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This summer, Zoe Tierney continued a long history of success for Longwood field hockey as the junior was selected to play in the 2024 Senior Nexus Championship.

The exclusive event brings 144 of the top collegiate field hockey athletes from across the United States to Virginia Beach for a three-day event of games from July 14-16. Players were split into eight teams at the event before engaging in competition.

She earned her spot through training and trialing at one of seven USA Field Hockey High Performance Centers.

“I was very proud to be able to represent Longwood and my team there,” Tierney, a Fredericksburg, Virginia, native said. “My coaches helped me overcome some early nerves and helped me to understand hockey can be easy when played simple.”

The Senior Nexus Championship serves as a step along the Olympic Development Pathway program, and players have an opportunity to be selected for the 2024-25 U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team Selection Camps or Junior USWNT Selection Camps, or to the U.S. Women’s National Development Squad or the U.S. Women’s National Team.

“I was able to relearn the basics of the game and develop new skills that have helped me gain confidence in my overall hockey ability,” Tierney added.

A standout for the Lancers, Tierney has five career goals and five assists while serving as an end-to-end player in the Lancer midfield. She was a team captain a season ago, when she started all 18 matches.

Tierney wasn’t the only Lancer at the event, as head coach Miranda Rigg also coached one of the eight Senior Nexus teams.

Rigg led her side to the overall event win, although Tierney’s side topped hers when the two met on the first day. Meanwhile, Tierney’s team finished fifth. 

In addition, incoming freshman Ella Elliot competed in the U-18 event, and she helped lead her team to a second-place finish. The Newport News, Virginia, native will join the Lancers in the fall after a highly successful high school career that saw her tally 96 career goals.