Sarah Lubnow Takes the Reins of Leadership for Virginia Tech Lacrosse

By Will Locklin

Staff Writer

February 17, 2022

BLACKSBURG – On a cool Saturday afternoon in April, Sarah Lubnow made history.

Lubnow assisted Paige Petty’s 187th career goal to make her the all-time goals leader in Virginia Tech history. Not only was it a historic milestone for Petty, but the goal also marked a special achievement for Lubnow. The assist marked Lubnow’s 100th point scored as a Hokie.

“That was a really special moment because we both hit milestones,” Lubnow said in a recent interview with 3304 Sports. “Hers was pretty legit, but I was proud of mine, too. She was so congratulatory towards me.”

Lubnow and Petty have been close friends for years. They shared a dorm as freshman-year roommates. Both were team captains in the 2021 season and shared many memories together on the field. Now with Petty’s graduation from Virginia Tech this past spring, more leadership will be trusted onto Lubnow’s shoulders.

“[My team is] going to look to me as I’m the one with the most experience just to talk through things and see where the game is at,” Lubnow added. “ It’s nice to know that people will be looking at me, and I definitely hope I handle that with grace.”

In addition to a larger leadership role, Lubnow will take on a different role in the Hokies new look offense. Last season, she had to adjust her game when senior Taylor Caskey’s torn ACL kept her from playing in the 2021 season. Lubnow had to play behind the goal more than she ever had in her career. While she enjoyed the experience, Lubnow is ready to fill into a role that’s well suited for her style of play.

“More into the middle, cutting around and dodging from the top and the elbows,” Lubnow said about her new role. “Changing the point of attack so I don’t have to always be behind the goal.”

With a new role in the team’s offensive attack, Lubnow will have a chance to build off her stellar 2021 campaign. She started and scored two points or more points in all 14 games she played in, finishing the season as the team’s leader in points (23 goals, 29 assists). Lubnow also scored four hat tricks last season.

After the 2021 season, Lubnow ranks third all-time in assists with 56 for her career. Even after putting up excellent numbers in 2021, Lubnow sees lots of room for improvement in 2022.

“I tend to defer a good bit,” Lubnow said. “Still making feeds that don’t make sense or taking shots that don’t make sense. So not being too worried about making mistakes but trying to limit them as much as I can.”

Last year, Virginia Tech (5-11, 1-8 Atlantic Coast in 2021) didn’t have the season it wanted; however, Lubnow and the rest of the team have their sights set to improve in 2022.

“We want to make it to the tournament, which is a tough route for us since we have to be 50% and we play a really hard schedule,” Lubnow said. “We can definitely do it, and I definitely think we will do it.”

But they’re off to a quick start. After losing to No. 18 Jacksonville on Saturday, the Hokies quickly made up for it with a win in Harrisonburg against No. 13 James Madison – the first win in program history over the Dukes.

Lubnow was a big part in Tech’s win on Wednesday as she scored twice and recorded four assists. Against Jacksonville, she had two other goals, bringing her point total to eight this season.

The challenge, however, is heightened since the Hokies play in the ACC. Make no mistake about it, the ACC is the toughest conference in collegiate women’s lacrosse.

Seven teams in the ACC were ranked in the final Top 25 ranking in 2021, including the top four teams in the country — North Carolina, Boston College, Syracuse and Notre Dame.

Lubnow has first hand experience in going against this high level competition, though.

“I remember at one point in my career we were second-to-last in the ACC and still in the top 20,” Lubnow said. “It’s also a lot of fun to be able to go against the girls you're seeing in the lacrosse news. We go against the best of the best every week.”

To meet that tough challenge of playing in the ACC, Virginia Tech must improve its offense, as it ranked near the bottom of the ACC in most statistical categories in 2021.

Virginia Tech totaled 10.4 goals per game and 4.4 assists per game, both seventh in the ACC. Despite the 2021 struggles, Lubnow sees a bright future for the offense this year.

“I want to see our offense having fun and playing freely,” Lubnow said. “We need to use each other, get excited for each other and support one another on the field.”

Another reason for optimism: Virginia Tech’s new head coach, Kristen Skiera, who comes to Blacksburg after a seven-year run at Army. Skiera was a great lacrosse player herself at Duke, where she scored 277 points and ranks fourth on Duke’s all-time goals list with 161 tallies.

Even without coaching a game yet, Skiera mas made her presence on Lubnow and the rest of the team.

“There’s a really good balance of you respect[ing] her to the utmost level, but you're also comfortable enough to approach her,” Lubnow said.

Skiera has also established a new culture for Virginia Tech.

“No excuses is the main one,” Lubnow said. “The first day of conditioning she told us if you're in the game, you're not putting your hands on your knees. You’re powering through it.”

The road to success is long and hard, but Lubnow has a lot of support around her to adjust to the transition of being this team's leader. She will be surrounded by teammates with plenty of experience. A new role in their offensive system will allow her to thrive.

And most importantly, Lubnow will have a deeply experienced coaching staff to guide her path as the leader every step of the way.