Academy of Notre Dame's Riley Davis becomes nation's top lacrosse recruit

RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- When Academy of Notre Dame midfielder Riley Davis opened Instagram one afternoon, she expected the usual scroll.

Instead, she found her name sitting at the very top of the rankings - the No. 1 lacrosse player in the country for the class of 2027.

"I called my mom right away and was like, 'This just happened,'" Davis said, still sounding a little stunned by the moment.

For Riley, the ranking wasn't just a pleasant surprise. It was the realization of a goal she had spoken into existence a year earlier.

"My goal, if I want to go out and play lacrosse, is to be the best recruit. I want to be No. 1," she said. "So I feel like that moment was really big for me."

Ironically, she shared that ambition with her mom while they were at an AAU basketball tournament - back when Riley was still deciding which sport would become her top priority.

Davis' rise isn't happening in a vacuum. She comes from a family where athletic excellence is the norm.

Her parents and siblings have all carved out their own impressive sports paths, creating an environment where competition, discipline, and humility are part of daily life.

"My coaches, my teammates - obviously I wouldn't be here without them," she said. "So I give a lot of credit to them and my family."

Her coaches say that foundation shows up in her maturity and poise.

"She's seen it," one coach explained. "Not just with her teammates but in her own household. She's able to draw on those experiences - how they handled the media, the attention, the pressure of everyone knowing who you are the moment you step on the field."

And if the spotlight ever feels too bright, her siblings are there to keep her grounded. Nothing humbles you quite like family.

She will play lacrosse at Penn State after she graduates from the Academy of Notre Dame.