A tall, athletic two-way midfielder, Payge Merritt is another Navy prospect who fits the mold. She hails from Pennfield, New York, playing her high school lacrosse at Pennfield while representing Aces Elite on the club circuit. Strong on both ends of the field, she can match up one-on-one defensively or create with the ball and away from it. She reads defenders well, getting to the cage with well-timed slip cuts and backdoor cuts. A player with a ton of release points, she can quick-stick, throw a behind-the-back, or simply overpower with strength as an inside, off-ball finisher. She is a gritty one-on-one defender with great speed who does not lose a step securing ground balls off the turf. Merritt was one of three day-one commits for the Midshipmen on July 1. Look for her to be a dominant force in the midfield unit alongside some of the very classmates she is set to join in Annapolis in a few short seasons.