As one of North Carolina’s most decorated midfielders in school history, Ally Mastroianni is used to going coast to coast.

Now, as the first announced member of the California Palms, one of the four inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League teams, the New Jersey native is putting a more literal spin on the saying.

“I spend a lot of time out west,” Mastroianni said in a Dec. 10 team post. “Growing the game in California, it’s definitely one of my favorite places to go, so I’m really excited to represent the West, represent California and give them a team to root for.”

Mastroianni and the Palms will debut at the 2025 Lexus Championship Series at The St. James in Springfield, Va., from Feb. 11-17. There, they’ll face Charlotte North and the Boston Guard, Alex Aust Holman and the Maryland Charm and Izzy Scane and the New York Charging in the Sixes-style round-robin tournament.

Nurturing the game where dreams are boundless. @whirlpoolusa pic.twitter.com/BOrj3NIQy9

— California Palms (@wllpalms) December 10, 2024

Mastroianni graduated from UNC in 2022 as the program’s career leader in draw controls (360). During her graduate season that year, she led the Tar Heels with a career-high 116 draw controls, surpassing her senior-year total of 112.

She put her offensive prowess on display in the 2022 national championship game, when she scored two goals in UNC’s 12-11 defeat of Boston College. Mastroianni helped the Tar Heels to a perfect 22-0 season.

Though the colorway changes, the championship goal remains.

“I’m feeling really proud to represent the West Coast,” Mastroianni said on “SportsCenter” on Dec. 10. “It’s amazing to see how much our sport has grown, and I’m very excited to bring California a team.”