Riley VanHoltz - Women's Lacrosse
Riley VanHoltz
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Syracuse women’s lacrosse head coach Regy Thorpe has added former Syracuse All-American Riley (Donahue) VanHoltz to the Orange coaching staff in November, 2026. One of the nation’s rising offensive minds, VanHoltz returns to Syracuse after assistant coaching stops at Cornell, Le Moyne and East Carolina.
“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.”
“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.”
VanHoltz spent the past two seasons at Cornell, where she led the Big Red’s offensive game planning. Cornell’s scoring jumped from just over 11 goals per game in 2024 to more than 14 in 2025, her first season on staff. 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.
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.
Before her stop at Le Moyne, VanHoltz was an assistant coach at East Carolina, arriving in 2021. She oversaw one of the Pirates’ most productive offensive seasons in program history, when the team set single-season records for points, goals and assists.
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.
“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.”
“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.”
VanHoltz spent the past two seasons at Cornell, where she led the Big Red’s offensive game planning. Cornell’s scoring jumped from just over 11 goals per game in 2024 to more than 14 in 2025, her first season on staff. 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.
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.
Before her stop at Le Moyne, VanHoltz was an assistant coach at East Carolina, arriving in 2021. She oversaw one of the Pirates’ most productive offensive seasons in program history, when the team set single-season records for points, goals and assists.
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.
Sunday, May 10
Sunday, May 10
Saturday, May 09
Saturday, May 09
