VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Villanova women's lacrosse saw two staff members elevated to associate head coach as head coach Jill Batcheller announced the promotion of both Kelsea Donnelly and Maddison Lesher on Friday.

Donnelly and Lesher have been at Villanova since August of 2021, coming over from Drexel with Batcheller upon her hire on the Main Line. 

Donnelly, a former all-conference goalkeeper at Towson, has coached alongside Batcheller since the 2017 campaign at Bryant and has specialized in developing VU's goalies since her arrival on Lancaster Avenue.

In 2025, Donnelly helped the Wildcats to the program's first ever BIG EAST title game berth and coached starting goaltender Cate Gallagher to an all-conference nod after leading the league in goals against average, the second netminder to pick up all-league honors under Donnelly's guidance. 

Lesher has been a Division I assistant coach under Batcheller ever since her 2016 graduation from Loyola Maryland, where she became the only ever three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year.

A product of nearby Gladwyne, Pa., and a graduate of Archbishop Carroll, Lesher has coached defenders to all-conference nods in three of her four seasons at Villanova, including a 2025 First Team nod for Maddy Stoddard.

Donnelly, Lesher and the Wildcats will kick off fall ball play next weekend, heading to the Empire State for matchups against Syracuse and Canisius on Sept. 21.