Nike Girls Lacrosse Camp at the Darlington School

In her first season as head coach for the Owls, she made an immediate impact leading the team to record-breaking win totals overall and in the ASUN. After a huge comeback against Furman in the final game of the regular season, the Owls finished the season 8-9 overall and 4-6 in the ASUN. The team averaged 14.53 goals per game, which ended up being the 15th best mark in the country. Two players totaled over 60 points with Haley Swift leading the way with 66 points. The Owls also made jumps statistically in ground balls and draw controls as KSU was named the statistical national champion in ground balls after the 2017 season averaging 24.65 per game. They were 10th in the country in draw controls winning 15.29 per game. The back line was led by Maura Palandro, who became the first Kennesaw State defensive player to be named ASUN First Team All-Conference.

In 2018, she led them to a three seed in the ASUN after defeating Old Dominion, Howard and Stetson. The three seed is the highest ever ASUN ranking for the Owls. KSU’s offense was fueled by ASUN Freshman of the Year Siena Gore as she set an ASUN record with 70 goals during the season on her way to being unanimously voted ASUN First Team All-Conference.

After a hard fought start to the 2019 campaign, the Owls closed out the back half of the season with a 6-3 record, including a 15-6 victory over Stetson in their final home game of the season to clinch their second straight ASUN Tournament appearance. KSU finished the year among the nation’s top-10 for free position percentage (4th) and shot percentage (7th) shooting 51.5 percent from the eight-meter arc and 48.5 percent from the field. The Owls also ranked 12th in the NCAA averaging 15.78 draw controls per game. She tied the KSU wins record she set in 2017, finishing 8-10 overall.

In 2020, Maness led the Owls to a 3-4 record before the season was canceled. KSU achieved 93 goals, 111 draw controls and .355 save percentage in the net in 7 games.

In her fifth season (2021), she led the team to its third consecutive ASUN Tournament Berth with the number three seed. The Owls finished the season 5-10 overall, which included a 25-3 rout of Howard to end the regular season. Her team had a record high four freshman named to the ASUN Conference All-Freshman Team.

This previous season, 2022, was the most successful season in Kennesaw State history. Maness guided KSU to a record breaking season as the Owls entered the ASUN Semifinals with the new school record for most wins (11), which was also the team's first-ever winning season. Within the season's list of victories is the Owls first-ever victory over a Power Five school, the Oregon Ducks (14-13). The Owls finished the regular season with the most goals scored in program history, 249 goals.

During her tenure, Maness has coached 14 all-conference selections, including eight first team honorees to mark the first in program history. She has also overseen KSU’s first ASUN Player of the Year in Siena Gore following the 2019 campaign. Over the past six seasons, the Owls have racked up 11 all-freshman awards, 12 all-academic team selections, a 2021 Scholar-Athlete of the year honoree in Marissa Gore, 13 conference player of the week nods, and a 2018 Freshman of the Year honoree, 2022 ASUN Player of the Year, and 2022 Scholar Athlete of the Year in Siena Gore. Gore was the first player in program history to be named CoSIDA Academic All-American (First Team).

A coaching veteran who brings more than a decade of experience, Maness was named Kennesaw State’s head lacrosse coach on July 1, 2016.

She joined the Owls after spending the previous five seasons at University of Detroit Mercy. She led the Titans to four straight Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship game appearances and became the winningest coach in program history.

Maness brings 11 years of experience as a head coach to Kennesaw State after leading programs across all three divisions at Detroit (2012-2016), Lake Erie College (2009-11) and Waynesburg University (2006-08).

Kennesaw State began its fifth season as a program in 2017 and Maness is no stranger to upstart programs. She was the inaugural coach at both Lake Erie College and Waynesburg University while taking over at Detroit after its third season.

In her five years at Detroit, she coached one ASUN Player of the Year, one Defensive Player of the Year, one Freshman of the Year, 12 first-team All-ASUN selections, nine second-team All-ASUN selections and mentored the Scholar Athlete of the Year the past two seasons. The IWLCA honored the Titans as an All-Academic Squad each season.

Each season with Maness at the helm, the Titans improved. The team finished above .500 in each of the last two seasons, including a school-record 12-win season in 2016. The 2016 campaign also saw Detroit become the first-ever ASUN school to knock off Jacksonville en route to the program’s fourth straight appearance in the ASUN championship game.

Before coaching at Detroit, Maness was the inaugural coach for Lake Erie College at the Division II level. After 18 months of preparation, she led the Storm to a 7-7 record in its first season. Lake Erie was named an All-Merit squad and an All-Academic squad.

Maness began her coaching career at Morgantown High School while attending West Virginia University. She began as an assistant at Morgantown High in 2002 and was promoted to head coach in 2004. The team won four state championships during her tenure. Maness also served on the coaching staff for the Midwestern Force club lacrosse team during the summer.

In 2006, Maness was the head coach at Division III Wayneburg State in Pennsylvania where she guided that program in its first two years of existence.

Maness earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Nutrition and Food Science at West Virginia. During her time at Waynesburg, she earned a Master’s of Business Administration in 2008

In her two years at Shorter, she had multiple players ranked in the top ten in numerous statistical categories in the Gulf South Conference, while goalie Sydney Jones was ranked number one in the nation for saves. Jordan's first recruiting class at Shorter had a program-record 13 players, while her debut season in 2022 had the most wins at the school in three years.

Jordan was a four-year letter winner for KSU (2015-18), and was a two-time All-ASUN selection for the Owls, while also earning ASUN All-Freshman honors. She holds several spots on the all-time record book for KSU, including holding the program record in career caused turnovers (91), while her 28 caused turnovers in 2015 were also a KSU all-time best. Jordan's 130 ground balls in her career is the third-most ever by an Owl.

Following her graduation from KSU, where she received her bachelor's degree in sport management, Jordan served as Director of Lacrosse for Harrison High School in Metro Atlanta, and she led the Lady Hoyas to an 8-1 record in 2020 before the season was cut short. She also coaches Eagle Stix Lacrosse, the number one ranked lacrosse club in the south, leading each of her teams to winning seasons for five years running. Jordan also has a master's degree in sport administration from Georgia State.

"I’m thrilled to have Sarah come aboard,” said Maness. “She will be primarily responsible for goalie coaching but has experience as a head coach that we will lean on as well. I believe she will elevate our program making an immediate impact as we have our sights on a successful conference schedule and post-season play."

Connally-Linebarger took over as the head of the Eagles before the start of the 2019 season, and led UNW to an eight-win season in her first year, which still stands as the second-most wins in school history. Two years later, she guided UNW to its first-ever appearance in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference championship game. The all-time winningest coach in school history, she saw a total of 23 players earn all-conference recognition, including the 2023 Attacker of the Year and the 2021 Rookie of the Year.

Prior to joining the UNW program, she was a member of the coaching staff for the University of Texas women’s club lacrosse team, spending five years (2011-16) as assistant coach before taking over as head for from 2016-18. At UT, she was a part of seven top-20 seasons. She also was the head coach for McNeil High School from 2019-15, and led them to a district runner-up finish in 2014.

Connally-Linebarger was the starting goalkeeper for the Liberty club team from 2005-09, and received her bachelor of arts degree in graphic design from the school in 2009.

“I’m excited to join an experienced coaching staff like what Laura has put together here at Kennesaw State,” said Connally-Linebarger. “They are passionate about the game and I am looking forward in helping with the development of excellence of Kennesaw State Lacrosse.”