The Mid-American Conference offices were flooded with Green and White excellence this week. Five different Eagles across two sports were recognized with weekly conference honors, highlighting a period of unprecedented success for both the lacrosse and tennis programs.
A lacrosse trifecta: Historic starts and comeback stories
The EMU lacrosse team is currently flying higher than ever before. Following a sweep of their home contests against Lindenwood University and Xavier University, the Eagles secured a 3-1 record. This momentum was mirrored in the conference awards, where the MAC announced a triple threat of EMU honorees on February 17, 2026.
Leading the charge on the scoreboard was Kelsea Dague, named the MAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week. For Dague, a redshirt junior from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the award is a testament to resilience. After sitting out the entire 2025 season due to injury, Dague exploded back onto the scene last week, tallying seven points on six goals and one assist. Her performance included back-to-back hat tricks, the second of which featured a dramatic late-game-winner to seal a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over Xavier. This recognition marks the fifth offensive honor in program history.
While Dague handled the scoring, Karly Low anchored a defense that proved nearly impenetrable when it mattered most. Named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week, the junior from Owen Sound, Ontario, was a vacuum for loose balls. Low recorded five ground balls in the win over Xavier and added four caused turnovers across the two-game stretch. Her ability to disrupt opponent transitions has been a cornerstone of EMU’s impressive home start.
Completing the lacrosse sweep was Maddy Porter, who earned MAC Goalkeeper of the Week honors. Porter, a junior from Montrose, New York, is no stranger to conference accolades, as this marks her fifth career MAC honor. Last week, she was a force both inside and outside the crease, stopping 18 shots and collecting 10 ground balls. In a highlight-reel moment against Lindenwood, Porter even raced out of her cage to secure her first career draw control, beating an opposing player to the ball. Her leadership in goal was particularly evident against Xavier, where she allowed no goals in the final 12:47 of play, enabling the Eagles' comeback.
Tennis: Freshmen phenoms take the road
The success in Ypsilanti wasn't limited to the turf. On the court, the EMU tennis team continued its impressive 8-3 start to the 2026 season. On February 16, the conference named freshmen duo Matilde Parreira and Sabrina Tolstova the MAC Doubles Team of the Week.
The freshman pair, hailing from Portugal and Ukraine, respectively, have quickly become one of the most reliable units in the conference. Last week, they went 2-0 at No. 2 doubles, clinching the doubles point in road victories against both DePaul University and Butler University.
Beyond their doubles prowess, both players showed why they are the future of the program in singles play. Sabrina Tolstova displayed immense grit at DePaul, bouncing back from a first-set loss to win 5-7, 6-0, 6-2, securing the deciding fourth point for a team victory. Meanwhile, Matilde Parreira clinched the overall team wins against Butler with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 performance at No. 5 singles.
The road ahead
These individual honors reflect a culture of excellence permeating EMU athletics. With the lacrosse team travelling to face Canisius University and the tennis team returning home to host Bradley University, the Eagles are looking to build on this week’s accolades. If the recent performances of Dague, Low, Porter, Parreira, and Tolstova are any indication, the MAC award announcements may continue to feature a distinct shade of Green and White for weeks to come.
