DALLAS – Liberty was selected as the 2023 preseason favorite in Conference USA by the league’s nine head coaches. New Mexico State senior forward
Loma McNeese was tabbed as the CUSA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while LA Tech’s
Josie Studer and Liberty’s
Bridie Herman were named Preseason Defensive Co-Players of the Year.
Liberty enters its debut season in CUSA after finishing as the ASUN runner-up in 2022. The Lady Flames finished with a 14-3-4 record and ended the season with a program-record 13-match unbeaten streak (10-0-3). Liberty returns all four players that were named United Soccer Coaches All-South Region (Herman,
Ainsley Leja, Rachel DeRuby, Saydie Holland). That quartet, along with sophomore forward Ivy Garner, made up the Lady Flames’ league-leading five selections on the preseason all-conference squad.
McNeese started all 21 games for the Aggies last season and scored a team-high 10 goals, the most in a single season by a NM State student-athlete since 2017. She added five assists and finished the year with 25 points, which tied for second in the program’s single-season history. McNeese was named First Team All-WAC and earned a spot on the All-WAC Tournament team.
Led by McNeese, NM State placed four individuals on the preseason all-league list. The Aggie contingent also included
Thalia Chaverria, who tragically passed away on July 10, 2023. The Bakersfield, Calif., native was about to begin her junior season and had started 37 games on the NMSU back line in her first two seasons.
A Second-Team All-Conference USA selection in 2022, Studer started the final 11 games of the season after missing the opening month of the season due to injury. She logged all but 15 minutes on the Bulldogs’ back line in conference play, helping the team to its most points (17) and highest seed (four) in CUSA action since 2018.
Herman started all 21 games a year ago and earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team recognition after helping the Lady Flames rank among the top-20 nationally in goals-against average (.613) and shutout percentage (.571). A First-Team All-ASUN honoree, she led the team in points with three game-winning goals and a team-high eight assists.
The league welcomes four new members – Jacksonville State, Liberty, NM State and Sam Houston – to bring the membership to nine schools, along with FIU, LA Tech, MTSU, UTEP and WKU. The top six teams will advance to the CUSA Championship, hosted by LA Tech from Nov. 1-5 in Ruston, La. The 2022 CUSA season kicks off Thursday, Aug. 18.
2023 CUSA Women’s Soccer Preseason Superlative Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Loma McNeese, NM State
Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Josie Studer, LA Tech
Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Bridie Herman, Liberty
2023 CUSA Women’s Soccer Preseason Team
| Pos. |
Name, School |
Year |
Hometown |
| GK |
Ainsley Leja, Liberty |
Jr. |
Rockford, Mich. |
| D |
Josie Studer, LA Tech |
Gr. |
Waxhaw, N.C. |
| D |
Bridie Herman, Liberty |
Gr. |
Springboro, Ohio |
| D |
Caroline Manley, MTSU |
Gr. |
Arlington, Tenn. |
| D |
Mya Hammack, NM State |
Jr. |
Aurora, Ore. |
| D |
Thalia Chaverria, NM State |
Jr. |
Bakersfield, Calif. |
| MF |
Rachel DeRuby, Liberty |
Sr. |
Oneida, N.Y. |
| MF |
Saydie Holland, Liberty |
Gr. |
Waverly, Tenn. |
| MF |
Bianca Chacon, NM State |
Jr. |
El Paso, Texas |
| MF |
Ambere Barnett, WKU |
Gr. |
Rockport, Ind. |
| F |
Nikole Solis, FIU |
Jr. |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
| F |
Flavie Dube, LA Tech |
So. |
Ottawa, Canada |
| F |
Ivy Garner, Liberty |
So. |
Hillsborough, N.C. |
| F |
Loma McNeese, NM State |
Sr. |
Sherwood, Ore. |
Predicted Order of Finish
| Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
Liberty (5) |
58 |
| 2. |
NM State (3) |
55 |
| 3. |
LA Tech (1) |
45 |
| 4. |
WKU |
43 |
| 5. |
FIU |
35 |
| 6. |
MTSU |
26 |
| 7. |
UTEP |
25 |
| 8. |
Sam Houston |
21 |
| 9. |
Jacksonville State |
16 |