(L-R) Semmartin, Saint Martin and the Liberty coaching staff all earned major BIG EAST regular season awards.
Semmartin, Saint Martin, Coaching Staff Earn BIG EAST FH Major Awards; Liberty Has 5 All-League Members
11/6/2025 10:24:00 AM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 7 Liberty featured a pair of BIG EAST Field Hockey individuals award winners in Dara Semmartin and Diane Saint Martin, while featuring five total 2025 All-BIG EAST honorees, the league office announced on Thursday morning before this weekend's BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship.
Sophomore Dara Semmartin was named the unanimous BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, while freshman Diane Saint Martin earned BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors. After an unbeaten (7-0) regular season in BIG EAST play, the Liberty coaching staff was also tabbed the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Liberty's All-BIG EAST honorees include first team members Semmartin (unanimous), Saint Martin and Lou Combrinck. The Lady Flames featured two players on the All-BIG EAST second team in Josefina Tomasi and Julieta Tornati.
Semmartin and Saint Martin both received their first BIG EAST major postseason honors. Semmartin is now a two-time all-conference selection after being selected to the All-BIG EAST team in 2024. Combrinck earns her second straight All-BIG EAST nod after being voted to the second team a season ago. Saint Martin, Tomasi and Tornati are each first-time all-league honorees.
In 10 years in the conference, the Lady Flames have featured 49 total all-conference recipients (32 first team, 17 second team).
No. 7 Liberty (15-2, 7-0 BIG EAST) is the No. 1 seed for this weekend's 2025 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, hosted at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The Lady Flames will match up with No. 4 seed Villanova (5-12, 3-4 BIG EAST) on Friday at 1 p.m. in the semifinals.
Dara Semmartin (BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, All-BIG EAST first team)
Semmartin is the fourth BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in school history, joining Jodie Conolly (2023), Ashley Dykema (2019) and Serena Barr (2016). Semmartin, a unanimous selection as the league's top defender, won five BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week awards, exactly half (5-of-10) of the available honors. Semmartin, a sophomore from Buenos Aires, Argentina, led Liberty with seven total weekly awards in 2026 (five DPOW, two honor roll).
In 17 starts this year, Semmartin has recorded six goals (tied for No. 2 on team), 15 assists (No. 1 on team) and 27 points (No. 1 on team). Semmartin established a new school single-season record with her 15 assists. Semmartin enters postseason play ranked No. 8 in the nation and first in the BIG EAST in assists per game (0.88). In seven regular season games, the sophomore led the team with five assists to go along with one goal and seven points (No. 2 on the team). In addition to her abilities on the offensive end, Semmartin has been a driving force of a Liberty defensive unit that has notched eight shutouts in 2025, tied for the second most in a season in school history. Semmartin and Liberty rank fifth in the country and first in the league in shutouts per game (0.47). The Lady Flames yielded only two goals in seven BIG EAST regular season contests.
In only two seasons at Liberty, Semmartin already ranks tied for ninth in program history with 26 assists after back-to-back double-digit assist seasons. The defender dished out a career-high three assists, tying a program record, in a 4-2 home win over Richmond (Sept. 7). Semmartin tallied two assists in three of the final four regular season games, capped off by a two-assist performance against Villanova last Friday.
Diane Saint Martin (BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, All-BIG EAST first team)
Saint Martin becomes the second BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year in Liberty field hockey history, joining Azul Iritxity Irigoyen (2023). She is the first Liberty freshman to receive the distinction. Saint Martin has earned six weekly awards on the year – two BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors, one BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award, one NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week honorable mention distinction and two BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognitions.
In 17 starts this season, Saint Martin has posted a 15-2 record, 0.82 goals-against average (GAA), 46 saves, a .767 save percentage and eight shutouts. Her eight shutouts are tied for the most in a single season by a Liberty goalkeeper in school history. In seven BIG EAST matches, Saint Martin was a perfect 7-0 with a minuscule 0.27 goals-against average, 20 saves, a .909 save percentage and six shutouts. The rookie netminder from Paris, France, yielded only two goals during all of conference play. Saint Martin posted a career-high 12 saves in Liberty's 3-2 (3-1 penalty shootouts) win at Temple on Oct. 24, also adding three stops in the shootout round. The freshman also made eight saves at No. 2 North Carolina, Sept. 14.
Saint Martin currently leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks No. 5 in the country in GAA (0.82) while also leading the league and ranking No. 6 in the nation in goalie win-loss percentage (.882). The netminder's .767 save percentage is 12th-best nationally and No. 2 in the conference.
Lou Combrinck (All-BIG EAST first team)
Combrinck's second All-BIG EAST honor and first All-BIG EAST first team nod come on the heels of a strong senior season. In 17 starts this year, Combrinck, a forward/midfielder, has totaled six goals (tied for No. 2 on team), 11 assists (No. 2 on team) and 23 points (No. 2 on team). Combrinck ranks second in the BIG EAST and 20th nationally in assists per game (0.65).
The Hillcrest, South Africa native was named NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week honorable mention on Sept. 3 as well as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2) following her strong performance in Liberty's 4-3 win at No. 5 Duke to open the year. In that contest, she scored the game-winning goal on a 56th minute penalty corner. Combrinck and the Lady Flames trailed 3-0 just over 17 minutes into the match before scoring four unanswered goals. Combrinck played a key role in two of the three earlier goals, notching a pair of assists.
Combrinck also earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Sept. 30. She recorded one goal, two assists and four points in seven league regular season matchups.
Josefina Tomasi (All-BIG EAST second team)
Tomasi, a forward, has tallied five goals, five assists (No. 3 on team) and 15 points in 17 games this season (all starts). In seven BIG EAST regular season matches, the sophomore tallied one goal, one assist and three points.
Tomasi earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 9 after notching two goals, two assists and six points in home wins over James Madison and Richmond. Tomasi scored a highlight-reel goal against JMU that was featured on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 plays listing as the No. 3 play. In that game against the Dukes, the forward had a season-high four points (1 g, 4 a). The Cañada de Gómez, Argentina native, scored two goals in the final four games of the regular season.
Julieta Tornati (All-BIG EAST second team)
Tornati, a defender, has accumulated five goals, one assist, 11 points and a team-high three game-winning goals in 17 games, all starts. The Liberty freshman was tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll in two of the final three weeks of the regular season (Oct. 20, Nov. 3) for her efforts.
In seven league regular season matches, Tornati notched two goals (No. 2 on team), one assist and five points (No. 2 on team). Her game winners in the regular season game against UAlbany (Sept. 12), Old Dominion (Oct. 3) and Saint Joseph's (Oct. 19), all at home.
Liberty Coaching Staff (Coaching Staff of the Year)
This is the fourth time the Liberty field hockey coaching staff has been voted the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The staff received the same honor during the spring 2021, fall 2021 and 2023 seasons. The coaching staff consists of ninth-year head coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker, associate head coach Alan Good, assistant coach Maura Schimp and assistant coach Reagan Underwood.
The staff has guided Liberty to a 15-2 mark so far this season. Additionally, the Lady Flames posted a perfect 7-0 BIG EAST regular season record to claim their third outright BIG EAST regular season crown in the last five seasons. Liberty has claimed at least a share of the regular season title four times in the last five years and enters postseason riding a five-match winning streak. Liberty is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the NCAA Field Hockey RPI at present. The Lady Flames have been ranked among the top 10 teams in the country in all nine regular season national polls this year.
Liberty is No. 5 nationally and first in the nation in shutouts per game (0.47). The Lady Flames are also in the top 20 nationally in goals-against average (No. 5, 0.87), winning percentage (No. 5, .882), scoring margin (No. 9, 1.91), assists per game (No. 10, 2.88), points per game (No. 12, 8.53), goals per game (No. 16, 2.82), scoring average (No. 16, 2.78) and save percentage (No. 19, .758). Liberty leads the BIG EAST in all of those categories except for save percentage (No. 2). The Lady Flames have two victories against top-20 teams so far this season, including wins over No. 5 Duke and No. 17 Appalachian State.
BIG EAST Awards
BIG EAST Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Francisca Eschoyez, Quinnipiac, So., M
Peyton Rieger, Temple, Sr., M/F
Ava Borkowski, Villanova, Gr., F
BIG EAST Co-Midfielders of the Year
Sol Simone, Connecticut, Sr., M
Bo Martina, Providence, Jr., M
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Dara Semmartin, Liberty, So., D*
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Diane Saint Martin, Liberty, Fr., GK
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Lucia Magro, Temple, Fr., M/F *
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Liberty
All-BIG EAST First Team:
Juana Garcia, Connecticut, Sr., M
Sol Simone, Connecticut, Sr., M
Lou Combrinck, Liberty, Sr., F/M
Dara Semmartin, Liberty, So., D*
Diane Saint Martin, Liberty, Fr., GK
Serena Langendoen, Old Dominion, So., D*
Bo Martina, Providence, Jr., M
Francisca Eschoyez, Quinnipiac, So., M
Lucia Magro, Temple, Fr., M/F
Peyton Rieger, Temple, Sr., M/F
Ava Borkowski, Villanova, Gr., F
All-BIG EAST Second Team:
Julia Bressler, Connecticut, Sr., F
Natalie McKenna, Connecticut, Jr., GK
Elena Perez Alejandro, Georgetown, Jr., M
Josefina Tomasi, Liberty, So., F
Julieta Tornati, Liberty, Fr., D
Suus Broers, Old Dominion, So., GK
Sian Emslie, Old Dominion, Sr., F
Sanci Molkenboer, Old Dominion, Sr., M
Amelie Zielcke, Old Dominion, So., D/M
Carly van Benten, Providence, Jr., F/M
Gemma Lysaght, Villanova, Jr., D
*denotes unanimous selection
Sophomore Dara Semmartin was named the unanimous BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, while freshman Diane Saint Martin earned BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year honors. After an unbeaten (7-0) regular season in BIG EAST play, the Liberty coaching staff was also tabbed the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
Liberty's All-BIG EAST honorees include first team members Semmartin (unanimous), Saint Martin and Lou Combrinck. The Lady Flames featured two players on the All-BIG EAST second team in Josefina Tomasi and Julieta Tornati.
Semmartin and Saint Martin both received their first BIG EAST major postseason honors. Semmartin is now a two-time all-conference selection after being selected to the All-BIG EAST team in 2024. Combrinck earns her second straight All-BIG EAST nod after being voted to the second team a season ago. Saint Martin, Tomasi and Tornati are each first-time all-league honorees.
In 10 years in the conference, the Lady Flames have featured 49 total all-conference recipients (32 first team, 17 second team).
No. 7 Liberty (15-2, 7-0 BIG EAST) is the No. 1 seed for this weekend's 2025 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, hosted at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The Lady Flames will match up with No. 4 seed Villanova (5-12, 3-4 BIG EAST) on Friday at 1 p.m. in the semifinals.
Dara Semmartin (BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, All-BIG EAST first team)
Semmartin is the fourth BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in school history, joining Jodie Conolly (2023), Ashley Dykema (2019) and Serena Barr (2016). Semmartin, a unanimous selection as the league's top defender, won five BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week awards, exactly half (5-of-10) of the available honors. Semmartin, a sophomore from Buenos Aires, Argentina, led Liberty with seven total weekly awards in 2026 (five DPOW, two honor roll).
In 17 starts this year, Semmartin has recorded six goals (tied for No. 2 on team), 15 assists (No. 1 on team) and 27 points (No. 1 on team). Semmartin established a new school single-season record with her 15 assists. Semmartin enters postseason play ranked No. 8 in the nation and first in the BIG EAST in assists per game (0.88). In seven regular season games, the sophomore led the team with five assists to go along with one goal and seven points (No. 2 on the team). In addition to her abilities on the offensive end, Semmartin has been a driving force of a Liberty defensive unit that has notched eight shutouts in 2025, tied for the second most in a season in school history. Semmartin and Liberty rank fifth in the country and first in the league in shutouts per game (0.47). The Lady Flames yielded only two goals in seven BIG EAST regular season contests.
In only two seasons at Liberty, Semmartin already ranks tied for ninth in program history with 26 assists after back-to-back double-digit assist seasons. The defender dished out a career-high three assists, tying a program record, in a 4-2 home win over Richmond (Sept. 7). Semmartin tallied two assists in three of the final four regular season games, capped off by a two-assist performance against Villanova last Friday.
Diane Saint Martin (BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, All-BIG EAST first team)
Saint Martin becomes the second BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year in Liberty field hockey history, joining Azul Iritxity Irigoyen (2023). She is the first Liberty freshman to receive the distinction. Saint Martin has earned six weekly awards on the year – two BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors, one BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award, one NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week honorable mention distinction and two BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll recognitions.
In 17 starts this season, Saint Martin has posted a 15-2 record, 0.82 goals-against average (GAA), 46 saves, a .767 save percentage and eight shutouts. Her eight shutouts are tied for the most in a single season by a Liberty goalkeeper in school history. In seven BIG EAST matches, Saint Martin was a perfect 7-0 with a minuscule 0.27 goals-against average, 20 saves, a .909 save percentage and six shutouts. The rookie netminder from Paris, France, yielded only two goals during all of conference play. Saint Martin posted a career-high 12 saves in Liberty's 3-2 (3-1 penalty shootouts) win at Temple on Oct. 24, also adding three stops in the shootout round. The freshman also made eight saves at No. 2 North Carolina, Sept. 14.
Saint Martin currently leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks No. 5 in the country in GAA (0.82) while also leading the league and ranking No. 6 in the nation in goalie win-loss percentage (.882). The netminder's .767 save percentage is 12th-best nationally and No. 2 in the conference.
Lou Combrinck (All-BIG EAST first team)
Combrinck's second All-BIG EAST honor and first All-BIG EAST first team nod come on the heels of a strong senior season. In 17 starts this year, Combrinck, a forward/midfielder, has totaled six goals (tied for No. 2 on team), 11 assists (No. 2 on team) and 23 points (No. 2 on team). Combrinck ranks second in the BIG EAST and 20th nationally in assists per game (0.65).
The Hillcrest, South Africa native was named NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week honorable mention on Sept. 3 as well as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2) following her strong performance in Liberty's 4-3 win at No. 5 Duke to open the year. In that contest, she scored the game-winning goal on a 56th minute penalty corner. Combrinck and the Lady Flames trailed 3-0 just over 17 minutes into the match before scoring four unanswered goals. Combrinck played a key role in two of the three earlier goals, notching a pair of assists.
Combrinck also earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Sept. 30. She recorded one goal, two assists and four points in seven league regular season matchups.
Josefina Tomasi (All-BIG EAST second team)
Tomasi, a forward, has tallied five goals, five assists (No. 3 on team) and 15 points in 17 games this season (all starts). In seven BIG EAST regular season matches, the sophomore tallied one goal, one assist and three points.
Tomasi earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 9 after notching two goals, two assists and six points in home wins over James Madison and Richmond. Tomasi scored a highlight-reel goal against JMU that was featured on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 plays listing as the No. 3 play. In that game against the Dukes, the forward had a season-high four points (1 g, 4 a). The Cañada de Gómez, Argentina native, scored two goals in the final four games of the regular season.
Julieta Tornati (All-BIG EAST second team)
Tornati, a defender, has accumulated five goals, one assist, 11 points and a team-high three game-winning goals in 17 games, all starts. The Liberty freshman was tabbed to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll in two of the final three weeks of the regular season (Oct. 20, Nov. 3) for her efforts.
In seven league regular season matches, Tornati notched two goals (No. 2 on team), one assist and five points (No. 2 on team). Her game winners in the regular season game against UAlbany (Sept. 12), Old Dominion (Oct. 3) and Saint Joseph's (Oct. 19), all at home.
Liberty Coaching Staff (Coaching Staff of the Year)
This is the fourth time the Liberty field hockey coaching staff has been voted the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The staff received the same honor during the spring 2021, fall 2021 and 2023 seasons. The coaching staff consists of ninth-year head coach Nikki Parsley-Blocker, associate head coach Alan Good, assistant coach Maura Schimp and assistant coach Reagan Underwood.
The staff has guided Liberty to a 15-2 mark so far this season. Additionally, the Lady Flames posted a perfect 7-0 BIG EAST regular season record to claim their third outright BIG EAST regular season crown in the last five seasons. Liberty has claimed at least a share of the regular season title four times in the last five years and enters postseason riding a five-match winning streak. Liberty is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll and No. 8 in the NCAA Field Hockey RPI at present. The Lady Flames have been ranked among the top 10 teams in the country in all nine regular season national polls this year.
Liberty is No. 5 nationally and first in the nation in shutouts per game (0.47). The Lady Flames are also in the top 20 nationally in goals-against average (No. 5, 0.87), winning percentage (No. 5, .882), scoring margin (No. 9, 1.91), assists per game (No. 10, 2.88), points per game (No. 12, 8.53), goals per game (No. 16, 2.82), scoring average (No. 16, 2.78) and save percentage (No. 19, .758). Liberty leads the BIG EAST in all of those categories except for save percentage (No. 2). The Lady Flames have two victories against top-20 teams so far this season, including wins over No. 5 Duke and No. 17 Appalachian State.
BIG EAST Awards
BIG EAST Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Francisca Eschoyez, Quinnipiac, So., M
Peyton Rieger, Temple, Sr., M/F
Ava Borkowski, Villanova, Gr., F
BIG EAST Co-Midfielders of the Year
Sol Simone, Connecticut, Sr., M
Bo Martina, Providence, Jr., M
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Dara Semmartin, Liberty, So., D*
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Diane Saint Martin, Liberty, Fr., GK
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Lucia Magro, Temple, Fr., M/F *
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year
Liberty
All-BIG EAST First Team:
Juana Garcia, Connecticut, Sr., M
Sol Simone, Connecticut, Sr., M
Lou Combrinck, Liberty, Sr., F/M
Dara Semmartin, Liberty, So., D*
Diane Saint Martin, Liberty, Fr., GK
Serena Langendoen, Old Dominion, So., D*
Bo Martina, Providence, Jr., M
Francisca Eschoyez, Quinnipiac, So., M
Lucia Magro, Temple, Fr., M/F
Peyton Rieger, Temple, Sr., M/F
Ava Borkowski, Villanova, Gr., F
All-BIG EAST Second Team:
Julia Bressler, Connecticut, Sr., F
Natalie McKenna, Connecticut, Jr., GK
Elena Perez Alejandro, Georgetown, Jr., M
Josefina Tomasi, Liberty, So., F
Julieta Tornati, Liberty, Fr., D
Suus Broers, Old Dominion, So., GK
Sian Emslie, Old Dominion, Sr., F
Sanci Molkenboer, Old Dominion, Sr., M
Amelie Zielcke, Old Dominion, So., D/M
Carly van Benten, Providence, Jr., F/M
Gemma Lysaght, Villanova, Jr., D
*denotes unanimous selection
Unanimous @BIGEAST DPOY ??
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) November 6, 2025
Congrats to Dara on this accomplishment!??#EyesFixed #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/wzeX7ZZO86
Diane is the 2025 @BIGEAST Goalkeeper of the Year!??#EyesFixed #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/1cUMNMnUF0
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) November 6, 2025
Here are our 5?? All-@BIGEAST honorees!??#EyesFixed #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/lPX2zcTonX
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) November 6, 2025
Your @BIGEAST Coaching Staff of the Year!????? #EyesFixed #RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/Wea9cLEmXC
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) November 6, 2025
Players Mentioned
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/ Field HockeyGameday with Liberty Field Hockey
Thursday, October 30
Lou Combrinck: Strength Through the Setbacks
Wednesday, October 29
Liberty Field Hockey Defeats Providence
Saturday, October 18
Coach Parsley-Blocker & Julieta Tornati Talk About The Win Over Providence
Saturday, October 18