DALLAS – Two-time defending CUSA regular season and tournament champion Liberty has been voted by the league’s head coaches as the favorite to repeat as league champions, the league announced Thursday along with the preseason all-conference team.
The Lady Flames received 11 of a possible 12 first-place votes, earned 142 total points in the poll and landed a league-high four players on the preseason all-conference team, including reigning CUSA Newcomer of the Year
Savanah Whatley. LA Tech came in second in the predicted order of finish with 121 points and is led by Preseason Player of the Year
Reagan Marchant and Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Allie Floyd.
In her first season with the Bulldogs, Marchant was tabbed First-Team All-CUSA after she started 55 games and batted .313 with 50 hits, 18 home runs, 11 doubles, one triple, 53 RBI, and 33 runs scored. She broke the LA Tech single-season home run record with 18 home runs and became just the third player in program history to record 50+ hits and 50+ RBI in a single-season. Marchant registered 11 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI games.
A two-time All-CUSA honoree, Floyd earned First-Team recognition last season after she led CUSA in wins (22), strikeouts (182), innings pitched (204.0), appearances (41) and complete games (18). She finished the season 22-13 in the circle with a 2.78 ERA after appearing in 41 games with 28 starts. Floyd became the first LA Tech pitcher to ever win 13 CUSA contests and the first to record 150+ strikeouts in a single season since 2011.
Coming off an appearance in the CUSA Softball Championship title game, Jax State (110) edged out WKU (105) for the No. 3 spot in the preseason poll. Sam Houston (86) was voted to the No. 5 spot, followed by newcomer Delaware (79), FIU (72), NM State (65) and MTSU (42). Additional newcomer Missouri State and UTEP tied for the 10
th spot with 42 points apiece, while Kennesaw State (17) rounded out the predicted order of finish.
The preseason all-conference team includes eight returning First Team All-CUSA honorees in Whatley, Marchant, Floyd,
Savannah Jessee (Liberty),
Ansley Blevins (MTSU),
Jana Want (MTSU),
Emma Elrod (Jax State) and
Abigail Young (Sam Houston).
FIU, Jax State, LA Tech and MTSU each earned two spots on the preseason all-league squad, while Delaware, NM State and Sam Houston each landed one student-athlete on the team.
The 2026 Conference USA season begins Thursday, February 5, and the 2026 CUSA Softball Championship will be May 6-9 in Newark, Del.
2026 CUSA Softball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. |
Liberty (11) |
142 |
| 2. |
LA Tech |
121 |
| 3. |
Jax State |
110 |
| 4. |
WKU (1) |
105 |
| 5. |
Sam Houston |
86 |
| 6. |
Delaware |
79 |
| 7. |
FIU |
72 |
| 8. |
NM State |
65 |
| 9. |
MTSU |
55 |
| t10. |
Missouri State |
42 |
| t10. |
UTEP |
42 |
| 12. |
Kennesaw State |
17 |
CUSA Softball Preseason Player of the Year
Reagan Marchant, LA Tech
CUSA Softball Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Allie Floyd, LA Tech
CUSA Softball Preseason All-Conference Team
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Ansley Blevins, MTSU* |
Sr. |
C |
Jasper, Tenn. |
| Savannah Jessee, Liberty* |
R-Jr. |
C |
Jonesborough, Tenn. |
| Sydney Shaffer, Delaware |
Sr. |
DP/UT |
Ashland, Va. |
| Paige Miller, FIU* |
Jr. |
IF |
Kaukauna, Wis. |
| Kailey Martin, Jax State* |
So. |
IF |
Marietta, Ga. |
| Savanah Whatley, Liberty* |
R-Sr. |
IF |
Oakley, Calif. |
| Reagan Marchant, LA Tech* |
R-Jr. |
IF |
Hilton Head, S.C. |
| Jana Want, MTSU* |
So. |
IF |
Stoney Creek, Ontario |
| Kally Meredith, FIU* |
Jr. |
OF |
Kaukauna, Wis. |
| Emma Elrod, Jax State* |
Jr. |
OF |
Newnan, Ga. |
| Paige Doerr, Liberty |
Jr. |
OF |
Coburg, Ore. |
| Devin Elam, NM State |
Sr. |
OF |
Long Beach, Calif. |
| Kaylan Yoder, Liberty* |
Jr. |
P |
Greenwood, Del. |
| Allie Floyd, LA Tech* |
Sr. |
P |
East Bernard, Texas |
| Abigail Young, Sam Houston* |
Jr. |
P |
Decatur, Texas |
* - 2025 All-CUSA selection