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A lifetime of expectations just got a little heavier for Alexa Spallina — and she’s fine with that.
The Mount Sinai standout was named the No. 1 incoming freshman in the nation this week by Inside Lacrosse, which also put her on the cover of its 2025 Recruiting Issue.
“I thought the picture was going to be the whole class, not just me,” Spallina told Greater Long Island. “It was definitely unexpected.”
Unexpected for her — but not for anyone who has watched the three-time All-American excel on Long Island for years. Pressure, she said, is nothing new.
“I’m kind of used to the pressure by now,” she said. “It just makes me work that much harder.”
As soon as the rankings dropped, her phone lit up.
“My brother Jake was one of the first — I wasn’t surprised, he’s my go-to,” she said. “But my brother Joey? Absolutely nothing,” she added with a laugh. “And make sure you mention that he’s been silent about it!”
Joey Spallina, Alexa’s older brother and a senior at Syracuse, knows all about being No. 1. He was the top recruit in the class of 2022. Reached by Greater Long Island, he chuckled over the public ribbing by his sister, saying he didn’t reach out.
“That’s insane! Of course I reached out to her,” he said, still laughing. “In all seriousness, she knows I am without a doubt her biggest fan and supporter.”
She also grew up in a family full of elite lacrosse players, including a father who coaches the Stony Brook women’s team.
“I’m so grateful to my parents for everything they’ve done,” she said.
Now all eyes turn to Feb. 6, when Clemson opens its season against Vanderbilt — and Spallina takes the field for her first college game.
A target on her back? Fine by her. She’s been hitting the bullseye for years.
Top: Inside Lacrosse 2025 Recruiting Issue cover comes courtesy and with full permissions from Inside Lacrosse. The image has been altered and cropped for proper staging on social media. Full image appears below.
