CLINTON, S.C. – Following a frenzied Signing Day period last week where the Presbyterian College lacrosse program imported nine newcomers for the 2023 class, 4^th-year head coach Eric Clakeley announced another inclusion to the roster on Tuesday afternoon in the form of transfer attacker Naquia Hall, a promising sophomore attacker who spent the previous spring at Kennesaw State. Additionally, the Blue Hose were given a jolt of good fortune by the announcement that senior Paige Gacek – a defender who has started 55 outings in her college career – will be allowed a 5^th season on the field.

Appearing in five games last year (all victories) as a member of the Kennesaw State squad, Hall netted a pair of goals in wins over Howard on March 15 and Delaware State on April 16. A vaunted offensive player for Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Georgia, Naquia ended her freshman stint with five shots – four of which on-goal – for the Owls, taking her talents to PC for her second go-around. The daughter of William and Melanie Watkins, she plans to continue her studies as a psychology major in Clinton. Commenting on Hall's incorporation to Presbyterian, Coach Clakeley stated, "Naquia is a fantastic and dynamic low attacker, possessing the ability to both facilitate and finish. We look forward to getting her on campus, involved and taking a large role in our offensive system this season and for the next three years. When you are searching for mid-year additions, you are looking for the right combination of impact and fit, and no one could have met those needs better than Naquia".



One of the leaders of a PC squad that keeps steadily improving under Clakeley's guidance, Gacek's 5^th-year approval comes as a pleasant upgrade to a Blue Hose defense that retains one of its most prominent performers. Penciled in the starting lineup in every single game since her freshman campaign in 2019, Gacek has amassed 63 ground ball recoveries in the last three years alone, causing 27 turnovers in her last 38 appearances. Making a sizable leap in her preventative efforts during the '22 slate, the Syracuse, N.Y. native grabbed 34 ground balls and provoked nine TO's – including a season-high four against Delaware State – next to three draw control wins. "We are thrilled that Paige is able to use her additional COVID eligibility to continue her academics and lacrosse goals at Presbyterian", remarked Clakeley upon the news breaking. "Her growth as a player in the three years I have been here has been wonderful to witness. She elevates our game as a defensive unit, and is incredibly reliable in the clear. This fall, we have been able to analyze and work on additional areas where she can impact the program, and I am very excited to see where that leads".