NAPERVILLE - The Carthage women's lacrosse team has been selected to finish second in the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women's Lacrosse Preseason Poll, the conference announced on Thursday.

POLL RESULTS
1. Carroll (5 first-place votes), 25 points
2. Carthage (1 first-place vote), 21 points
3. Illinois Wesleyan, 13 points
T4. Augustana, 12 points
T4. North Central, 12 points
6. Elmhurst, 7 points

The Firebirds were picked to finish second after posting a 13–4 overall record in 2025, including a 4–1 mark in conference play. Carthage's lone conference loss came against the Carroll Pioneers.

Carthage will open the 2026 season on Saturday, February 14, at Calvin. Conference action begins on Saturday, April 4, as the Firebirds host the Augustana Vikings to open conference play at home.

Several key contributors return to the lineup in 2026, led by senior Piper LeFevre, who paced the Firebirds in both goals (55) and assists (18) last season. Junior Auggie Claridge also returns after averaging 51 goals on the year. In goal, Carthage welcomes back Xochitl Delvale-Vera and Kara Jaynes. Delvale-Vera posted a 5–2 record with 84 saves, while Jaynes finished 7–2 with 58 saves.

The 2026 campaign will also mark the second season at the helm for head coach Maddie Berni. A 2023 graduate of the Carthage women's lacrosse program, Berni brings firsthand experience and a strong connection to the program after an impressive career as a student-athlete.

If you are unable to make it to the game, catch all the action live on our Carthage Athletics YouTube page or https://cciwnetwork.com/. For more information, visit our athletics.carthage.edu.