Cavaliers Now

Connor Shellenberger and Cole Kastner Selected in 2024 PLL College Draft

Matt Newton

Two more Virginia men's lacrosse players are officially headed to the Premier Lacrosse League as attackman Connor Shellenberger and defenseman Cole Kastner each heard their names called on Tuesday night at the 2024 PLL College Draft. Shellenberger was picked No. 2 overall by the New York Atlas and Kastner was selected with the final pick of the draft, with a trade sending him to the California Redwoods.

Both players are reuniting with former Cavalier teammates, as Shellenberger reconnects with fellow UVA attackman Xander Dickson, while Kastner joins forces with Charlie Bertrand, Chris Merle, and Jared Conners, who was traded from the Archers to the Redwoods last week. All five players just mentioned were on Virginia's 2021 National Championship team.

Shellenberger is hoping to add another deep NCAA Tournament run and possibly another NCAA title to end his illustrious career at UVA this month, but he's already the program's all-time record holder in career assists (185) and points (310). He is likely to be among the finalists for the Tewaaraton Award for the third-consecutive season and could soon become the first Cavalier to ever be a four-time First-Team USILA All-American.

Virginia has had a first round draft pick in every PLL College Draft, as Shellenberger (2024) joins Thomas McConvey (2023), Matt Moore (2022), Jared Conners and Dox Aitken (2021), Michael Kraus (2020), and Ryan Conrad (2019). Shellenberger tied Conrad as UVA's highest PLL draft pick, as both players went No. 2 overall.

A regular starter on UVA's defensive line since coming on strong at the end of his freshman season in 2021, Cole Kastner has been one of the best defenders in college lacrosse for the last three years and a smothering presence on Virginia's 10-man ride. Kastner is a three-time All-ACC selection, soon to be three-time All-American, the 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and a nominee for the Tewaaraton Award this season.

Though his college lacrosse career will soon come to an end, Kastner will remain in the college ranks for one more season as he transfers to Stanford to revive his basketball career. The move allows the 6'7" Kastner, who excelled as a basketball player in high school, to return to his hometown of Palo Alto, California. With Kastner expected to play basketball for the Cardinal in the 2024-2025 season, his PLL debut likely won't come until the summer of 2025. When it does, Kastner will fittingly get to represent his home state of California in the professional lacrosse ranks as well.

In the six-year history of the PLL College Draft, Virginia has had 11 players drafted, including at least one first-round pick in every draft. UVA is the only college program with seven first-round PLL draft picks all-time.

Virginia Men's Lacrosse PLL College Draft History

2024
Connor Shellenberger: first round, No. 2 overall to the New York Atlas
Cole Kastner: fourth round, No. 32 overall to the California Redwoods

2023
Thomas McConvey: first round, No. 8 overall to the Waterdogs
Xander Dickson: second round, No. 11 overall to the Atlas
Petey LaSalla: second round, No. 14 overall to the Whipsnakes

2022
Matt Moore: first round, No. 4 overall to the Archers

2021
Jared Conners: first round, No. 5 overall to the Archers
Dox Aitken: first round, No. 8 overall to the Atlas
Charlie Bertrand: third round, No. 24 overall to the Redwoods

2020
Michael Kraus: first round, No. 3 overall to the Waterdogs

2019
Ryan Conrad: first round, No. 2 overall to the Atlas

Published
Matt Newton

MATT NEWTON

Managing Editor and Publisher, CavaliersNow Email: mattnewton@virginia.eduTwitter: @mattynewtssWebsite | LinkedIn | Instagram Matt Newton is the managing editor and publisher at CavaliersNow. He has been covering UVA athletics since 2019 and has been the managing editor at CavaliersNow since launching the site in August 2021. Matt covers all things UVA sports, including Virginia basketball and football news and recruiting, former Wahoos in the pros, and coverage of all 23 of the NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. A native of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Matt grew up a huge Philadelphia sports fan, but has also been a UVA sports fanatic his entire life thanks to his parents, who are alums of the University of Virginia. Matt followed in his parents' footsteps and attended UVA from 2017-2021, graduating with a degree in Media Studies and a minor in Economics in May of 2021.Â