Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech head coach Kristen Skiera announced the hiring of Mary Claire Byrne as an assistant coach of the lacrosse program Wednesday rounding out her on-field staff heading into the 2021-22 academic year, her first in Blacksburg.
Byrne served as an assistant coach for the ECU women's lacrosse for two seasons, spanning the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The 2020 campaign was Byrne's first in Greenville and showed signs of promise before the Covid-19 Pandemic cut the season short after just eight games. The Pirates were 5-3 in the shortened season, tying the 2019 team for the most wins in the program history. Byrne saw Megan Tryniski set a new single-game ECU record when she had eight points on four goals and four assists in a comeback win over VCU.
The Pirates also saw Megan Pallozzi and Ashley Vernon earn AAC Attack Player of the Week and AAC Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, after beating Campbell. Pallozzi and Vernon are now the fifth and sixth players to earn AAC Weekly Awards since the conference started sponsoring women's lacrosse in 2019.
In 2021, the Pirates landed four student-athletes on the All-American Conference Second Team.
Byrne, who competed for the Hokies from 2014-2019 finished her career with 81 points in 59 career games. The McLean, Virginia, native left Virginia Tech ranked third all-time in caused turnovers in program history (96) and sixth in ground balls (128). She was a 2019 IWLCA Senior All-Star after having her best offensive season in Blacksburg, racking up 23 goals, 12 assists, 42 ground balls and 27 caused turnovers.
Byrne was a three-time ACC All-Academic Team selection and made the ACC Honor Roll during all five of her seasons in Blacksburg. During the 2018 campaign, she helped the Hokies reach the NCAA Tournament, marking the first such postseason berth in program history.
She owns two degrees from Virginia Tech, earning her Bachelor of Arts in communication with a minor in sports marketing and earning a Master's in agriculture and life sciences.
Byrne is currently competing professionally with Athletes Unlimited alongside Hokie alum Angie Benson.