The start to the 2026 season for Marquette women’s lacrosse has been just as unlikely as it has been prolific.
Last season, nearly all of the production ran through Meg Bireley, Marquette’s all-time points leader, who scored 63 goals after setting a single season program record with 69 the year prior. That team relied heavily on its top three scorers, who combined for 65% of their total points.
After Bireley’s graduation, many wondered if and how subsequent teams could hold up offensively.
“Last year, we all relied on Meg, which was good and bad,” senior attacker Tess Osburn said.
Through their first three games, however, the Golden Eagles are 3-1, currently boasting the best offense in the country, with two players (Tess Osburn, Dani Serrano) ranked among the top scorers nationwide.
Marquette ranks No. 9 in Division I with an average of 15.75 goals per game, a sharp rise from last season’s 13.94. Its .549 shooting percentage ranks among the top 10 nationally and reflects a more efficient attack from nearly every spot on the field.
The Golden Eagles have surged to this nearly flawless start to the season in a three-game homestead at Valley Fields, a stretch in which they outscored opponents 56-25 and converted nearly 55% percent of their attempted shots, placing top-10 nationally.
The season began Feb. 6 with a 20-9 win over Eastern Michigan, tying a program record for goals in a season opener. Marquette followed with a 17-10 victory against Cincinnati after falling behind 4-2 early, then closed the stretch with a 19-6 win over Central Michigan fueled by a 7-0 third-quarter run.
Scoring by Committee
The broader transformation lies in how Marquette generates offense. A year ago, possessions often funneled toward a single dominant option with a few key others getting involved; this season, touches are dispersed across the formation and pace is a priority.
“When one person has an off day, it’s okay, because everyone else does their role,” Osburn said.
The shift was deliberate during fall practices. Coaches rotated players through feeder, cutter and shooter responsibilities to ensure each attacker could initiate or finish depending on the situation.
“We want every player on offense to be able to score at any moment,” head coach Meredith Black said.
With eight different players having already recorded at least four points, the Golden Eagles have made it difficult for opponents to key in on one primary threat.
Osburn is among the many veterans who have taken on a larger leadership role in Bireley’s departure, and currently sits at No. 11 in goals scored nationwide with 13.
Even then, Black emphasizes that the goal isn’t to lead the nation in scoring or get a certain amount of goals per game, but rather to play the game to their style.
“We’re putting the ball in the back of the net nicely, which has been good, but I think it’s just been organic,” Black said.
Another key factor — whom players and coaches have echoed praise for — is assistant coach Chrissy Thomas. When she was brought on to the staff over the summer, Black emphasized how her IQ was the key to elevating the offensive unit, and since then, players like Osburn have begun to appreciate her positive effect on their approach.
“The style of play has changed a lot with Chrissy coming in,” Osburn said. “I’m more of a feeder, but with her we have more feeders and cutters, so we all get to look for those open looks.”
Serrano Spectacle Highlights Youth Movement
The matchup with Central Michigan stood out substantially as it emphasized the program’s current prioritization of the current first-year class, with the victory built off of first year attacker Dani Serrano’s 9-point performance, a Marquette first-year record.
A factor that Black stressed throughout the preseason was implementing a substantial batch of fresh faces into a roster littered with highly-acclaimed veterans. So far, the execution has been more seamless than anyone could have predicted.
“As a freshman coming in, I didn’t even expect playing time,” Serrano said. “It means a lot for the coaches to have so much faith in me, and the girls on the team have so much trust and faith for me to go and let me play how I play.”
Nonetheless, Serrano has spearheaded the Golden Eagles’ youth movement, currently tied for the most points on the team and standing top 25 in goals scored nationwide.
Her emergence as well as that of other first years has not come at the expense of locker room hierarchy. Instead, players describe a culture where class distinction feels secondary to collective execution, with seniors encouraging younger teammates to assert themselves in live-game situations.
“The seniors allow the freshmen to talk and have a role, and it’s not seniors versus freshmen,” Serrano said.
With five more non-conference games before Big East play commences in late March, everyone involved in Marquette women’s lacrosse is hoping for the program’s positive development both on and off the field to continue.
There is plenty of time left in the 2026 campaign, and the Golden Eagles are aiming to finish just as strong as they have started.
This article was written by Eamon Bevan. He can be reached at eamon.bevan@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @EamonBevanMU.