HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's lacrosse team has been named the 2026 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Academic Merit Squad, earning the prestigious recognition for the second consecutive year.

The Academic Merit Squad designation is awarded to the team in each NCAA division and the NAIA with the highest team GPA for the preceding academic year. Haverford led Division III with a 3.814 team GPA, finishing ahead of 174 other institutions that earned IWLCA Academic Honor Squad recognition.

The Fords have now received the IWLCA Division III Academic Merit Squad designation three times, previously earning the honor in 2019 and 2025. 

The academic recognition follows a landmark season for the Fords under head coach Katie Wertman and assistant coaches Anna Devlin, Shannon Horn '14 and Roma Hladky '22. Haverford finished with a 14-7 overall record, earned the top seed in the Centennial Conference Tournament for the first time in program history and captured its first Centennial Conference regular-season championship. The coaching staff earned both Centennial Conference Coaching Staff of the Year and IWLCA Metro Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Among the season's highlights, the Fords defeated Franklin & Marshall, 13-8, to secure their first victory over the Diplomats in 26 years. Haverford also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second consecutive season, marking the program's third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth national tournament berth in the last five seasons.