Florida is favored to win the conference championship, according to the AAC 2021 Preseason Coaches' Poll released Tuesday.
The orange and blue were unanimously given first-place votes, topping Vanderbilt, Temple, Cincinnati, East Carolina and Old Dominion.
Florida ranked No. 7 on Inside Lacrosse’s 2021 Preseason Division I Top 20 Rankings and Nike/US Division I Women’s Preseason Top-20 Poll. The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division I Preseason Poll ranked Florida No. 8.
Defender Kaitlyn Dabkowski, attacker Brianna Harris, attacker Grace Haus, midfielder Shannon Kavanagh, goalkeeper Sarah Reznick and defender Cara Trombetta all made the 2021 AAC Women’s Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference Team.
Harris, Kavanagh, Reznick and Trombetta were all unanimous selections.
Harris, the top returning-point scorer in the AAC, earned the Preseason Attacker of the Year award for the first time. During the 2020 season, she made the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll, AAC All-Academic Team, AAC Honor Roll Feb. 10 and March 9, AAC Attacker of the Week Feb. 17 and ILWomen All-America Third Team.
Kavanagh was awarded her second-straight preseason Midfielder of the Year selection. The midfielder dominated on-and-off the field last season. She began last season on the Tewaaraton Watch List and Inside Lacrosse’s Division I Preseason All-America Second Team.
Kavanaugh was US Lacrosse’s National Player of the Week Feb. 17 and IWLCA’s National Offensive Player of the Week Feb. 18 and was the AAC’s midfielder of the week Feb. 10 and 17 and March 2 and 9.
The Smithtown, New York, native excelled academically and made the AAC's All-Academic Team and the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll. She finished the brief 2020 season on ILWomen’s All-America First Team.
Reznick was awarded Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year for the first time in her collegiate career. Her outstanding redshirt freshman season landed her on the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll, AAC All-Academic Team, IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week Feb. 18 and the All-ILWomen Rookie Team.
Reznick’s the AAC Freshman of the Week Feb. 10 and 17 and March 2.
Trombetta earned her third preseason accolade as Preseason Co-Defender of the Year in her fifth year. The Holbrook, New York native finished the 2020 campaign on Inside Lacrosse’s Division I Preseason All-America First Team and the Tewaaraton Watch List. She was also the AAC Defender of the Week Feb. 10 and 17 and March 2.
Trombetta’s performance in the classroom landed her on the AAC All-Academic Team and the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll. She closed out the 2020 season on ILWomen’s All-America First Team.
Florida will kick off its season with high hopes Saturday against the Cardinals in Louisville, Kentucky.
Contact Karina Wilson at kwilson@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @kk_rinaa
Karina Wilson is a second-year student at the University of Florida within the College of Journalism and Communications with a specialization in sports and media. She aims to produce engaging, accurate and current content for all types of sports fans. Currently, Karina is The Alligator's lacrosse beat writer.
