Piedmont University Athletics

Coaching Highlights at Piedmont (2020-Present)
- USA South West Division Regular Season Championship (2021)
- Undefeated USA South Regular Season (2021)
- USA South Tournament Final Appearance (2021)
- 12 USA South All-Conference Players
- 4 CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-District Selections 
- 3 IWLCA Team Academic Awards
- 9 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll Selections

Collegiate Career at Lenoir-Rhyne (2012-2015)
Midfielder for the Bears
Team captain in 2015
Completed her career with 110 points (85 goals, 25 assists)
Recorded 90 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers

Kirsten McKay enters her fifth season as the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team in the fall of 2023 and is coming off a strong spring in which she led the Lady Lions to a 12-7 record an 7-2 mark in conference play. The Lady Lions knocked off Sewanee in a 20-19 nonconference thriller for their first win over the Tigers since 2016 while making a run to the USA South Tournament Semifinals.

The 2022 season saw a promising freshmen class lead the way as the Lady Lions delivered a 9-9 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the USA South. Piedmont's season was highlighted by a 6-4 home record that included a thrilling comeback win over Pfeiffer 12-10. The Lady Lions had three All-USA South Players. Freshman attacker Merryn Bumpass led the team with 51 goals and 60 points on her way to second team honors while goalie Kellianne Schlosser earned All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season. Captain Lindley Ward broke out with a 38-goal season and earned All-Conference honors for the first time in her career.

In her first full season as head coach of the Lady Lions, McKay led the team to a 9-6 overall record that included a perfect 6-0 mark in USA South play. The Lady Lions captured the USA South West Division Regular Season Championship. Four Lady Lions (Emma Fransen, Aislynn Kimbro, Emma Watson, Kellianne Schlosser) were honored with All-USA South recognition following the season.

McKay led the Lady Lions to a 3-3 record during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season including her first win as head coach in a 12-11 victory over Oglethorpe. 

McKay comes to Demorest after spending one season at NCAA Division II Young Harris where she helped the Mountain Lions to an 11-7 record and a runner-up finish in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. 

After the 2019 season, six players were named to the GSC All-Conference list while midfielder Erika Cross was named conference Player of the Year.

Prior to her arrival in Georgia, McKay spent three seasons at Wingate University where she served as the assistant coach for two seasons, before being named interim head coach for the 2017-18 year.

During her time with the Bulldogs, McKay helped coach 23 All-Conference players and had two players named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association’s Zag Sport Academic Honor Roll. As a team, Wingate was named to the Academic Honor Squad twice.

In 2017, the Bulldogs posted a school-record for victories (13) and advanced to the South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse tournament championship game for the first time in the program's history. Wingate won 31 matches during Smith's three seasons with the program.

On the field, the 2015 Lenoir-Rhyne graduate completed her Bears' career with 110 points (85 goals and 25 assists), 90 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers. The midfielder served as a team captain during her senior season.

McKay received her bachelor's degree in exercise science with a minor in sports studies before obtaining her master’s degree in sport management from Wingate.

The Dunkirk, Md. native holds a US Lacrosse Level I coaching certification.

McKay's Year-by-Year Coaching Record (2020-Present)

Last updated 8/23