By Dylan Phillips
NEWARK – Middle of the road team. NCAA purgatory. Merchants of mediocrity.
Just a few phrases that wouldn’t be used and to describe the University of Delaware women’s lacrosse team. Since assuming the head coaching helm back in 2011, Kateri Linville has since cultivated a winning culture that has rebranded a once habitual loser into a consistent playoff team while producing over 20 all-conference athletes.
Entering her ninth season as university head coach, Linville (whose first name is pronounced “kate-ur-ree”) is no stranger to playing at an elite level herself. As a three-year letterman who played midfield for the Blue Hens in the early 2000s, Linville is not only able to discern what it necessary to become a significant contributor as a player to a contending team, but also what philosophical coaching decisions must result to maintain competitive contention.
In an athletic league that boasts the “top three conference in the country,” according to Linville, “we’re looking to separate ourselves from the rest of the competition.” Separation, however, would be a vast understatement.
Since 2011, Delaware’s offense has continued to rise. Posting 187 goals and 77 assists for 264 total points, the most by the Blue Hens in nearly a decade. Defensively, UD placed 20th in the NCAA Division I rankings with 9.29 caused turnovers per game, 24th a scoring defense of 8.76, and 30th with a scoring margin of 2.24. With game theory consisting of “winning the day” and “strength within team process,” it’s no wonder how Linville’s squads operate with such familiarity despite increased pace and thinner margin of error.
Of course, the goal of any head coach and conductor is to have their organization run like a well-oiled machine. Due in part to a difficult strength of schedule featuring three nationally ranked teams and an perpetually competitive CAA conference, “I think we’ve always had a tough schedule,” says Linville, “knowing that you have to prepare to play great competition and learning how to win out of conference – we always get fired up for those games.” The Blue Hens currently sit at 6-6 as they propel towards deep playoff push.