SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University All-American women's lacrosse goalie Lily Ventresca was recently named to the executive team for the NCAA Division II National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) when she was elevated to the position of internal operations coordinator during the 2026 NCAA Convention. 

The mission of the National SAAC is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image. Each NCAA Division has a National SAAC that is tasked with generating a student-athlete voice within the NCAA structure, soliciting student-athlete responses to proposed NCAA legislation, recommending potential NCAA legislation, reviewing, reacting and commenting to the governance structure on legislation, activities and subjects of interest, actively participating in the administrative process of athletics programs and the NCAA and promoting a positive student-athlete image. 
 
Ventresca, a junior from Rochester, New York, was elected to the Division II National SAAC as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference representative in 2025. She will continue serving in that role through 2028, where she is tasked with speaking on behalf of, and advocating for, the PSAC student-athletes. She also leads the annual PSAC SAAC spring retreat and fall meetings as the president of the group.
 
In addition to those tasks, Ventresca will now step into the role of internal operations coordinator for National SAAC. She will work alongside SRU director of athletics Roberta Page, who was recently named as the Management Council's liaison to National SAAC.
 
Ventresca's duties will include:

• Serving as chair of the Nominations and Honors, Awards and Recognition subcommittees.
• Setting up and running video conferences throughout the year.
• Overseeing the orientation process of new members and assisting with assigning mentors.
• Assisting with the preparation of the SAAC agenda for four quarterly meetings.
• Coordinating with the Division II Board of Governors, Executive Board, and Management Council to remain educated on topics throughout the administration.

 
While balancing her roles with the PSAC and National SAAC, Ventresca will also look to continue her stellar athletic career at SRU. She set the lacrosse program's single-season record for wins by a goalie in 2025 after posting a 16-1 record and helping the team to the first Atlantic Region title in program history. She was selected as an honorable mention All-American following the season and was also named this spring as a Preseason All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine.
 
In the classroom, Ventresca is a two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and carries above a 3.40 GPA while majoring in sport management with a minor in political science.
 
The Rock women's lacrosse team was ranked No. 8 in the IWLCA preseason national rankings and No. 5 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine preseason poll entering the 2026 season. SRU is set to open the year next Wednesday, Feb. 18 at home with a 4 p.m. game against Ashland University.
 
For more information on the NCAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, click HERE. 




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