CLINTON, S.C. – Big South meeting number two will rear its head for the Presbyterian College lacrosse team, returning to Bailey Memorial Stadium on Saturday after a 17-day absence to go one-on-one with Longwood. Opening draw is scheduled for noon in the first of four conference clashes to be held in Clinton.

PC plans on picking up their second-ever victory against their Virginia-based league opponent, competing on an annual basis since 2010 and gaining a 12-11 triumph on the road three years back in head coach Eric Clakeley's first full season with the program (his 2020 debut was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Since then, however, the Lancers have taken the last two encounters by margins of seven and five, overcoming dreary weather in Farmville last spring to win an 11-6 outing. Longwood has amassed a 7-0 record versus the Blue Hose when playing in the Palmetto State.

 
GAMEDAY INFO – SATURDAY, MARCH 30
Presbyterian (1-8, 0-1) vs. Longwood (3-6, 1-0)
WHERE / WHEN: Bailey Memorial Stadium | 12:00 PM
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast

 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
 
- Shaking off a slow start to grab a W in three of their past five meetings, Longwood earned a 14-8 decision against Radford earlier this week to begin the Big South slate on the right foot. The Lancers have tallied a minimum of 10 goals in each of their victories, among them a 16-10 thriller over Youngstown State and a 10-7 differential opposite George Mason.

- After only one league affair, head coach Kylar Ferguson has already reached half of her squad's conference win count from the prior year which was her debut season with the program.

- Longwood had mustered 12 goals or better in three consecutive road appearances prior to their non-conference finale, a 17-4 setback versus ACC member Virginia Tech.

- Ahead by just one entering the final frame against Radford on Wednesday, the Lancers pulled away late with a 6-1 flurry in the 4^th. The trio of Holly Hill, Sophia Passa, and Ariana Tucci each accounted for three goals, while the team recorded 21 ground ball pickups and forced the Highlanders into 22 turnovers.

 
LAST TIME OUT
 
- Presbyterian ran into a Mercer buzzsaw in the middle of the week, taking a 23-1 loss against the Bears in Macon (last year's Big South regular season and tournament champion).

- That contest went down as Mercer's 15^th straight conference win, bringing PC to a 1-8 mark after getting the better of Central Connecticut in their previous matchup by an 11-6 clip in the northeast.

- Recently-named Big South Freshman of the Week for the second time in 2024 – the first time in program history that anyone has managed that feat – Emma Claire Mills was responsible for the Blue Hose's 3^rd-quarter strike, adding a team-high four draws to her personal stat line.

- Preseason all-leaguer Willow Hammond leads the way in the goals department for Clakeley's unit (15), reaching a season-best five in the aforementioned Central Connecticut W.

- Elsewhere, the senior/sophomore combo of Kylie Sullivan and Avery West have posted the most ground balls of anyone on the roster, formulating an added 47.
 

MORGAN'S MESSAGE
 
- Saturday's event will be Presbyterian's annual "Morgan's Message" dedication game, honoring the life and legacy of former Duker University lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers who tragically passed away in July 2019 after battling mental health struggles.

- Morgan's Message was an initiative created by her family and teammates with a mission to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health, normalize the conversation about mental health, and ensure that mental health is treated equal to physical health for all student-athletes.