DENVER -- The University of Denver women's lacrosse team travels to Nashville this weekend to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday at 11 a.m. MT.

The Pioneers are 8-4 all-time against the Commodores, including a 17-8 victory on February 16 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
- Denver completed a perfect opening weekend on the road with a 15-4 win over USC and a 14-7 win over ASU. 
- DU will open its 2026 home season against Towson on Feb. 19 at 12 p.m. MT.
- The Pioneers travel to Tennessee to take on Vanderbilt on Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. MT in Nashville. 

LAST TIME VS VANDERBILT
- Denver defeated Vanderbilt, 17-8, on Feb. 16, 2025 at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. 
- The Pioneers had 10 different goal scorers in the win. Eva Thomsen-Marr, Caroline Bowers and Caroline Keil each recorded their first collegiate goals in the win.

2026 CAPTAINS
- The Pioneers selected seniors Carly Frohnapfel, Landry Grover and Megan Klingenberg and junior Olivia Ripple as captains for the 2026 season.
- Frohnapfel started all 20 games for the Pioneers last season. The defender recorded 18 ground balls and was a force in the crease causing 19 turnovers.
- Grover appeared in 19 games and 18 as a starter. She ranked second on the team with 37 ground balls and caused 21 turnovers.
- Klingenberg has started all but one game in her career with the Pioneers, including 20 last season. The midfielder led the squad with 44 ground balls and third with 25 caused turnovers and was a Big East All-Conference and All-Tournament Team selection. 
- Ripple led the Pioneers with 76 points on 63 goals and 13 assists last season. THe attacker was named the Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player, a Big East All-Conference selection, and an All-West/Midwest Region First Team selection.

BIG TIME IN THE BIG EAST
- Olivia Ripple was voted the unanimous Big East Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Alex Dorr, Lexi Gwaku and Megan Klingenberg were named Preseason All-Big East Team selections.
- During the 2025 season, Ripple led the Pioneers with 76 points on 63 goals and 13 assists. 
- In the Big East  Tournament semifinal win over Georgetown, Ripple registered seven goals as well as a career-best and conference tournament record breaking seven ground balls. She earned All-Tounrnament Team recognition with 11 goals on the weekend and was named the Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
- Dorr averaged 6.65 draw wins per game, and her 133 draw control wins were good for second-most in a single season. She recorded double-digit draws on five occasions in 2025, including a program-best 17 draw wins in the victory over Butler.
- Gwaku made 12 appearances in goal for 275 minutes. She made 38 saves for a .551 save percentage and 6.74 goals against average.
- Klingenberg started every game in 2025, averaging 1.29 caused turnovers and 2.06 ground balls per game and was named to the Big East All-Tournament Team. 

NEW GOALIE-KEEPER
- Lauren Spence joins the Pioneers this season as goalkeeper coach.
- Prior to joining the Pioneers, Spence was a three-year starting goalkeeper for Loyola and was a three-time IWLCA All-Mid-Atlantic Selection and two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American.
- Spence played alongside former Pioneer Lauren Black with Team Canada at the 2022 World Games, posting a 5-0 record with 53 saves en-route to a gold medal performance.

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