Austin Peay State University’s new women’s lacrosse team officially began practicing on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

The team held its first practice on the Morgan Bros. Field, which is behind Cathi Maynard Park. Morgan Bros. Field currently serves as the home to the women’s soccer team; however, it will also be home to the women’s lacrosse team when they begin playing.

Former Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison named Melissa Rausch the first head coach in program history on June 25, 2024.

Rausch began her collegiate coaching career at Nichols College, where she was an assistant director of athletics, assistant men’s lacrosse coach and women’s head lacrosse coach.

After that, she spent the past five seasons coaching at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She began as an assistant coach in 2020 and was eventually promoted to head coach before the 2022 season.

The team’s first official game will be in the spring of 2026. The team will also compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference along with eight other teams.

With the addition of this team at Austin Peay State University, this becomes the first collegiate women’s lacrosse program at a public university in the state of Tennessee. This also marks a new milestone of 17 total NCAA Division I teams at Austin Peay State University.