Tampa Rises to No. 3 in USA Lacrosse National Rankings

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa women's lacrosse team has climbed to No. 3 in this week's USA Lacrosse Division II Women's Top 20, reaffirming its national title aspirations while reinforcing the Sunshine State Conference's grip on the upper tier of Division II women's lacrosse.

While West Chester remains the lone unbeaten team in the country and holds firm at No. 1, four SSC teams round out the rest of the top five: No. 2 Embry-Riddle, No. 3 Tampa, No. 4 Florida Southern, and No. 5 Lynn. Collectively, the SSC's top four programs boast a combined 51-4 record, making a compelling case as the deepest and most competitive conference in the nation.

The Spartans (13-1) continued their momentum last week with victories over Rollins and Florida Tech, two SSC teams that received consideration in recent national rankings. Tampa topped Rollins by a 17-goal margin before defeating Florida Tech 13-9 on the road. In those wins, Peyton Howell continued her offensive tear with 13 goals, earning a Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week nomination, while goalkeeper Savvy Barbosa anchored the defense with double-digit saves.

Now, Tampa enters a pivotal week in its regular-season schedule that could shape postseason seeding. On Wednesday, April 9 at 6:00 p.m., the Spartans hit the road for a top-10 showdown with No. 9 Saint Leo. They'll return home for Senior Day and the program's annual One Love Game on Saturday, April 12 at noon as they host No. 5 Lynn in a matchup of nationally ranked SSC powerhouses.

For the complete schedule, visit Tampa Spartans.