Elon University Athletics

Beth Ellis Roberts will be entering her second season as the associate head coach and sixth overall on the Elon University lacrosse staff in 2022. She joined the Phoenix in June of 2016, serving as an assistant coach in her first four seasons.

Last season, Roberts helped guide the Phoenix to a 9-3 record, including a program-best 8-0 start to the season and the first-ever program victory against James Madison on March 7 (6-5). Over the course of the season, goalie Paulina DiFatta earned Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Week honors three times, while Mae McGlynn was tabbed the CAA Player of the Week twice and Quinn Daly was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week once. Margaret Stephan was also the conference rookie of the week selection for two weeks during the season. At the national level, DiFatta added Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Defensive Player of the Week honors on March 9 following Elon's upset against the Dukes. For their performances in the regular season, four Elon players earned all-conference honors: Sara Bouwman (second team), McGlynn (second team), Daly (second team) and Stephan (all-rookie team). The Phoenix eventually made it to the CAA Championship for the fifth consecutive season, but fell to Towson in the opening round. 

Directing Elon’s offensive attack during the 2017 campaign, the Phoenix eclipsed 200 goals in a season for the first time in program history with 221 tallies on the way to a 13-7 record with trips to the CAA Finals and the NCAA Tournament. Fifty-eight of those goals came from Stephanie Asher, who set a new program record while leading the CAA in the category. At season’s end, Asher was named First Team All-CAA for the second year in a row while being named the program’s first All-American by Inside Lacrosse. Earlier in the spring, she and Rachel Ramirez were named to the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List, becoming the first two Elon student-athletes named to the watch list for the sport’s highest honor in program history. 

On the field in 2017, Elon’s stellar offensive output helped the Phoenix collect victories over No. 13 Virginia (11-10), No. 19 Virginia Tech (13-12 OT) and No. 17 Towson (10-9 OT) in the CAA Semifinals. In all, the Phoenix tallied at least 15 goals on six occasions, topping out at 18 goals in the team’s commanding 18-4 win on the road at William & Mary. During conference action, the Phoenix earned five victories in a row to set a new program record. The run included wins over Drexel, Delaware, Hofstra, William & Mary and Towson.

Though Elon's 2018 record regressed to 4-11 against one of the toughest schedules in the country with nine nationally-ranked programs on the docket, Asher continued her successful career with a third-straight First Team All-CAA honor to go with a second-straight Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List honor. During the season, Elon battled NCAA Tournament teams Virginia, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Towson to go with national semifinalist North Carolina and national champion James Madison. In May, the program reached its third-straight CAA Tournament, but fell 9-7 to No. 6 Towson in the semifinals.

Elon rebounded in 2019 with six victories while facing some of the nation's best in Virginia, Duke, Florida and North Carolina at Rudd Field. The Phoenix reached its fourth-straight CAA Women's Lacrosse Championship but fell to ninth-ranked James Madison in the semifinals. Along the way, she helped guide Kaley Thompson to CAA Rookie of the Year honors while senior captain Shannon Horan was named a Second Team All-CAA honoree. 

In 2020, Roberts helped guide the Phoenix to a 3-2 (0-1 CAA) record on the season. During that time, two Elon players received weekly conference honors. Cassidy Creighton was named the CAA Rookie of the Week after the opening week of competition on Feb. 11, followed by Quinn Daly earning CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors on March 3.

Before arriving at Elon, Roberts worked at Durham Academy in Durham, N.C., for four years, where she taught physical education for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. She also coached girls varsity lacrosse, girls junior varsity field hockey and girls middle school basketball.

Along with coaching various lacrosse camps, Roberts served as the junior and senior head coach for the Carolina Fever Lacrosse Club in Cary, N.C., and the Grade 3 and Grade 4 team head coach for Fusion Lacrosse in Durham. 

Prior to DA, Roberts experienced a successful playing career at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., as a varsity women’s lacrosse athlete. While a defender for the Tar Heels, she made three Final Four appearances and advanced to the national championship in 2009. Off the field, Roberts was a member of the Carolina Leadership Academy as a CREED mentor and head of UNC’s women’s lacrosse team leadership committee, while also being named to the Deans List. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in exercise and sport science from UNC in May 2012.

A native of Bryn Mawr, Pa., the former Beth Ellis and her husband, Brandon, reside in Durham.