Villanova University Women's Lacrosse

Jill Batcheller was named the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team on June 26, 2021. Batcheller previously spent three seasons as head coach at Drexel University and six seasons at Bryant University.   Batcheller led the Wildcats to one of the best seasons in program history during 2025, earning the squad its first ever BIG EAST title game berth and the best league regular season finish ever as the second seed for the conference tournament. A league-high eight Wildcats were named All-BIG EAST with Emma Verhoest selected to the All-Region Team. Batcheller and her staff oversaw the breaking of two major program records during the year as Sydney Pappas eclipsed the all-time goals mark and Sami Carey picked up the all-time assists crown. 2024 saw the 'Cats pick up a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament after beating Marquette on the final day of the regular season to finish at .500 in league play and earn the fourth seed. Batcheller coached Mary Moore to a Freshman of the Year accolade while four other VU players were named All-BIG EAST and 13 earned IWLCA academic honors. In year two at the helm of VU, Batcheller led the Wildcats to a 12-6 record and 4-3 in the BIG EAST. The ‘Cats took wins over BIG EAST rivals Butler, Georgetown, and Xavier twice. During that 2023 season, Batcheller coached Pappas to the 2023 BIG EAST Co-Attacker of the Year. Pappas played a key role for the Wildcats all season earning IWLCA Co-Offensive Player of the Week, IWLCA All-Region, BIG EAST Attacker of the Week honors and BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll honors.   Batcheller also helped Caroline Curnal land a spot on the 2023 Senior All-Star Games South Team roster, the first Wildcat in the game since 2016, after scoring 41 goals and adding eight assists for 49 points for the season. Curnal earned Inside Lacrosse Third Team All-America, BIG EAST Attacker of the Week honors as well as IWLCA All-Region Honors. At the conclusion of the 2023 season, 11 ‘Cats earned Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (ILWCA) academic awards.    In her first season at Villanova, Batcheller led the Wildcats to a 5-11 record and 1-4 in the BIG EAST in 2022. The ‘Cats took wins over George Washington, La Salle, Lafayette, UC Davis, and BIG EAST rival Butler.   Batcheller coached Curnal to an impressive senior season. The Ridgefield, Connecticut native earned a handful of 2022 BIG EAST Weekly Honors along with being named to the IWLCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region First Team, Inside Lacrosse Media All-America Team and PhillySIDA Academic All-Area Team.   Four Wildcats earned 2022 All-BIG EAST Honors. Curnal and Addie Fischer were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team and Libby McKenna and Caroline Phelps were named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.  While coaching the Dragons, she posted a 24-15 overall record in three seasons. After two seasons of rebuilding, Batcheller led Drexel to a 13-3 overall mark, a berth in the CAA championship game, an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament and the program’s first-ever top-10 national ranking. The 2021 season marked the first-ever appearance in both the conference title game and the NCAA Tournament for Drexel. For her efforts during the 2021 season Batcheller became the first Drexel women's lacrosse coach to earn CAA Coach of the Year honors. She was also instrumental in helping garner CAA Player of the Year distinction and CAA Goalkeeper of the Year accolades. A total of nine dragons earned All-CAA honors for their on-field performances in 2021. In addition, a Dragon was named to the IWLCA All-American second and third teams becoming the first Drexel players to claim All-America honors in the same year. Prior to her stint at Drexel, Batcheller spent six years as the head coach at Bryant University from 2013-18 where she led the Bulldogs to three NEC conference championships, five straight NEC regular season titles from 2014-18 and an overall record of 77-33 (.600).   She began her coaching career at Saint Joseph's University as an assistant from 2008-09 before moving on to Brown University as the top assistant from 2010-12.   Batcheller is a 2007 graduate of Syracuse University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management and was a four-year starting midfielder for the Orange. She became the eighth player in school history to reach 100 career points, leading the program to its BIG EAST championship in 2007. Batcheller went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Saint Joseph's in 2009.   A native of the Philadelphia area, Batcheller and her husband, Tom, reside in Broomall, Pa. with their four children. Batcheller played high school lacrosse at Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa.

Kelsea Donnelly, a former collegiate goalkeeper at Towson University and an assistant coach under Jill Batcheller at two schools previously, joined the Wildcat women's lacrosse staff in August 2021 and was elevated to associate head coach in September 2025. Donnelly helped lead the Wildcats to one of the best seasons in program history during 2025, earning the squad its first ever BIG EAST title game berth and the best league regular season finish ever as the second seed for the conference tournament. A league-high eight Wildcats were named All-BIG EAST, including Donnelly's protege and starting netminder Cate Gallagher's first career all-conference accolade after leading the league in goals against average. 2024 saw Donnelly and the 'Cats pick up a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament after beating Marquette on the final day of the regular season to finish at .500 in league play and earn the fourth seed.  In her second season with the ‘Cats in 2023, Donnelly was instrumental in the Wildcat’s 12-6 overall record and 4-3 BIG EAST record in 2023, seeing wins over BIG EAST Rivals Butler, Georgetown, and Xavier twice. During the 2022 season and her first season on the Main Line, Donnelly helped the Wildcats to wins over George Washington, La Salle, Lafayette, UC Davis and BIG EAST rival Butler. Donnelly joined the Wildcat coaching staff after previously serving as assistant coach under Batcheller for the last six years, at Drexel University and Bryant University. While at Drexel, she worked directly with the team’s starting goalie Zoe Bennett, who earned CAA Goalie of the Year and IWCLA DI All-Region First Team selection in 2021. In her two years at Bryant, she oversaw a group that posted back-to-back seasons allowing less than 10 goals per game. During her collegiate career at Towson, Donnelly was the starting goalkeeper from 2013-2015 and was twice named to the All-CAA First Team. She also previously played for the Baltimore Brave of the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League. Donnelly earned her Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Liberty University in 2019 and Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Towson in 2015.

Maddison Lesher-James, the only ever three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a DI assistant immediately after graduation, joined head coach Jill Batcheller at Villanova in August 2021 and was promoted to associate head coach in September 2025. The former Maddy Lesher arrived on the Main Line after previously serving as an assistant coach under Batcheller for the last six years at Drexel University and Bryant University. She helped lead the Wildcats to one of the best seasons in program history during 2025, earning the squad its first ever BIG EAST title game berth and the best league regular season finish ever as the second seed for the conference tournament. A league-high eight Wildcats were named All-BIG EAST, including back-to-back nods for starting defender Maddy Stoddard. 2024 saw the 'Cats pick up a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament after beating Marquette on the final day of the regular season to finish at .500 in league play and earn the fourth seed.   In her second season with the ‘Cats during 2023, Maddy assisted in the Wildcats' 12-6 overall record and 4-3 BIG EAST mark. The ‘Cats took wins over BIG EAST rivals Butler, Georgetown, and Xavier twice.    Lesher-James, alongside Batcheller and Donnelly, propelled the Wildcats to wins against George Washington, La Salle, Lafayette, UC Davis and BIG EAST rival Butler.   In her final season at Drexel, she directed a defensive effort that ranked 35th in the country, holding opponents to 11 goals per game and causing 7.19 turnovers per game. At Bryant, the team led the NEC in goals against average and save percentage in 2017 and finished second in the conference in 2018. As a student-athlete, Lesher was a defender at Loyola Maryland from 2013-2016. She was named the first ever three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time defensive All-American. She was drafted by the Baltimore Ride in the United Women's Lacrosse League draft in May 2016 and previously played for the Philadelphia Fire in the Women's Professional Lacrosse League. Lesher earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Loyola in 2016.

Michi Ellers joined the Villanova women’s lacrosse staff in the fall of 2023 after serving three years as the head coach at Bryn Mawr College. Ellers helped lead the Wildcats to one of the best seasons in program history during 2025, earning the squad its first ever BIG EAST title game berth and the best league regular season finish ever as the second seed for the conference tournament. Ellers oversaw the breaking of two major program records during the year as Sydney Pappas eclipsed the all-time goals mark and Sami Carey picked up the all-time assists crown. 2024 saw the 'Cats pick up a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament after beating Marquette on the final day of the regular season to finish at .500 in league play and earn the fourth seed. Ellers coached Mary Moore to a Freshman of the Year accolade while three other VU offensive players were named All-BIG EAST.   Ellers spent seven total seasons at Bryn Mawr, serving as head coach from 2020-22. Prior to Bryn Mawr, Ellers co-founded a local youth lacrosse club program called Philly Gamers, where she coached for four years. Ellers received a degree in psychology from Georgetown while playing a vital role as a four-year starter, leading the Hoyas to four straight NCAA Tournaments and back-to-back title games.  After graduating in 2004, Ellers served as an assistant coach at her alma mater for seven years. During her playing career in our nation's capital, Ellers was a two-time First Team All-American and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year (2003, 2004) on the four-time BIG EAST champions. She earned a spot on the 2004-05 U.S. Development Team and was one of five finalists for the 2004 Tewaaraton Trophy, given annually to the top collegiate player in the nation. Ellers led the country in caused turnovers for two straight years and is Georgetown's all-time leader in the category with a total of 204. She earned a record five BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honors and holds the top three spots in the GU record books for most caused turnovers in a single season.   Ellers continued her playing career on the U.S. Women's Lacrosse National Team and played an instrumental part on the defensive unit that went undefeated and won a gold medal in the 2009 FIL World Cup Games.    A product of Swarthmore, Pa., Ellers attended Strath Haven High School.

Jamie DePetris serves as the director of operations for the Villanova women's lacrosse team.  A graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School and a Radnor native, DePetris played collegiately at New Hampshire.  The younger sister of head coach Jill Batcheller, DePetris helps with various needs of the VU program.