TAMPA, Fla. – February 21, 2026 – The University of South Florida women's lacrosse used a dominant second half to pull away from Mercer, 15-10, Saturday afternoon at Corbett Stadium. Sofia Chepenik scored four goals, including her 100th career goal.

The Bulls (3-1) trailed 8-5 just before halftime after Mercer (0-3) scored four of the final five goals of the first half. But Chepenik provided a spark just before the break, burying a goal with just 0.2 seconds remaining on the clock to cut the deficit to 8-6 heading into the locker room.

USF came out of the half on fire, scoring four unanswered goals to open the third quarter and grab a 10-8 lead. Kali Cleary started the run with a goal at 13:38, Kalina Johnson followed with a free-position goal at 10:52, Bailey Morris converted an opportunity at 8:43, and Chepenik capped the surge at 7:44 on an assist from Elise Grissett.

Mercer briefly pulled even at 10-10 on goals from Kaileigh Wallace and Sofia D'Angelo, but Ava Uphues answered with 1:45 left in the third to put the Bulls ahead for good at 11-10. South Florida then shut out the Bears in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 4-0 to seal the victory. Chepenik opened the final frame with a goal before Julia Huxtable and Jena Binkis added insurance tallies down the stretch.

Note-a-Bulls

• Four different Bulls — Grissett, Huxtable, Uphues, and Binkis — each scored two goals to complement Chepenik's four-goal effort. Eight USF players found the back of the net in all, with Morris, Cleary, and Johnson each adding a goal.
• The Bulls were perfect on clears in the second half, going seven-for-seven after converting eight-of-10 in the first half. USF also dominated at the draw circle, winning 18 of 26 draws, led by Cleary with eight and Binkis and Kaitlyn Tartaglione with four apiece.
• Goalkeeper Hailey Darko earned the first win of her South Florida career after replacing Natalie Eastwood at halftime, allowing just two goals on four shots on goal in 30 minutes of action. Eastwood made four saves in the first half.
• USF outshot Mercer 31-22 overall and 23-16 in shots on goal. The Bears were whistled for four green cards and two yellow cards in the contest.

 
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About USF Women's Lacrosse
Entering its second season, the University of South Florida women's lacrosse program builds on a historic inaugural year that quickly established the Bulls as a contender in the American Athletic Conference. South Florida opened its first-ever season on Feb. 7, 2025, with a 19–6 win over Kennesaw State, setting the State of Florida regular-season attendance record as 2,386 fans filled Corbett Stadium. The Bulls went on to finish the 2025 season with a 13–5 record and earned a place in the American Conference Championship in their inaugural season, ultimately finishing as the league's runner-up. South Florida also drew more than 10,000 total fans to Corbett Stadium during the season. USF named Mindy McCord, an eight-time conference coach of the year, as the program's first head coach in May 2022. McCord arrived in Tampa with 240 career wins and a proven record of building successful programs after launching and leading Jacksonville University's women's lacrosse team for its first 13 seasons. During her tenure at JU, she guided the Dolphins to 21 regular-season and conference tournament titles, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and back-to-back Sweet Sixteen berths while developing 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections, and 13 conference Player of the Year honorees. South Florida plays a fast-paced, high-scoring style influenced by the early 1990s Loyola Marymount men's basketball fast break. That approach ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game, and scoring margin during McCord's tenure at Jacksonville and continues to shape the Bulls' offensive identity heading into year two.
 
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