With the dog days of summer in the rearview mirror and students swarming back to campus, fall women’s sports teams are hitting the field, court, and course.
Last fall, the Tigers were dominant. Women’s soccer, cross country, field hockey, and volleyball all won the Ivy League with the help of several exceptional talents, many of whom are returning this season. Women’s rugby saw breakthroughs in their third ever season, winning their first two games in program history.
2025 brings with it new opportunities to win more Ivy League hardware and for new stars to emerge. Here’s a preview of the action to come.
Women’s Soccer
Women’s soccer won both the regular season and Ivy League tournament titles last fall before falling to the University of Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a hard-fought game.
The Tigers are fielding a lineup with significant changes from last year, after five starters departed when the prolific Class of 2025 graduated in the spring. It will be hard to fill their shoes: Of those starters, three have gone on to play professionally and one transferred to the 2024 National Champions University of North Carolina.
As the earliest starting team of all Princeton’s fall teams, women’s soccer has already played four games, tying Rutgers and Syracuse and falling to No. 25 Ohio State and Loyola (Md.). The Tigers scheduled a tough non-conference slate to start, but a winless start was not what Tiger faithful had hoped for. The youth on the team showed promise so far — sophomore forward Alexandra Barry scored last Thursday, with assists from first-year forwards Aubrey Crisostomo and Nina Cantor.
Injuries to junior defender Zoe Markesini, a captain and leader of the back four, and sophomore midfielder Brooke Dawahare will set the Tigers back. The Tigers will have plenty of playing time available for younger players as Head Coach Sean Driscoll looks to build his next dynasty. The Tigers should be able find their pedigree and compete in the Ivy League.
Field Hockey
After finishing below .500 in 2023, field hockey climbed back to national prominence, falling just short of making the last four in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were named favorites to win the Ivy League this year in the preseason poll, so expect more of the same in South Jersey.
Three-time All-American and former Olympian senior midfielder Beth Yeager will lead the Tigers this year hoping to add to her 113 career points, seventh all-time in Princeton history. Joining her is Talia Schenk, who just played for the United States at the Junior Pan-Am Games in August.
The Tigers pack a stringent non-conference schedule this year, playing University of North Carolina, Rutgers, Syracuse, and University of Connecticut — all ranked in the top 14 of the final rankings from last year. On top of that, a home matchup against Harvard, the narrow second-place in the preseason poll, will be an instant classic early in the season.
Cross Country
Women’s cross country made history last year, winning the triple crown of distance running and track and field last year for the first time since 2011. After taking the Heps crown in the fall in cross country, the Tigers also won first-place honors in indoor and outdoor track.
Standout Mena Scatchard ’25 graduated in the spring after accumulating a bevy of awards and decorations, among them a second-place at NCAA Indoor Track Championships. However, the Tigers return lots of talent — junior Anna McNatt and sophomore Meg Madison earned All-Ivy Honors last year.
The starter’s gun on the Tigers’ season fires this weekend at the Jersey Jam, right here in Princeton. After that, there’s another home race, the Princeton Fall Classic, in October before a rematch with rival Harvard in New York City for Ivy League Championships.
Women’s Volleyball
The last of the 2024 Ivy League Champions will begin their season down south in Harrisonburg, Va., at the LD&B Insurance Invitational with three matches. Coming off a stinging loss to Yale in the Ivy League Tournament Final last November, women’s volleyball looks to build on last year’s success while taking the next step.
Leading the way are two former Ivy League Rookies of the Year, junior setter Sydney Draper and senior middle blocker Lucia Scalamandre. Scalamandre is a high flyer who finished third in the Ivies in blocks and blocks per set last year.
The Tiger faithful should circle Oct. 4 on their calendars, when the Yale Bulldogs will come to Dillon Gymnasium for the first of two matchups between the two teams. The Bulldogs narrowly topped the Tigers in the Ivy League preseason poll and ended the Tigers’ season last year. Can the Orange and Black flip the script this season?
Women’s Rugby
This season marks a milestone for women’s rugby — four full recruiting classes for the Tigers will take the field. The team is still made of primarily walk-ons, as recruiting classes are limited to three players each year.
Hopes are high on the pitch, following the Tigers’ two wins last year. Seniors like Amelia Clarke, Alayshja Bable, and Caroline Maguire — all of whom were a part of the first recruiting class — bring three years of varsity experience.
The Tigers kicked off their season last weekend with a 54–7 loss in a difficult matchup against Long Island University. Fans can catch the first home game of the season on Sept. 13 at Rickerson Field at Haaga House against Ivy rivals Dartmouth.
Harrison Blank is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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