PressBox recently chatted with Navy women’s lacrosse senior Alyssa Daley about her approach to winning draws, the player she looked up to when she first got to Navy and more. The 5-foot-8 draw specialist controlled 191 draws in 2024. Daley is a native of Walkersville, Md., and graduate of Middletown High School.
PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?
Alyssa Daley: I was originally playing soccer and then at one of my games I think one of my coaches was starting a lacrosse team. My dad [Gerry] asked, “Do you want to try lacrosse?” And my answer was like, “What is that?” I had no idea. But at the time I was open to anything and I was like, “Sure.” I actually was on the first lacrosse team from my area when I was in like third grade.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
AD: I’d have to say my dad. He really saw potential in me and put a lot of time and energy into helping me develop my game and eventually becoming recruited. I definitely don’t think I would’ve gotten to where I am today if it weren’t for his investment in my progress, that’s for sure.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Navy?
AD: I chose to go to Navy because I thought it would be the best place for me to become the best version of myself and be a part of something bigger than myself as well as set myself up in the future and my future family.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at Navy so far?
AD: It’s got to be the Army-Navy game last year. It had everything you could want out of a sports game. The crowd was amazing. We won. My best friend lost her tooth, Emily Messinese. It was a crazy game and we came out on top, [17-11]. It was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced.
PB: Is the draw control more of an art or a science?
AD: I would say it’s a combination of an art and a science. It’s very detail-oriented and has a lot of technique that goes along with it. For me I just try to be brilliant at the basics and work every day on the technique and the mechanics and then going along with that, reaction time and speed and tracking. I try to do that stuff every single day because to me it’s such a pivotal point of the game. I have found such a passion in it. I just try to work on doing those basics every day at practice before and after and getting as many draw reps as I can so I perfect my art in my way of doing it.
PB: Do you have a particular style in winning a draw?
AD: I would say my style is definitely more reliant on my circle people and the team aspect of it. I have really good chemistry with people that play in the circle, whether it’s Emily Messinese, Mikayla Williams, Ava Yovino [or] Anna Gotterup. We all are just really good at communicating. I do have certain things that we look for every time, but with their ability to sometimes just give a look, we can basically work with whatever we’ve got. That’s how we go for it. We just try to win the ball every time.
PB: What did you service select?
AD: I service selected Navy Pilot. Before I got here, it was always something that I grabbed my attention. I was always kind of leaning toward that, and then after coming to the Academy and seeing the different mentors and different alumni, I did a summer training last summer called Powered Flight Program where I got to do a solo flight. It cleared the air and solidified that this was the thing that I want to do. I think it’s the coolest job. I think it could have the most impact on me as a person and the best quality of life.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Annapolis?
AD: I would say downtown. It’s just a beautiful place to be and it’s so close to school. I would say we’re spoiled with having it right there, but there’s so much to do. There are places to eat and walk around. It’s just a gorgeous thing to look at, really.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
AD: I would say it’s a tough call between Emily Messinese and Tori DiCarlo. … Tori and I used to be in the same company and we would come on deck and do some crazy plebe stuff and then go to practice and be like, “Wow, this is our life now.” And just being able to be on the circle with Emily, we really never have to talk to each other. We just have this instant communication with our eyes and it ends up working out really well and I think that speaks to both of our friendships on and off the field. Tori will be right there for an outlet. It’s just that underlying chemistry between all three of us that [translates to] the field and shows how close we are as friends, too.
PB: Who was a player you looked up to when you first got to Navy?
AD: Christine Fiore was someone I really looked up to. She always took time out of the day to talk to me because as a plebe, it can be really hard here. She always made me feel better about where I was and assured me that it gets better on the other side. She just did everything she could for everyone on the team. She was captain. I’ve never seen someone lead so selflessly. She really did her best for everyone around her. She ended up going Marine Air, but she was just always someone I tried to emulate as I went through my time here in leadership and as a lacrosse player.
PB: What advice do you have for younger players going through the recruiting process?
AD: I guess to not stress out in that whatever’s meant to be will be. God’s plan is always the best plan.
Photo Credit: Phil Hoffmann/Navy Athletics