DALLAS – The 2026 Conference USA women’s soccer superlative awards and all-conference team honorees were announced Friday leading up to the start of postseason play. 
 
Liberty’s fifth-year forward Halle Engle has earned the title of Player of the Year and was named First Team All-CUSA following an impressive regular season. Engle led the team with seven goals, 17 points and 3 assists, while starting in all 18 games for the Lady Flames. She tallied five game-winning goals, which ties for the conference lead, and ranks among the top-10 active Division I athletes with 13 career game-winning goals. Engle also recorded 29 shots on goal on 51 attempts. Last season, she earned Second Team All-Conference honors and helped Liberty to a conference championship.
 
The rest of the superlative winners are made up of Kennesaw State’s Anabel Orozco as both, Offensive Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, Liberty’s Lauren Littleton (Defensive Player of the Year), Ainsley Leja (Goalkeeper of the Year) and head coach Lang Wedemeyer (Coach of the Year) as well as MTSU’s Ania Denham (Freshman of the Year).
 
Orozco picked up two titles as well as a spot on the First Team All-Conference squad. The senior was a two-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Week recipient, making her the only player this season to receive the award multiple times.  She led the conference in shots (54), shots on goal (30), goals (9) and penalty kick goals (3), as well as ranking second in points (20). She is also ranked in the top 35 nationally in shots on goal and top 50 in shots per game. Orozco has the single game CUSA-high in shots and goals, with eight and two respectively. In the regular season, she recorded a six-game streak where she tallied at least one point, collecting a total of 16 points on seven goals and two assists during that stretch. Orozco claimed her spot in the program record book, documenting the most goals by an Owl since 2012.
 
Littleton makes it back-to-back years earning the Defensive Player of the Year title. Littleton commanded a No. 1 Liberty back line that allowed just a single goal in CUSA play and 10 goals in 18 games. The senior defender played over 1,400 minutes with 15 90-minute outings and earned one CUSA Defensive Player of the Week honor. She helped the Lady Flames’ defense hold their opponents to five shots and just two shots on goal or less in eight games this season. The squad’s defense also tied for the must shutouts in Division I with 12. Along with her work on the defensive front, Littleton added an assist and 12 shots on the season as well.
 
Honoring her work at the net, Leja was named Goalkeeper of the Year. The sixth year played in all 18 games for Liberty, allowing just a single goal in CUSA action and only seven total. She recorded over 1,400 minutes with 11 complete 90-minute outings. The team tied for most shutouts (12) in the country with Leja contributing in each clean sheet.  She recorded eight individual shutouts, including five in conference play, leading all CUSA goalkeepers. Leja ended the season with career-best averages at 0.45 goals against average and a .868 save percentage. She ranks 2^nd in Division I with a career 0.63 GAA and 3^rd with 29 shutouts. She also picked up a CUSA Goalkeeper of the Week honor in the regular season and has been named First Team All-Conference.
 
Denham was named Freshman of the Year after a spectacular freshman season where she started in 18 games for 1,290 minutes and led MTSU in both goals and points. The forward’s nine goals and 21 points both outright lead CUSA and her three assists are tied for fourth in the conference. Her five game-winning goals are tied for first, while she ranks tied for fifth and third in shots and shots on target, respectively. Nationally, Denham’s nine goals rank third most nationally, and her 21 points rank tied for sixth among freshmen. Her 5 game-winners tie her for second among freshmen and seventh nationwide. As the leading contributor for CUSA’s second-highest scoring offense, Denham scored or assisted a goal in six consecutive matches for the Blue Raiders between Sept. 6 and Oct. 1. That streak included one goal against 2026 regular season champions, Liberty. Her efforts also earned her a spot on the First Team All-Conference squad.
 
Earning Coach of the Year honors, Wedemeyer led No. 1 Liberty to the 2026 CUSA Regular Season Championship for the third straight season with a 14-2-2 (7-0-1 CUSA) record. The Lady Flames recorded an 11-game winning streak (Aug. 30-Oct. 22) and closed the regular season with a 13-game unbeaten streak (12-0-1). The team allowed just a single goal in CUSA action, recording six consecutive shutouts in CUSA play to close the regular season. Liberty leads Division I with the most shutouts this season at 12. Over the regular season, the Lady Flames secured six straight CUSA Defensive Player of the Week awards. They were able to hold their opponents to five shots and two shots on goal or less in eight games this season, going 8-0 in such games. Liberty also completed a perfect 9-0 season playing at home under Wedemeyer’s direction.
 
Joining the superlative winners as First Team All-Conference honorees include Delaware’s Maggie Groh, Gabby Riley and Calista Collins, MTSU’s Hannah Murphy and WKU’s Makenna Egan and Abby Wiedermann.
 
All awards are voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. The coaches also selected Second Team and Third Team All-Conference squads and an All-Freshman Team.
 
The 2026 CUSA Women’s Soccer Championship will kick off with four quarterfinal matches on Sun., Nov. 8, at Stuart & Suzanne Grant Stadium in Newark, Del. Semifinals will begin Tue., Nov. 10, followed by the CUSA championship game on Fri., November 13 starting at Noon ET. All matches of the league’s championship will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Player of the Year
Halle Engle, Liberty

Offensive Player of the Year
Anabel Orozco, Kennesaw State

Midfielder of the Year
Anabel Orozco, Kennesaw State

Defensive Player of the Year
Lauren Littleton, Liberty

Goalkeeper of the Year
Ainsley Leja, Liberty

Freshman of the Year
Ania Denham, MTSU

Coach of the Year
Lang Wedemeyer, Liberty

First Team All-Conference
F: Maggie Groh, Delaware
F: Halle Engle, Liberty
F: Ania Denham, MTSU
F: Makenna Egan, WKU
MF: Gabby Riley, Delaware
MF: Anabel Orozco, Kennesaw State
MF: Hannah Murphy, MTSU
D: Calista Collins, Delaware
D: Lauren Littleton, Liberty
D: Abby Wiedermann, WKU
GK: Ainsley Leja, Liberty

Second Team All-Conference
F: Adiat Olaogun-Dickson, Delaware
F: Mariana Barreto, FIU
F: Emma Reeder, Jax State
F: Danielle Lewin, WKU
MF: Avenley Monteith, Liberty
MF: Haley Noblit, Liberty
MF: Isabella Wedemeyer, Liberty
D: Madeline Oliver, FIU
D: Sallie Garner, Liberty
D: Avery Paulson, Liberty
GK: Mia Riddick, WKU

Third Team All-Conference
F: Taisiya Reid, Delaware
F: Margaret Garner, Liberty
F: Lillie Rasmussen, Missouri State
MF: Yuzu Tanida, FIU
MF: Ellie Neath, Missouri State
MF: Georgia Liapis, WKU
MF: Alyvia Walls, WKU
D: Maddyson Kerley, Liberty
D: Kendall Petoskey, Missouri State
D: Maggie Bellair, WKU
GK: Valery Restrepo, FIU

All-Freshman Team
Madeline Oliver, FIU
Yuzu Tanida, FIU
Nerina Waldhart, Jax State
Sian Kellier, Kennesaw State
Aaliyah McDiarmid, Kennesaw State
Audrey Heustis, Liberty
Ania Denham, MTSU
Filucca Daugaard, NM State
Zoey Gist, NM State
Tyler Roth, WKU
Raegan Thompson, WKU