Meet the staff

Having grown up in Southern California, Tess picked up her first lacrosse stick in the 5th grade. There, she found her love and appreciation for the sport—something that would stick with her for a lifetime. She started out in various recreational leagues and worked her way into the travel club scene. After four years on Varsity at Mater Dei High School, Tess played as an attacker on the DI Women’s Lacrosse team at ASU. She graduated with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. 

Tess has coached for years with experience in youth and high school levels across Southern California and Arizona. She loves supporting the growth of the sport, especially in non-traditional areas. In her opinion, the best part about coaching is sharing her love for the sport with the next generation of athletes.

Coach Jagen, an Arizona native and a former Higley High School student, discovered her love for lacrosse after relocating to the Kansas City area at the start of her junior year. She showcased her talent at Olathe Northwest High School, playing midfield and excelling in taking draws for two years. Recognized for her leadership, she was named team captain in her senior year and has maintained her passion for the game ever since. Jagen continued to play recreationally throughout her college years, where she met her husband.

Professionally, Coach Jagen is the Director of Customer Experience at Olive Ave Jewelry, an online fine jewelry company. Her role has cultivated a deep-seated passion for building successful teams and fostering meaningful connections. This passion inspired her to coach the Higley Girls Lacrosse JV Team for the 2023-2024 season. She eagerly looks forward to continuing her journey with the varsity team for the 2024-2025 season, driven by the dedication, strength, and passion of each player.

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Coach Amelia began her lacrosse career in 8^th grade with Desert Stix, led by Coach Whit. In the Spring of 2019, as a Freshman, Amelia joined the newly formed Higley High School Girls Lacrosse team. She was deeply honored to play Attack and win the D2 State Championship alongside the undefeated Lady Knights during her Junior year and become the runners up of the D1 State Championship during her Senior Year. Amelia primarily played the Attack position throughout her high school years and loved the strategy and technique of the position. In 2023, she became a volunteer coach for Higley Girls Lacrosse and enjoyed being back on the field and teaching the game of lacrosse. Amelia is currently finishing up a dual associate degree for General Business and Organizational Management at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and teaches mixed martial arts at M3 Martials Arts Academy as a 3^rd degree black belt. She is very excited to be serving as an JV Head Coach for the 2025 Higley Girls Lacrosse season.

Rosie Davis is from Bowie, Maryland. She played Division 1 lacrosse as an attacker for four years at Arizona State University and graduated with a degree in sports journalism. Rosie has been playing lacrosse since she was 10 years old and has five years of coaching experience.

Coach Lindsey Spies is the varsity assistant coach for the Higley High School girls' lacrosse team, specializing in goalie training and defensive coaching. Originally from Pasadena, Maryland, she moved to Arizona in 2019. She graduated from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Business and was a member of Barrett, The Honors College. As a former goalie for the ASU women’s lacrosse team, Coach Spies has used her academic and athletic experience to shape her professional career. Focused on fostering leadership, teamwork, and personal growth, Coach Spies looks forward to inspiring her players, sharing valuable skills, and helping grow the sport of lacrosse within the community.

Coach Stephanie’s lacrosse journey began in 8th grade with the Aztec Kyrene Girls Lacrosse Program. She continued her passion for the sport at Corona del Sol High School, where she played midfield for the newly reformed girls’ lacrosse team. Starting as a junior varsity program in her freshman year, the team expanded to include both JV and varsity levels by her sophomore year. Stephanie’s leadership skills shone as she was named captain during her senior year.  

After high school, Stephanie attended the University of Arizona, where she pursued degrees in physiology and psychology. While at UofA, she played for the Women’s Club Lacrosse Team and served as the club’s president, contributing to the team’s growth and success. During her sophomore year, she also began coaching the Oro Valley Girls High School Lacrosse Team, sharing her knowledge and love for the game with the next generation of players.  

Stephanie graduated from UofA in the spring of 2024 and is currently applying to medical schools. During her gap year, she is dedicated to growing the game of lacrosse and inspiring players to develop the same passion for the sport that has shaped her journey.

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Coach Whit is originally from Arkansas and moved to Delaware at the age of 10 where she discovered lacrosse. She went on to play collegiately at Lindenwood University (where she served as a team captain both her freshman and sophomore years), and then later at the University of Arkansas where she founded the first women’s collegiate lacrosse club in the state. Arkansas made their first appearance to the CPWLL playoffs just 7 months afterwards, and Whitney was selected as a US Lacrosse/IWLCA All-American Midfielder, CPWLL’s Most Valuable Midfielder, CPWLL’s First Team All-League, CPWLL’s First Team All-Conference and Arkansas’s Most Valuable Offender and Midfielder.

Whitney then served as the Head Coach at the University of Arkansas for two more years until she left to become the Head Coach and Founder of Thiel College's DIII program in Greenville, PA. Whit eventually made her way to Arizona where she continued her coaching career as Head Coach at Gilbert High School for 3 years and the Desert Heat and Desert STIX lacrosse organizations for 4 years.

Coach Whit founded the Higley High School girls lacrosse program in the fall of 2019, leading the program to a D2 State Championship in just its third season and a subsequent D1 State Championship appearance where they finished as the runner up. Coach Whit and the Knights made yet another appearance in the D1 State Championship in 2023 and finished with a victory earning them their first D1 State Championship title. The Knights have now made the finals the last four seasons in a row and are gunning for another appearance in 2025.

Whitney has thoroughly enjoyed watching her amazing student-athletes grow and evolve into incredible human beings on and off the field.

Coach Whit has recently retired from coaching Higley Girls Lacrosse but is excited to continue to watch and support the development of the Higley program.