LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell softball head coach Jen Starek announced the program's incoming class ahead of the 2026 season, welcoming eight newcomers who will join the River Hawks roster this spring. The class features a mix of position players and pitchers, strengthening the roster as the program prepares for the upcoming campaign.
"We're really excited about this incoming class," commented Starek. "They add depth to our pitching rotation and bring a high level of athleticism, along with speed and power, to our lineup."
RIVER HAWK PROFILES
#8 Mackenzie Griffith
OF | 5'7" | Boonsboro, Md. | Boonsboro / Saint James School
Previous Experience:
Griffith joins the River Hawks as a freshman after a successful high school career split between Boonsboro High School and Saint James School in Maryland. A consistent performer on the field, she earned First Team All-County honors in three consecutive seasons and was named First Team CMC as a senior. Griffith served as a team captain during her junior and senior years and helped lead her program to regional championships, including a title during her senior season. She was also recognized multiple times as her school's MVP Girls Athlete of the Week and competed at the club level with Tri-State Thunder Gold 18U out of Clear Spring, Md.
Personal:
The daughter of Emily and Robert Griffith Jr., Mackenzie has one sister, Madison. A Boonsboro, Md. native, she plans to major in Exercise Science with a clinical concentration at UMass Lowell and pursue Physical Therapy school with the goal of becoming a sports physical therapist following graduation. In addition to softball, she also competed in volleyball at the high school level.
#9 Julia Rowley
C | 5'5" | Beacon Falls, Conn. | Woodland Regional
Previous Experience:
Rowley joins the River Hawks as a freshman following a highly decorated career at Woodland Regional High School in Connecticut. A key contributor to four state championship teams, she earned All-Naugatuck Valley League and All-State honors across multiple seasons while helping Woodland capture league titles and a state runner-up finish during her senior year. Rowley was named the CHSCA Position Player of the Year as a senior and finished her high school career holding the school record for most RBIs in a single season. She also earned All-America Scholar Athlete recognition and competed at the club level with CT Lightning.
Personal:
The daughter of Elizabeth and Brendan Rowley, Julia has two brothers, Andrew and Brendan. A Beacon Falls, Conn. native, she plans to major in business at UMass Lowell and hopes to pursue a career as a CPA following graduation. Rowley graduated as a high honor student, ranked 11th in her class, and was a member of the National Honor Society along with the Science, Math, and World Language Honor Societies.
#14 Ava Perrotta
IF | 5'6" | Methuen, Mass. | Central Catholic
Previous Experience:
Perrotta comes to UMass Lowell as a freshman after a decorated multi-sport career at Central Catholic High School. A three-year varsity starter in softball, she earned league all-star honors during her senior season while helping lead the Raiders to multiple postseason runs, including a Final Four appearance as a junior and an MIAA Division 1 state championship appearance as a sophomore. She also competed at the club level with Polar Crush (Devens, Mass.), gaining experience against top regional competition.
Personal:
The daughter of Stacia and Anthony Perrotta, Ava has three siblings: Sophia, Savannah, and Anthony. A Methuen, Mass. native, she plans to major in business with a minor in accounting at UMass Lowell. Her father, Anthony Perrotta, is a UMass Lowell alumnus ('01) and former UMass Lowell football student-athlete.
#15 Bergan Needles
OF | 5'5" | Ashburn, Va. | Wofford College
Previous Experience:
Needles joins the River Hawks as a junior outfielder after transferring from Wofford College, where she appeared in 45 games over two seasons. During the 2025 season, she played in 20 games, scoring five runs with three stolen bases. As a sophomore in 2024, Needles saw action in 25 games with 11 starts, totaling four hits, five runs, a double, four RBI, and a stolen base, highlighted by a two-RBI double against Northern Kentucky. Prior to her collegiate career, Needles was a three-year letterwinner at Stone Bridge High School, serving as a team captain as a senior. She helped lead the Bulldogs to the VHSL 5A state championship during the 2022 season and earned multiple all-district and all-region honors. She was also a member of the National Honor Society.
Personal:
The daughter of Thayne and Andrea Needles, Bergan has one brother, Ryan. A native of Ashburn, Virginia, she plans to major in finance at UMass Lowell with plans to pursue a career in the field following graduation.
#17 Grace Rowan
P | 5'11" | Hood River, Ore. | Hood River Valley
Previous Experience:
Rowan joins the River Hawks as a freshman following a standout multi-sport career at Hood River Valley High School in Oregon. A dominant presence in the circle, she was named NWOC League Pitcher of the Year as a senior while also earning Female Athlete of the Year honors for her school. Rowan finished her high school career holding multiple offensive records, including career home runs, single-season home runs, career doubles, and career slugging percentage. She earned All-League pitching recognition in all four seasons and also competed at the varsity level in soccer and basketball. At the club level, she played with the NW Vandals.
Personal:
The daughter of Emily and Clyde Rowan, Grace has one brother, Robert. A Hood River, Ore. native, she plans to major in applied biomedical sciences at UMass Lowell with aspirations of attending medical school and becoming a doctor. Rowan served as ASB president during her senior year and was named the Communications Department Scholar of the Year in 2025, in addition to being a member of the National Honor Society.
#25 Caroline Calkins
IF | 5'7" | Orting, Wash. | Sumner
Previous Experience:
Calkins joins the River Hawks as a freshman following a competitive high school career at Sumner High School in Washington. A Second Team All-League selection in softball as both a sophomore and junior, she helped lead Sumner to a state Final Four appearance during her junior season. Calkins was also a standout multi-sport athlete, competing in soccer at the varsity level and helping her team reach the Elite Eight at the state tournament in consecutive seasons. During her senior year, she served as a captain for the varsity soccer team and earned the program's Heart of the Spartan Award. At the club level, she competed with the ai Bandits Breer out of Puyallup, Wash.
Personal:
The daughter of Kimberly and Joel Calkins, Caroline has two sisters, Sarah and Madilyn. A native of Orting, Wash., she plans to major in business with a minor in marketing at UMass Lowell. Her mother, Kimberly Calkins, played collegiate soccer at the University of Portland and professionally for the Boston Breakers in the NWSL.
#26 Ella Van Alstyne
P/OF | 5'5" | Beacon Falls, Conn. | Woodland Regional
Previous Experience:
Van Alstyne joins the River Hawks as a freshman following an outstanding career at Woodland Regional High School in Connecticut. A four-time All-State and All-Naugatuck Valley League selection, she helped lead Woodland to three Class M state championships and multiple league titles. A dominant two-way player, Van Alstyne finished her high school career holding school records for career hits (209), career strikeouts (623), and single-season hits (64), while earning All-Region and All-American Scholar Athlete honors during her junior and sophomore seasons. She also competed at the club level with CT Lightning.
Personal:
The daughter of Renee and Steven Van Alstyne, Ella has one sister, Alyssa. A Beacon Falls, Conn. native, she plans to major in exercise science with a minor in fitness management at UMass Lowell and hopes to remain involved in athletics following graduation. Van Alstyne was a National Honor Society officer and member of the Fine Arts and World Language Honor Societies while earning Academic High Honor Roll recognition.
#77 Jessika Jennings
P/IF | 5'6" | Roy, Wash. | Graham-Kapowsin
Previous Experience:
Jennings comes to UMass Lowell as a freshman after a highly accomplished career at Graham-Kapowsin High School in Washington. A two-way standout, she earned SPSL South All-League MVP honors as a senior while helping lead her team to a third-place finish at the state tournament. During her final season, she was named to The News Tribune All-Area Team and recognized by SBLive as an All-Area Two-Way Player. She finished her high school career holding multiple school records, including career wins (28), career strikeouts (396), single-season strikeouts (205), RBIs (55), hits (47), and appearances (22), while also tying the school's single-season home run record. At the club level, Jennings competed with ai Bandits Breer out of Puyallup, Wash., earning Alliance Nationals 18U Tier III All-Tournament honors.
Personal:
The daughter of Monika and James Jennings, Jessika has two sisters, Julie and Mikayla. A Roy, Wash. native, she plans to major in political science with a concentration in law and politics at UMass Lowell and has aspirations of becoming a corporate lawyer or defense attorney. In high school, she was a three-year member of the National Honor Society, served as senior class president, and held leadership roles including ASB representative and JROTC cadet captain.
