Griffon fans will be introduced to a new sport in 2021 as women’s lacrosse begins its first season of competition. The addition of women’s lacrosse as the 17th NCAA DII sport at Missouri Western was announced last November. Rachel Benzing was announced as the program’s first-ever head coach in January and has been working tirelessly to assemble a roster through challenging times.
Benzing’s Griffons will not compete in the MIAA, but in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Missouri Western was the first MIAA member and first state institution in Missouri to add the sport, forcing the Griffons to look outside their home conference. In the team’s first season, they will host three home conference games with additional non-conference competition in the spring. The Griffons will open the GLVC season on April 3 at Rockhurst before hosting Indianapolis in their GLVC home opener on April 9.