CLEMSON – When Paris Masaracchia committed to Clemson in 2021, the Tigers’ lacrosse program was still over a year away from its inaugural game, nearly three years from playing in a designated facility, and months away from announcing its first freshman class.

Masaracchia, a high school All-American from Enola, Penn., was taking a leap of faith, coming to a school several states away from home, for a program that had never so much as scored a goal.

“I chose Clemson because of its outstanding academics and athletics,” the defender said upon committing. “I am very excited to be a part of Clemson’s history as the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse program.”

In Clemson’s first season of play, Masaracchia was named to the ACC All-Freshman team, starting in all of the Tigers’ 18 games mere months after making the move south. She scored two goals, notched 43 draw controls, and led her team with 25 ground balls as the Tigers finished with a 12-6 record. Over the next three years, her accolades multiplied, as she earned All-ACC honors twice while anchoring Clemson’s defense through four winning seasons. 

Now, over five years after announcing her commitment to Clemson, Masaracchia got to celebrate her Senior Day with a ceremony at Conklin Field after a 17-5 routing of No. 17 Duke Saturday. Linking arms with her parents, she walked through a tunnel of cheering teammates after her final home game.

“I couldn’t hold back my tears,” Masaracchia said after the ceremony. “I know a lot of us couldn’t. Just being here from day one has been so special. And watching this team grow to

what it is now and this program grow has been so insane to watch. It’s Clemson. Everybody loves Clemson. I’m just so thankful to this program and this school.”

Since only a few inaugural members of team No. 1 are still with the Tigers, Masaracchia has a different perspective from most of her teammates. She is the only Clemson player to start in every game in school history, and, as a result, saw firsthand the highs and lows of the program.

The days playing without a stadium, tough losses to non-conference opponents, postseason victories– Masaracchia has seen it all. And through it all, Kwolek has seen her leader, and her senior classmates, grow as people.

“I can’t believe that they’re seniors,” Kwolek said Saturday, after her 150th career victory. “It’s always that reminder that the time goes by so quickly. Just so lucky to see them go through really great times and really hard times while they were here and just to see the women that they are today, it’s really great.”

This season, Masaracchia has caused 21 turnovers, notched nine ground balls, and helped No. 11 Clemson to a program-best 12-4 (6-3 ACC) record with one more conference game still to play.

But her leadership has not been limited to her play on the field. With several new highly-touted freshmen on the Tigers’ squad, Masaracchia has served as a Clemson mentor. Something she, or any of her inaugural classmates, did not have in 2022.

On Senior Day, freshman attacker Alexa Spallina, Clemson’s points leader and the nation’s No. 1 high school recruit in the country last year,  presented Masaracchia, her “Clemson mom” with a letter.

“I think a lot of people thought we were going to butt heads a lot because we’re One-Vs.-One partners,” Spallina said, explaining her letter to Masaracchia. “She’s a physical defender. I’m

a physical player. But I think she’s been nothing but a role model and like a leader for me.”

For Spallina, a Mt. Sinai., N.Y., native, Masaracchia was the perfect person to turn to in her homesickness.

I think in the fall I had a hard time adjusting because I love my family and she stepped and acted like my mom,” Spallina said with a laugh following a hat trick against the Blue Devils (9-6, 5-6 ACC). “Like it sounds funny but like seriously she’s like the big big sister I never had and  I could not be more grateful to have someone like her here for my freshman year.”

Kwolek, too, has seen the mentorship and perspective that the four-year starter and two-time captain has brought to a youth-centered team.

“(Masarracchia) had that ability to have that onfield experience as a freshman,” she said. “And with the amount of freshmen that we have that are seeing a lot of time, I think she’s a good leader, a good mentor, and gives them great guidance.”

Now, after a final sendoff at home, Masarracchia, Spallina, and the Tigers will head to Tallahassee to take on Florida State in their last regular season game of the year. First draw is set for 2 p.m., on Thursday at the Seminole Lacrosse Complex as Clemson looks to finish its fourth year of ACC-play on a positive note.

—photo courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications