University of Delaware Athletics
Field Hockey's Sarah Rigual Reflects on U-21 USWNT Experience
6/10/2026 2:28:00 PM | Field Hockey
NEWARK, Del. - University of Delaware field hockey rising senior Sarah Rigual joined elite company amongst the field hockey world as she donned the red, white, and blue in the 2026 Junior Pan American Cup (JPAC) in April for the USA U-21 Women’s National Team.
She was part of the United States squad that finished as the runners-up in the event, scoring a goal in a 13-0 drubbing of Mexico. Rigual also made the roster for the 4 Nations Tournament in July, taking place in England.
The journey to represent her nation was years in the making, but was always in the sights of the Fredericksburg, Va. native, despite injury setbacks and the grind to compete for a roster spot.
Rigual missed 18-straight months of action between club and high school with injuries, but was able to power through setbacks through an existing relationship that created belief and trust with the Fightin’ Blue Hens staff that she would still be able to develop as a player.
“I would say I had a lot of loss of interest from other coaches,” the All-MPSF honoree said. “But, it worked out for the best as Delaware was always my number one. I love it here.”
Her sister, Morgan Rigual ‘22, and cousins Catesby and Phoebe Willis, who played at Virginia, played a large role in Rigual’s admiration for the game growing up. As well as her mother, Cory, who served as her coach in high school.
“I used to go to my cousin's games and knew I wanted to be in that position one day,” Rigual said. “Even though I didn’t get to play with my sister, I decided it would be great for both of us to be on this journey, and she left a pretty good legacy for me to follow up on.”
Going through the national team’s camp selection process as one of the oldest players, the senior kept a strong mindset in regards to earning the opportunity, before ultimately shining through as a top candidate for a roster spot, similar to her sophomore campaign at UD.
“It was definitely mentally tough, showing up on a team where everybody seems to have a foothold in it,” Rigual said. “I just kept saying to myself, if it doesn’t work out, at least I’ve had this experience.”
The experience has turned into a spring full of high-level field hockey for the senior after making two travel rosters, competing against the top players in various nations across two continents.
Despite being a new player on the U-21 team, Rigual’s first time on a new team since joining Delaware, she was surrounded by former Hens on her journey. Ange Bradley ‘88 is the head coach of the team, while Lynn Farquhar, UD’s associate head coach in 2013, served as an assistant for the JPAC.
“Ange has given me such a good opportunity to have competed for a spot, and now to be on this team,” Rigual said. “I slowly had to find my rhythm and they both have given me the confidence to do so. It’s full circle that I made the correct decision to go to Delaware and I’m able to go through this pipeline.”
Rigual will enter her senior season at Delaware with international competition under her belt after winning two-straight conference championships. The captain will look to lead the team to strong success in 2026.
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