Dover, Del. (July 7, 2021) --- The Delaware State women's lacrosse team has rejoined the Atlantic Sun Conference as an affiliate member beginning with the 2022 season, the league announced today.
The Hornets competed in the ASUN in 2017 before membership in the Southern Conference the past four seasons.
The Atlantic Sun also announced that Coastal Carolina women's lacrosse will rejoin the league next season. CCU was a member of the conference from 2017-20.
"This past season the ASUN Women's Lacrosse season included only four programs," ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart said. "We are very excited to announce that two former affiliate members of the ASUN will be rejoining us. Coastal Carolina University and Delaware State University reunite with Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty, and Stetson to boost the ASUN back to six members in Women's Lacrosse. We are proud to welcome these two programs back to the ASUN."    
The 2022 season marks the 10th season of Women's Lacrosse for the ASUN Conference as it added the sport during 2013. Next season, six programs will compete for the ASUN Championship title as CCU and DSU join Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty and Stetson.  
"We are excited to have our women's lacrosse team return to the highly-respected Atlantic Sun Conference as an affiliate member," said Alecia Shields-Gadson, DSU Interim Director of Athletics.  "The ASUN has a tremendous academics and athletics tradition, and features outstanding Division I women's lacrosse."
"I'm very much looking forward to competing against the quality programs in the Atlantic Sun Conference," said Pam Jenkins, Delaware State Head Women's lacrosse coach. "The move will offer great opportunities to learn and grow for the young team we expect to put on the field next season.
Delaware State was 1-9 overall (0-3 Southern Conference) during its abbreviated 2021 season. The Hornets' lone  win in Jenkins' second season at the helm was a 22-13 triumph over Wilmington (Del.) University. DSU set a team scoring record in the contest. Seniors Tamrin Swann and Dachelle Johnson were named to the All-Southern Conference Second Team this past season.
The Hornets expect to return all but a handful of their 2021 letter winners, including top two scorers Gwenna Gentle (16 goals; 21 points) and Rosella Nardi (12 goals; 16 points).
The 2022 season marks the 10th season of women's lacrosse for the ASUN Conference as it added the sport during 2013. Next season, six programs will compete for the ASUN Championship title as CCU and DSU join Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Liberty and Stetson.  

About the Atlantic Sun Conference
The ASUN, a Division I conference member of the NCAA, boasts a membership of institutions that share visionary leadership, bold ambition and creative innovation. As a nimble adaptive conference, unafraid to blaze a national pathway for better service to our student-athletes, teams, and institutions, the ASUN has a proud history of firsts, national academic and athletic achievements and a conference culture that walks the walk with its four ASUN Beams. Students First! Rise. Connect. Impact. #ASUNBuilt by Bellarmine (Louisville), Central Arkansas (Conway), Eastern Kentucky (Richmond), FGCU (Fort Myers), Jacksonville (Fla.), Jacksonville State (Jacksonville, Ala.), Kennesaw State (Ga.), Liberty (Lynchburg, Va.), Lipscomb (Nashville), North Alabama (Florence), North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), and Stetson (DeLand, Fla.).