11/2/2026 9:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Syracuse women's lacrosse head coach Regy Thorpe has added former Syracuse All-American Riley (Donahue) VanHoltz '18 to the Orange coaching staff. One of the nation's rising offensive minds, VanHoltz returns to Syracuse after assistant coaching stops at Cornell, Le Moyne and East Carolina.
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"Riley is one of the brightest young offensive minds in our sport, and we are thrilled to bring her and her family back to Syracuse," Thorpe said. "She brings an innovative approach to the offensive end of the field, and our student-athletes will feel the benefits right away. We were looking for the right person not just for this season, but for the future of this program, and we are confident Riley is that person."
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"I'm so excited to be back home," VanHoltz said. "I can't thank Regy enough for this opportunity, and I can't wait to keep building this program toward Memorial Day Weekend. I'm incredibly grateful for my time at Cornell, and I want to thank every player I had the chance to coach there, along with Jenny Graap and the rest of the staff."
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VanHoltz spent the past two seasons at Cornell, where she helped lead the Big Red's offensive game planning. Cornell saw an immediate uptick in scoring in her first year on staff, with the Big Red averaging more than 14 goals per game in 2025. She also helped guide Caitlin Slaminko's breakout final season, which earned Slaminko Second Team All-Ivy honors and a Tewaaraton Trophy nomination in 2025.
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VanHoltz was also on staff at Le Moyne during the Dolphins' first season at the Division I level in 2024. Le Moyne finished 9-9 overall and 8-2 in conference play.
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Before her stop at Le Moyne, VanHoltz was an assistant coach at East Carolina from 2021 until 2023. She oversaw one of the Pirates' most productive offensive seasons in program history at the time, when the team set single-season records for points, goals and assists in 2022.
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A four-year member of the Syracuse women's lacrosse team from 2015-18, VanHoltz was named an IWLCA Second Team All-American in 2017. She finished her career ninth on Syracuse's all-time scoring list with 227 points in 90 games. She earned a degree in Information Management and Technology from Syracuse in 2018.
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VanHoltz joins a program coming off a 14-5 season and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Among a strong nucleus of returners, the Orange return All-American attack Molly Guzik and ACC Goalkeeper of the Year Dan Guyette. In addition to the returners, Thorpe added a number of transfers, including the reigning America East Midfielder of the Year Paisley Cook and the second-ranked goalie in the class of 2025 Maya Soskin. Season tickets are on sale now! Visit Cuse.com/Tickets to secure your seat at the Dome today!
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"Riley is one of the brightest young offensive minds in our sport, and we are thrilled to bring her and her family back to Syracuse," Thorpe said. "She brings an innovative approach to the offensive end of the field, and our student-athletes will feel the benefits right away. We were looking for the right person not just for this season, but for the future of this program, and we are confident Riley is that person."
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"I'm so excited to be back home," VanHoltz said. "I can't thank Regy enough for this opportunity, and I can't wait to keep building this program toward Memorial Day Weekend. I'm incredibly grateful for my time at Cornell, and I want to thank every player I had the chance to coach there, along with Jenny Graap and the rest of the staff."
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VanHoltz spent the past two seasons at Cornell, where she helped lead the Big Red's offensive game planning. Cornell saw an immediate uptick in scoring in her first year on staff, with the Big Red averaging more than 14 goals per game in 2025. She also helped guide Caitlin Slaminko's breakout final season, which earned Slaminko Second Team All-Ivy honors and a Tewaaraton Trophy nomination in 2025.
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VanHoltz was also on staff at Le Moyne during the Dolphins' first season at the Division I level in 2024. Le Moyne finished 9-9 overall and 8-2 in conference play.
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Before her stop at Le Moyne, VanHoltz was an assistant coach at East Carolina from 2021 until 2023. She oversaw one of the Pirates' most productive offensive seasons in program history at the time, when the team set single-season records for points, goals and assists in 2022.
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A four-year member of the Syracuse women's lacrosse team from 2015-18, VanHoltz was named an IWLCA Second Team All-American in 2017. She finished her career ninth on Syracuse's all-time scoring list with 227 points in 90 games. She earned a degree in Information Management and Technology from Syracuse in 2018.
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VanHoltz joins a program coming off a 14-5 season and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Among a strong nucleus of returners, the Orange return All-American attack Molly Guzik and ACC Goalkeeper of the Year Dan Guyette. In addition to the returners, Thorpe added a number of transfers, including the reigning America East Midfielder of the Year Paisley Cook and the second-ranked goalie in the class of 2025 Maya Soskin. Season tickets are on sale now! Visit Cuse.com/Tickets to secure your seat at the Dome today!
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