TAMPA, Fla., March 7, 2026 – The University of South Florida women's lacrosse team dropped a home contest to Navy, 19–8, Saturday afternoon.
South Florida (4–2) found the scoreboard early when Kaitlyn Tartaglione responded to two quick Navy goals with an unassisted finish midway through the first quarter. The Midshipmen, however, closed the opening frame on a scoring run to take a 5–1 lead after one.
Navy extended its advantage in the second quarter with six goals in the period. Ava Uphues opened the scoring for the Bulls in the quarter on a pass from Maggie Newton, while Elise Grissett added another late in the frame. South Florida trailed 11–3 at halftime.
The Bulls continued to compete in the second half as Julia Huxtable and Kali Cleary each scored in the third quarter. Uphues added her second goal early in the fourth, while Kalina Johnson and Tartaglione also found the net to round out the scoring for South Florida.
Tartaglione and Uphues led the Bulls with two goals each. Newton recorded two assists, while Grissett, Huxtable, Cleary, and Johnson each added a goal.
Note-A-Bulls:
• Draw Control Battle – The Bulls stayed competitive at the draw circle, finishing just behind Navy 15–13.
• Fourth Quarter Push – USF scored three goals in the final period, its highest-scoring quarter of the game.
UP NEXT
South Florida will travel to Philadelphia, PA for a noon matchup against Temple on Saturday, March 14th. This match will be streamed on ESPN+.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase women's lacrosse tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com.
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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.
– #GoBulls –
