Maddy Sterling: All Maryland, All The Time
From childhood trips to College Park to an All-Big Ten senior season, Sterling’s Maryland journey has come full circle and is far from over.
By Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
5/13/2026
As Maryland pushes through the bracket in the NCAA Tournament, the No. 3 Terps have a passionate class of seniors not yet ready to close their collegiate careers. Among them, Maddy Sterling continues to add to her full-circle journey in the latest — but not final — chapter of an incredible story.
“It's honestly everything I've ever dreamed of,” Sterling said. “This is definitely the most fun I've ever had playing lacrosse. Our team is closer than we’ve ever been, so it just makes everything a little bit more special and a little bit more memorable. It's been a great experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world.”
“We've got a lot of people from the state of Maryland in that group graduating,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “Maddy, specifically, for her to have decided to stay in Maryland and then to be able to share that experience with her sister was really special. For her to then go on and have her own experience and develop into the players she's become, it’s been really cool to be a part of.”
From childhood lacrosse to a stellar collegiate career and a future at the professional level, one thing has always been consistent in Sterling’s life: Maryland.
“Maryland is the home of lacrosse, so I've always been surrounded by the top competition and the best of the best,” Sterling said. “I think that's motivated me and pushed me to be the player that I am today. I think it's a really cool experience to be able to represent your home state and play for the best coaches on the best teams in the nation.”
The many stages she’s played on have always been close to home. The Bel Air native grew up with aspirations of donning red, black, and gold. Some of her favorite memories revolve around watching the Terps dominate on the national stage.
“We used to come down for basketball games all the time,” Sterling said. “When I got a little older, we started going to lacrosse games. Seeing how much my sister loved it when she first got here, I knew I wanted to be here. I want to be part of this team. I want to win championships.”
I think being a student-athlete sets you up for success in so many ways. Why would I not take advantage of all the academic resources that we have here at Maryland? Being an athlete has taught me to always work hard, be disciplined, manage my time and solve problems and work with others.Maddy Sterling
After standout high school careers at John Carroll High School, competing in College Park became reality for both Sterling and her sister, Emily.
“Honestly, I think it's still processing,” Sterling said. “Sometimes I look back at old pictures and we talk about old lacrosse memories, and just can’t believe I'm actually here. This is what I worked so hard for when I was little. This was my dream, and it's so cool to see that dream turn into a reality.”
Sterling’s battles consisted of more than the competition she faced on the field. A hip injury and a torn ACL sidelined her for parts of both her senior year of high school and freshman season at Maryland.
“Injuries suck, as we all know, but tearing my ACL was probably one of the best things to happen to me,” Sterling said. “It made me 1,000% a better teammate. It taught me a lot about lacrosse, how to be a good teammate, how to support my teammates, and what it really means to be able to be out on the field and to give it your all all the time.”
Battling back from injury created resiliency in Sterling, but also an appreciation for every time she gets to play. Sterling views every practice as a reminder of what she’s worked through to be able to do, and it helps her find joy even in the toughest practices.
“She is such a tough player,” Reese said. “Physically and mentally, she was able to learn a lot when she was on the sideline, and apply that to her game. She's gone through a lot in her career here, and she's just done a tremendous job. I think she’s one of the best one-on-one defenders in the game.”
Despite the injuries she faced, she was able to spend her first few years in College Park watching her sister build a boisterous career. Emily — one of the top goaltenders in program history — was selected in the 2024 Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse College Draft.
“It was the best thing ever,” Sterling said. “I was easily her biggest fan on the sideline, and she's my role model. Through everything that she ever did at Maryland, I was just so proud of her. To be on the sideline or to be practicing with her, it was just the best experience ever, and I couldn't be more proud of her. It motivated me to be in her shoes one day, and it really pushed me this season to get where I am now.”
A First Team All-Big Ten kind of year for Maddy ?? pic.twitter.com/7ke0BWttJ1
— Maryland Women's Lacrosse (@MarylandWLax) May 4, 2026
Once Sterling was able to work her way back from injury and into the lineup, she started to make fast impacts. She scored the first goal of her career against William & Mary in her redshirt freshman year, and started seeing more and more playing time with each passing year.
She switched from being a middie to a defenseman, a change she said wasn’t too difficult, but allowed her to thrive at the collegiate level, even if she missed having the opportunity to score.
“I think it's really satisfying just to be able to stop people in their game plan,” Sterling said. “It’s a little bit more of a mental challenge sometimes on defense being the reactive one rather than being the people that are making the moves and controlling the ball the whole time, but I saw the transition as my opportunity to be on the field. I knew I was going to take it and do the best I can, and I've never looked back.”
Being a consistently dominant force on defense and a stellar 2026 campaign earned Sterling an All-Big Ten First Team accolade for the first time in her career. One of five Terps to win All-Big Ten honors, Sterling’s prowess has reached its acme at the opportune time.
“Defenders don't get a whole lot of love or a whole lot of praise,” Reese said. “But Maddy has really been somebody special for us. She has good body position, she’s smart, she’s physical, she's strong. I think where Maddy stands out to the general lacrosse fan is with her speed in transition clears. She's fast, and she kind of blows your mind with it, because of the way that she can help us so much in transition.”
Going Pro! ??
— Maryland Women's Lacrosse (@MarylandWLax) April 15, 2026
Maddy is staying home with the @wllcharm pic.twitter.com/A5faZJ8mcp
She is such a tough player. Physically and mentally, she was able to learn a lot when she was on the sideline, and apply that to her game. She's gone through a lot in her career here, and she's just done a tremendous job. I think she’s one of the best one-on-one defenders in the game.Maryland head coach Cathy Reese
Sterling’s relentless rise caught more than just the eyes of the Big Ten. In the inaugural WLL Draft just under a month ago, Sterling heard her name called. The next chapter of her story was unveiled, and it’ll again play out in her home state.
Sterling was selected 11th overall by the Maryland Charm. The Old Line State native gets to continue the journey she’s worked so hard for in the area that means everything to who she is.
“When they said my name I just started shaking,” Sterling said. “I was in complete shock. I was not expecting that at all. Was I hoping it was going to happen? Yes, but really, I had no idea, no clue. I was just so grateful in that moment, and so excited to have the opportunity to keep playing lacrosse and fulfill that dream that I had when I was little.”
A student-athlete with academic accolades to go with her athletic prowess, Sterling is wrapping up a graduate degree in management studies. When her lacrosse career eventually ends — well down the line — she’ll still be set up for success thanks to her relentless efforts on and off the field.
“I think being a student-athlete sets you up for success in so many ways,” Sterling said. “Why would I not take advantage of all the academic resources that we have here at Maryland? Being an athlete has taught me to always work hard, be disciplined, manage my time and solve problems and work with others.”
As the NCAA Tournament rolls on, Sterling will continue to compete on the biggest stage she’s played on, but it won’t be the last one lacrosse has in store for her. Having overcome so much already, a few more games standing between Sterling and a national championship don’t seem too daunting a task. A clash with No. 5 Navy awaits the No. 3 Terps on Thursday as Sterling gets one final chance to dazzle in College Park.
