ALLENDALE, MICH. – The Grand Valley State women's lacrosse team is pleased to announce the hiring of new assistant coach Hilary Duda. Duda boasts a stellar playing career and vast coaching experience as she joins the Lakers staff.
 
"I am excited to welcome Hilary to our coaching staff and program. Her positive energy has already made an impact motivating our student-athletes and her vast experience in DII lacrosse will help bring in new ideas to the program," said head coach Mackenzie Lawler. "I look forward to seeing how Hilary develops our offensive unit and know that her recruiting connections will help GVSU Lacrosse continue to bring in top-level student athletes."
 
Duda was a standout player at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where she was a four-time all-conference selection as an attacker and was an IWLCA Second-Team All-Region selection as a senior. She compiled 214 (121 goals and 93 assists) career points as a Ranger, which still ranks sixth in program history, and she helped lead the team to their first RMAC title in 2014.
 
Following her playing career, Duda became a graduate assistant coach at Regis, where she helped guide the Rangers to the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Following that, she became an assistant coach at Northern Michigan for two seasons. She then went to Franklin Pierce to become their head coach for the 2020 season.
 
After the 2020 season was wiped out due to the pandemic, Duda became the Director of Summit Lacrosse, a club team in the Grand Rapids area. In her role, she ran the day-to-day operations for the club, while helping with recruiting players and coaching two teams. 
 
"I am so excited to be a part of this program and to coach elite athletes," Duda stated. "I have faced Grand Valley State many times throughout my career, and it is an honor to now be a part of such a highly respected program."
 
Last season, GVSU went 16-5, winning the GLIAC regular season and tournament titles, as well as the Midwest Regional Championship and they return seven All-GLIAC performers.