5/28/2023 other sports Edit

Rutgers Women's Lacrosse Defender Meghan Ball enters transfer portal

Ellis Gordon

Rutgers.Rivals.com

Rutgers women’s lacrosse’s senior defender Meghan Ball has entered the transfer portal. Ball’s potential departure would leave the Scarlet Knights with a huge hole on defense for the 2024 season.

Ball has been a stalwart on Rutgers’ defensive line in her four years on the Banks. Her breakout season in 2021 earned Ball a First Team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore. She led the Knights with 75 draw controls, 35 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers. With Ball leading the defense in 2021, Rutgers made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999.

Ball improved as a junior, becoming a consensus All-American and a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. She once again led the Knights' backline in draw controls, ground balls and caused turnovers. Ball led all of Division 1 Women’s Lacrosse with 64 ground balls and led the Big Ten with 54 caused turnovers. She powered a strong defensive unit that helped Rutgers reach a second straight NCAA Tournament berth in 2022.

While the Knights struggled in 2023, Ball put together her most impressive season to date. She led the Big Ten with 3.53 caused turnovers per game and three ground balls per game. She was third in the Big Ten averaging 5.94 draw controls per game. For her efforts on the backline, Ball was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year and a First Team All-American by USA Lacrosse.

In her four years at Rutgers, she became the program’s all-time leader in caused turnovers with 154 and draw controls with 308.

As a graduate transfer, Ball will have one final year of eligibility wherever she chooses to go.

If the Knights are unable to bring her back, they will most likely have to find a potential replacement in the transfer portal. More players should start entering the transfer portal after the Division 1 Women’s Lacrosse Championship game on May 28.