display at the BIC Summer Showcase where she recorded the fastest sprint time and had the longest broad jump; she was third in the vertical jump.

Here is the write-up from 2025 Best in Class Fall Showcase, where Price was identified as a standout:

“Orcutt has elite next level speed in the midfield. A lefty with a punch, she set herself up well for 1v1 dodges and used her quickness to get to cage. Defensively, she was able to double and help, creating turnovers, scooping the ball and immediately moving to the offensive end.”

[Conestoga is the alma mater of UNC star, Scotty Rose Growney.]

Welcome, Price.

Welcome to the family, Price Orcutt. Go Heels!

 

[Anon208472]

Price Orcutt's Lacrosse Recruiting Profile

Watch Price's recruiting video • 2028 • Defense, Midfield, Attack • Philly Blast Lacrosse • Berwyn, PA • Multi-sport athlete (Lacrosse, Indoor Track and Field Hockey) who loves lacrosse! Varsity lacrosse starter as a freshman. Leading Scorer 46g, 11a, 54dc, 25gbs 11cts -Summer 2026 Best in Class...

iwlca.sportsrecruits.com

 

[airball]

Price Orcutt’s mother, Amy Havrills Orcutt, was a 2009 graduate of UNC, where she played lacrosse for Coach Levy. She was a two-time selection to the All-ACC Tournament Team.

She just retired as the 10-year head coach of her alma mater, Conestoga (PA) HS, which is also where daughter Price plays. Her Conestoga teams won three AAA (large school) Pennslyvania state championships. Prior to coaching at Conestoga, she coached Agnes Irwin for six years.

Welcome back home to Chapel Hill, Coach Orcutt.

 

[Jriv23]

Price Orcutt's Lacrosse Recruiting Profile

Watch Price's recruiting video • 2028 • Defense, Midfield, Attack • Philly Blast Lacrosse • Berwyn, PA • Multi-sport athlete (Lacrosse, Indoor Track and Field Hockey) who loves lacrosse! Varsity lacrosse starter as a freshman. Leading Scorer 46g, 11a, 54dc, 25gbs 11cts -Summer 2026 Best in Class...

iwlca.sportsrecruits.com

She is a lefty which I like and she is fast. She sort of reminds me of EO.

 

[Deja_Blu]

commendable post, airball. well done.

 

[airball]

commendable post, airball. well done.

Deja_Blu, I am hesitant to post stuff that’s a little off the wall, but I think it’s a tribute to Coach Levy and the program that one of her players went into coaching and then sent her daughter to UNC. Glad to know I’m not the only person who finds such topics of interest. Thanks.

 

[airball]

She is a lefty which I like and she is fast. She sort of reminds me of EO.

I like her also. She is really fast; her time in the “Flying 20” @ BIC was 2.22 sec, which was considerably faster than the second place finisher (2.29) and faster than the fastest of the 2027 class @ BIC (2.28). I could probably provide a little context if I understood exactly that the Flying 20 entailed, but alas, I am of no help. However, in the 2026 summer class she was .07 faster; there were 13 players within .07 of the 2nd place finisher. And she excelled in the broad jump (1st) and high jump (3rd) as well. She is obviously very athletic.

However, Price Orcutt is considerably shorter than EO — 5’4” vs. 5’10”.

 

[airball]

One commitment from IL’s 2028 5-stars over the weekend, leaving eight uncommitted. Five of the eight holdouts are ranked in the 2028 top-10.

I find it surprising that a player named Maeve Irish (IL ranked #26) could consider committing anywhere other than Notre Dame. And that turned out to be her destination.

 

[airball]

Oversight by me — Price Orcutt’s brother Jackson is a sophomore on the UNC men’s lacrosse team.

 

[Jriv23]

One commitment from IL’s 2028 5-stars over the weekend, leaving eight uncommitted. Five of the eight holdouts are ranked in the 2028 top-10.

I find it surprising that a player named Maeve Irish (IL ranked #26) could consider committing anywhere other than Notre Dame. And that turned out to be her destination.

She is definitely looking at playing time and starting and that is the reason why she committed to ND IMO.

 

[Jriv23]

Oversight by me — Price Orcutt’s brother Jackson is a sophomore on the UNC men’s lacrosse team.

I love the brother and sister combo at UNC. Go Heels!

 

[In!]

I like her also. She is really fast; her time in the “Flying 20” @ BIC was 2.22 sec, which was considerably faster than the second place finisher (2.29) and faster than the fastest of the 2027 class @ BIC (2.28). I could probably provide a little context if I understood exactly that the Flying 20 entailed, but alas, I am of no help. However, in the 2026 summer class she was .07 faster; there were 13 players within .07 of the 2nd place finisher. And she excelled in the broad jump (1st) and high jump (3rd) as well. She is obviously very athletic.

However, Price Orcutt is considerably shorter than EO — 5’4” vs. 5’10”.

That might be Zimmerman fast if anyone remembers that speed demon! Excellent!

 

[airball]

Carolina has its fifth 2028 commitment, M Gabby Ray from Wilton HS (CT) (UNC’s Addison Pattillo’s alma mater) and Prime Time club team.. Here is a write-up from IL-Women which grades Ray as a 5-star player ranked #7 in the 2028 class:

“Ray is a dynamic midfielder who uses her speed all over the field. She hustles and sells out for every play. An extremely consistent 2 way middie who can create opportunities for her teammates and finish on all her scoring looks. On the defensive side she can win any matchup and push transition immediately for her team.”

Welcome, Gabby.