USC Lacrosse Lands Three on Big Ten Preseason Watch List, Picked Sixth in Conference Poll
ROSEMONT, Ill. - As USC gears up for its second season in the Big Ten, three key Trojans are already making waves. Junior midfielder Hannah Barron, along with junior attackers Emma Bunting and Reese Robinson, have been named to the Big Ten’s Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Players to Watch list - a nod to their growing impact and the expectations surrounding them in 2026.
Barron, Bunting, and Robinson represent the core of a USC squad looking to build on a solid foundation laid during last year’s conference debut. In 2025, the Women of Troy finished 10-7 overall, going 3-5 in Big Ten play.
That record was good enough for sixth place in the league standings and a spot in the conference tournament, where they eventually fell to No. 12 Michigan in the quarterfinals.
This year, the Big Ten coaches expect more of the same - at least for now. In the preseason coaches’ poll, USC is once again slotted at No.
- Powerhouse Northwestern was the unanimous pick to win the league, followed by Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Michigan, and Penn State.
Rutgers, Ohio State, and Oregon round out the bottom three.
But don’t mistake that sixth-place prediction as a ceiling for the Trojans. With Barron anchoring the midfield and Bunting and Robinson bringing firepower to the attack, USC has the pieces to shake things up. Barron’s two-way ability gives the Trojans versatility between the lines, while Bunting and Robinson provide the offensive spark needed to keep pace in a conference stacked with elite talent.
And speaking of elite talent - the Big Ten’s Preseason Players to Watch list is loaded. Northwestern, the league’s top dog, boasts a trio of senior attackers in Madison Epke, Madison Taylor, and defender Mary Carroll.
Maryland comes in with a balanced group led by midfielder Kori Edmondson and goalie JJ Suriano. Johns Hopkins, Michigan, Penn State, and others all feature veteran-heavy rosters with proven weapons on both ends of the field.
USC’s 2026 campaign kicks off Sunday, Feb. 8, with a familiar matchup - a home game against former Pac-12 and MPSF rival California. First draw is set for noon PT at the Trojans’ brand-new on-campus facility, Rawlinson Stadium. It’s a fresh chapter for a program that’s now fully immersed in the Big Ten grind - and one that’s ready to prove it belongs.
With nine home games on tap this season, the Women of Troy have plenty of chances to showcase their growth in front of their home crowd. And if Barron, Bunting, and Robinson continue to rise, don’t be surprised if USC starts climbing that preseason poll sooner rather than later.