By Kyleigh Fineberg ‘27
For the upcoming 2026 season, the Conestoga Valley High School lacrosse team is experiencing coaching changes and will be welcoming Olivia Hess as the new head coach after years of coaching junior varsity. They are also welcoming back Matt Brubaker as the junior varsity coach after years of coaching varsity and a few years on break. And finally, they are welcoming Shelby Guinard as the new goalie coach.
The previous coach stepped down from the head coach position after finding out she was pregnant.
Coach Olivia Hess claimed, “This season, I’m really focused on setting the basics. We can’t run until we can walk. We need to slow down and build a strong foundation so everyone feels like they have something solid to stand on. Once that base is strong, we can start implementing more strategies.”
Sophomore Kaylee Carpinelli said,“I think the team needs to focus on our simple skills like catching and passing. Perfecting the basics will help us move the ball better and play more smoothly as a team.”
“Last year, the culture felt very separated,: said Madeline Talley (11). “There was a lot of division — whether it was based on skill level, JV versus varsity, or just different friend groups. It didn’t always feel united.”
Senior Caroline Janvrin said, “I think we need stronger team bonding to build trust and improve our team chemistry. When we trust each other, we play better together.”
Junior varsity coach Matt Brubaker said,, “I think that often comes back to communication and making sure players feel heard. When athletes feel valued and respected, it naturally helps build a stronger sense of community.”
Across the board, the team agreed that they need to build stronger bonds and have more team chemistry if they want to do better this season. In order for the ball to move smoothly on the field, communication has to be smooth, and in order for communication to be good, they have to be able to communicate with each other off the field.
Though they are looking at a lot of changes this year on and off the field, everyone can agree on one thing — that they are excited for the season to start. From the late night bus rides, to the pre game hype and music, all the way to the easter egg hunt over break, they are looking forward to it all, and are ready to take on whatever the season throws at them.