BELLEVILLE, Ill. – The W women's soccer team has been picked eighth in the 2026 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) preseason coaches' poll, it has been announced. 

Spalding University edged out the rest of the field in the Poll. The Golden Eagles collected 60 total points, including six first-place votes. Head Coach Jordan Vejar returns seven starters from last year's tournament champions, including four All-Conference performers. Midfielders Madison Dziedzic and Clara Creg will look to control the flow of the game while standout defender Claira Andrews will anchor the backline. Karolyn Lighthall will look for a larger role after the graduation of Player of the Year and the league's leading scorer Emma Livingston. Other key returners are Anna Graves, Maddie Campbell, and Alyssa Ochsner. 

Greenville University placed 2nd in the voting with 56 points and two first-place votes. Head Coach Jeff Wardlaw guided the Panthers to an 11-7-2 overall record but must replace the majority of last year's regular-season championship team with just two returning starters. Center back Brady Unger leads the way after earning All-Conference honors last season. Peyton Turner joins Unger on the backline. Forward Kylie Petroski put up 9 goals and 2 assists last season and will be a focal point of the attack. Maddie Cook and Avery Rahden get their chance to step into the starting lineup after combining for 4 goals and 6 assists off the bench last season. 

Webster University finished 3rd on the poll with 52 points and received the one remaining first-place vote. Head Coach Luigi Scire returns six starters from a squad that finished 14-5 overall last season. All-Conference performers Mia Smith and Malaya Blakely give the Gorloks one of the more dangerous combos in the league. Smith finished with 9 goals and 10 assists while Blakely tallied 8 goals and 10 assists. Jasmine Hubbard earned All-Conference honors last season and partners with Isabelle Schumacher on the backline. Riley Cappozzo started 18 games last year, recording 1 goal and 3 assists from her midfield spot. 

Westminster College finished 4th with 44 points. The Blue Jays were 8-7-2 overall last season and head coach Courtney Howe returns seven starters. A trio of All-Conference players will be the core group for the Blue Jays. Shea Nortrup will lead the defense while Molly Angell put up 3 goals and 2 assists from her midfield spot and Addi Curtis tallied 4 goals. Fiona Shelp, who scored a team-high 6 goals, will partner with Curtis as the team's top attackers. Emma Fontenot and Allie Auer are also back, giving the team plenty of experience in the starting lineup. A pair of transfers in Olivia Gibson and Adamaris Ramirez will compete for minutes while freshmen Harper Burdick, Addie Greenwood, Sam Diebel, and Dannica Little are faces to keep an eye on.

Coming in 5th on the poll was Principia College with 34 points. Head Coach Samuel Thomas returns nine starters from a team that was 5-7-2 one year ago. He is looking for his senior-heavy roster to build on its success which has increased its overall win total in each of the last two years. Makayla Kurtz tops the list of returners after putting together an All-Conference performer season last year. She is joined by fellow defender Sana Udoekong. Midfielder Kiara Smith recorded 1 goal and 2 assists while Dachelle Carter led the team with 5 goals. A trio of transfers will play large roles: Isabella Brancati, Julia Fillat, and Stella Cathie.

Lyon College tallied 31 points, placing them 6th. The Scots went 3-9-3 one year ago and return seven starters. All-Conference midfielder Katelyn Balderas leads the list of returners. Also back for the Scots are Jessica Steele, Lauren Couture, and Jasmine Goodrum. Head Coach Marc Neddo is excited about newcomers Alli Barnes and Michelle Espinoza. 

Blackburn College picked up 19 points, putting them 7th. The Beavers are coached by Chris Anzalone and finished last year 3-11-2 overall. A group of seven starters will mix with a number of transfers and freshmen to continue the program's build. Goalie Emma Zaidle stopped 86 shots last year while finishing with a 2.76 goals-against average. Midfielder Cristina Zelaya tallied 1 goal and 2 assists last season while Paige Schmelzer started all 17 games on the backline. Two of the transfers that will be counted on to play valuable minutes are Shelbie Hall-Wright and Dayanara Barajas while freshman Caitlyn Lashley could also be a factor.

Finishing 8th on the poll was MUW with 17 points. First-year head coach Valerie Greer takes over a program that was just 1-13-4 last season. However, she will step into a program with experience, looking to add to its competitiveness. Cam Lopez led the league with 122 saves last season and finished with a 2.50 goals-against average. Avery Bartlett and Abby Warchus started every game they played in last year and will lead the field players. Reagan Shinn is one of the new faces to watch for the Owls.

Eureka College rounded out the voting with 11 total points. Roberto Bucio is in his first year at the helm of the program. He steps into a team with five returning starters that finished 4-10-2 overall last season. Addison Byers led the team in scoring last year with 5 goals and 3 assists, collecting two game-winning goals. Defender Ryann Webster started 16 of 17 games last year and played the third most minutes on the team. Newcomer Olivia Saechao should play a key role for the Red Devils. 

2026 SLIAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Claira Andrews, Spalding University
Molly Angell, Westminster College
Katelyn Balderas, Lyon College
Malaya Blakely, Webster University
Clara Creg, Spalding University
Addi Curtis, Westminster College
Madison Dziedzic, Spalding University
Jasmine Hubbard, Webster University
Makayla Kurtz, Principia College
Karolyn Lighthall, Spalding University
Shea Nortrup, Westminster College
Mia Smith, Webster University
Brady Unger, Greenville University