Jess Wilk Strosberg and Kendall McBrearty Join Virginia Women's Lacrosse Staff

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CHARLOTTESVILLE – Jess Wilk Strosberg has been named operations assistant and Kendall McBrearty has been named volunteer assistant coach with the Virginia women’s lacrosse program. UVa head women’s lacrosse coach Julie Myers announced the appointments on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Wilk Strosberg has most recently served an administrative role for Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Programs Jane Miller and has experience as both a head field hockey coach and an assistant lacrosse coach.

Wilk Strosberg has been an assistant coach for the United States Women’s National Lacrosse team since 2009. She was an assistant coach for the Under 19 United States team that won the World Cup Championships (2006-07).

Wilk Strosberg has also served as an assistant lacrosse coach at James Madison (2006-08), Virginia (1996) and Maryland (1991-93). She was the head field hockey coach at Virginia (1999-2005) and led the Cavaliers to the 2001 NCAA Elite Eight. Prior to her time as UVa’s head coach, she was an assistant field hockey coach from 1993-99 and also spent time at Maryland as an assistant field hockey coach (1991-93).

An accomplished lacrosse and field hockey player at both the collegiate and international level, Wilk Strosberg was a member of the United States’ World Cup lacrosse team in 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005, winning three out of four World Cups (1993, 1997 and 2001) and serving as team captain in 1997, 2001 and 2005.

She played collegiate lacrosse and field hockey at the University of Maryland, where the Terrapins won the 1986 women’s lacrosse NCAA Championship and the 1987 field hockey NCAA Championship.

Wilk Strosberg was inducted into the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 and the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2009.

“My staff, team and I are beyond thrilled to have Jess Wilk Strosberg join our staff this spring,” Myers said. “She has 20-plus years of experience as a player and as a coach at the highest level. As she helps to get our operations get ahead, we’ll all learn and benefit from her expertise and organization. She’ll do a great job as our operations assistant and will add to our enthusiasm for college lacrosse at the same time.”

McBrearty was a standout goalkeeper for Virginia from 2005-08. A two-time MVP of the ACC Tournament and third-team All-America selection, McBrearty led the league in goals-against average (7.25) and save percentage (.502) her senior season and was ranked third and sixth nationally in those categories, respectively. She was an All-ACC selection and was voted the team’s MVP. McBrearty finished her career eighth in school history with 331 career saves and ninth with a 7.60 goals-against average.

McBrearty is a member of the 2011-12 US Women’s National Team.

“My staff, team, goalkeepers and I are really excited to welcome Kendall McBrearty back as our volunteer assistant coach,” Myers said. “Kendall was an exceptional goalkeeper for
us at UVa and has continued her playing career at the US level. She loves Virginia, lacrosse and coaching and we’re all lucky to have her help us out with the goalkeepers in particular. Kendall brings energy and intensity along with a passion that all of us will benefit from every day.”