A Strategic Shift for the Wildcats
Villanova University has announced a reshaping of its field hockey coaching staff ahead of the 2026 campaign, promoting Karlie Kisha to associate head coach and welcoming Maddie Orobono as an assistant coach.
Kisha, now in her eighth year with the Wildcats, brings a track record of development and success, having helped guide Ava Borkowski to BIG EAST Co‑Offensive Player of the Year honors and contributed to the team’s recent BIG EAST Championship qualification.
Orobono arrives after a distinguished playing career that includes stints with the U.S. National Team in 2021 and 2022, a gold medal at the 2017 Indoor Pan American Cup in Guyana, and three collegiate national titles at the University of North Carolina between 2019 and 2022.
Building on Recent Success
The roster will feature 18 returning student‑athletes, and the season is slated to open on August 28, 2026. In addition, the program will transition to a new permanent facility in Radnor, part of the official opening of the Villanova University Cabrini Campus.
Both appointments are viewed as part of a broader strategy to sustain momentum built over recent seasons, leveraging experienced leadership and international perspective to pursue further conference triumphs.