By Bei Jia Viggiano ’28
Sports Editor
Elle Mader ’26 entered Mount Holyoke College in fall 2022, continuing her academic and athletic career. A long-time lacrosse player and current second-year captain playing attack, Mader felt that she was not done with the sport.
Mader has played lacrosse since she was eight years old. Raised in a family of athletes, it was not a question of whether or not to play sports, but rather which sport to play. Eventually, she chose lacrosse; as well as cross country, which she used to stay active for lacrosse, her primary focus. When she arrived at Mount Holyoke, she joined the Lyons’ lacrosse team with the intention of having a set group of people to know in her first year on campus and push herself to be more extroverted.
Nearly three and a half years later, Mader described her personal experience on the team as “great,” though she admitted that she was initially apprehensive about playing lacrosse in college. However, according to Mader, it was “the best decision [she had] ever made.” She quickly made friends within and outside of the sport, stayed active and practiced good time management.
In Mader’s opinion, the team’s greatest strength is perseverance. Since her first year, there has been much growth, and the team acquired a new coach. Over the last three years, Mader said, they have been building upon a great foundation, which the first years and sophomores have been supporting with their hard work. She added that mindset is another strength that the team possesses: having the headspace to know what needs to be done and how to execute it.
Playing highly ranked teams like Babson College and MIT presents challenges, but for the Lyons, the challenge of matching their opponents’ skill level is welcome. Other obstacles include student-athletes coming back from injuries to play fully as a team. Mader’s past four years on the team have been spent building fundamentals and innate intangibles such as attitude and effort, which she said is another team strength.
Aside from matches, the lacrosse team has various traditions that promote team bonding and make the experience of being a college athlete a unique one. One such tradition is Bigs and Littles, where underclassmen are paired with upperclassmen to encourage team bonding and a network of support. Mader mentioned that she still speaks with her Big. Mader also noted another tradition, Secret Psych, where, at the start of every season, each player is assigned a teammate, and before each game they write encouraging notes for their person. Other traditions, according to Mader, include pre-game rituals, an annual spring break trip, talent shows, trivia games, crafts and PowerPoint nights.
To prepare for the 2026 season, the lacrosse team has been working hard through practice and lifting. Scrimmages with colleges such as the American International College, a Division II college in Springfield, Massachusetts, have allowed the Lyons to test out their plays. Additionally, new rule changes in lacrosse have gone into effect, and the scrimmages are a good opportunity for the team to test how it feels to play an official game.
The first game of this year’s lacrosse season was on Wednesday, Feb. 25, against Elms College on Mount Holyoke turf. The team, according to Mader, finds home games more fun due to the crowd, as well as events such as Level Up Lyons. However, Mader added that it is fun for the team to travel to other colleges and see their home turf.
In her final thoughts as the season kicks off, Mader stated, “I’m just really excited to get into it. I think we have a great coaching staff. Coach Libby Morrison is joining us this year in her first season with us, and then we have an alum, Hannah Bisson ’24, who’s joining us as well. So I think we have a really strong leadership.
“I just think the whole team as a collective is really ready to get into the season,” she continued. “The [preparation] we’ve done throughout preseason … I think [it] will really carry us far this season.” Mader also expressed that she is hopeful for a NEWMACS postseason run.
“[I] want to emphasize how far we’ve come since my freshman year to now. I’m really happy, and I’m really proud of everyone [for] all the work they’ve put in. I’m really excited to see where the season takes us, and excited for Elms [College].”
Mount Holyoke’s lacrosse team has since competed against Suffolk University on Wednesday, March 4, at Mount Holyoke College. They will next face Gordon College on Monday, March 9, at 6:00 p.m., in a home game once again.
Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27 contributed fact-checking.