Lisa Van Ackeren

Biography

Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren, a four-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Year at Lehigh and a New Jersey native, is a six-time Ivy League Coach of the Year and is in her 14th year as Princeton's head softball coach in 2026. Through 12 competitive seasons, Van Ackeren has a record of 253-252-2 and is the second-winningest coach in program history. In her first season of 2013, Van Ackeren became the winningest first-year coach in Princeton softball history, finishing at 27-19 and with the best record since the Tigers went 34-19 in 2006. Van Ackeren's fourth season saw her win the 2016 Ivy League Coach of the Year award after leading Princeton to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008. Along the way, Princeton won the Ivy South for the first time since 2008 and became the first visiting team since the Ivy League Championship Series began in 2007 to win the best-of-three battle between the division winners, defeating Harvard two games to one. The 2017 season included Van Ackeren's second straight Ivy League Coach of the Year honor as Princeton earned seven All-Ivy League honors, the program's most since 2008, and won both the Ivy South division and the Ivy League Championship Series, sweeping Harvard at the Class of 1895 Field. Princeton returned to the top of the Ivy League in 2022, winning 17 Ivy games for its most since 2008 and 27 games overall for its most since Van Ackeren's first season of 2013. Eight players earned All-Ivy League honors, with six on the first team