Olivia Duarte capped her first season as head coach of the JWU (Providence) women's lacrosse program with the sixth Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship in program history. Following the Wildcats season, the former Colgate University student-athlete and University of Findlay assistant coach joined the Argentinian Women's National Team for the Heritage Cup, an international lacrosse event played at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

Duarte – whose Abuelo (grandfather) was born in Argentina and holds Argentinian citizenship – sought to compete in large part to honor the man who was "really proud of his roots." Having never competed internationally before, the Middletown, Delaware native was merely looking to make a positive impact with her new teammates on and off the field.
 
"It's a high level of competition with some very high-quality athletes," said Duarte, who remains in playing shape by playing pickup lacrosse throughout the summer and having a stick in her hands daily while coaching. "Going into training camp, I was really focused on making draws my biggest asset, something I had not done since my junior year of college. It's my favorite part of the game because it can change and affect the momentum. I'm tough on myself when it comes to performance, so I'm always looking to push to that next level and improve."
 
Comprised of former and current college student-athletes from all three levels of NCAA competition, as well as college-bound high school athletes, Argentina posted a 4-1 record at the event, securing wins over Mexico (15-4), Greece (13-8), and the Philippines (16-5). Following a loss to China in the semifinals, Argentina rebounded to defeat Zimbabwe and place third out of 20 countries.
 
"It was so great to jump back into playing the sport that I love so much," said Duarte. "It's something I played constantly from eight-years old until I graduated college, so it was refreshing to get back on the playing side of the ball after coaching."

Duarte – who also played attack in addition to taking draws – cited getting to know her teammates and learning from extremely experienced coaches as the highlight of the experience. "I came in not knowing anyone, but all of the new members were welcomed with open arms and immediately made to feel like family."
 
Argentina is now working towards training for the World Cup qualifier in 2025, which starts with training camp next August before scrimmages with Mexico and Ireland. "It's great to compete for your school, your college, or your state, but there is something special about competing for a country that gives you such a sense of pride and belonging," said Duarte. "We're all playing for something so much bigger than ourselves."