DALLAS - The 2026 CUSA Women's Soccer campaign kicks off on Wednesday, August 12 with five squads in action with the other five beginning non-conference play on Thursday and Saturday. CUSA league played from Sept. 26-Nov.1. The top eight teams will compete in the 2026 CUSA Women's Soccer Championship in Newark, Del. from Nov. 8-13.
FAMILIAR FACES
The Blue Hens head into year two in CUSA with a multitude of student-athletes returning for the 2026 campaign. UD returns 20 players from the 2025 roster. They accounted for 87 percent of the program’s minutes played, 85 percent of the team’s assists and 80 percent of the goals scored.
IN-STATE BATTLES
FIU welcomes 19 new players to the program with 12 of those being freshmen. The Panthers will lean on a young core as they are set to open the brand new season with cross-town rival Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, August 12, and the defending National Champions No. 4 Florida State on Sunday, August 16.
RELOADED ROSTER
The Gamecocks are set for a bounce back year in CUSA play under second year head coach Corey Smith. Jax State brings back 16 returners with 13 transfers. Of those 13, seven of them come from other DI institutions. Amelia Jacobs returns after leading the squad in goals scored a season ago.
VETS IN NET
Kennesaw State will begin the 2026 season with a bang, going up against the No. 21-ranked Memphis Tigers on the road. The Owls return goalkeepers Charlee Bernal and Sara Hill in 2026. Bernal is entering year five at KSU and sits sixth in program history with 139 saves. Hill finished third among CUSA keepers in save percentage last year at an .816 clip.
TITLE DEFENSE
After claiming its second CUSA title in three years, Liberty eyes another with hopes of making a run in the NCAA Tournament. Halle Engle was selected as the league’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while her teammate Lauren Littleton received Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Flames will face a tough non-conference slate with matchups against Virginia, Virginia Tech, Pitt, JMU and Old Dominion before facing WKU in the CUSA opener.
BUILDING ON A BREAKTHROUGH
MTSU is coming off its best record (11-6-3) and highest win total since 2012 and best since joining the league back in 2013. The roster sees 14 returners, five transfers and 12 freshmen take the field. Head coach Aston Rhoden retained both starting keepers in Demi Gronauer and Ella Sellers who combined for nine clean sheets in 2025.
DEFENSIVE STANDARD
The Bears enter their second season in the league after an incredible showing in the CUSA Tournament in 2025, making a title match appearance as the 8-seed. Mo State has compiled a 44-23-14 overall mark and 41 shutouts over the past four seasons under Kirk Nelson and his staff. The Bears’ defensive consistency has been a defining characteristic of the program during that stretch.
READY TO RESPOND
NM State looks to bounce back from a down season in 2025 and get back to the top of the league standings. Rob Baarts is entering year eight for the Aggies and has yet again put together a testy non-conference slate with matches that include Arizona, Arizona State and USC.
EARLY ROAD TEST
After a successful year one for Kendall Ayers in Huntsville, she looks to build upon a 3rd place finish in the regular season. The Bearkats open the regular season with four straight road matches, including Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Sophomore Ellie Morgan was a member of the Preseason All-CUSA squad after making an immediate impact for the club as a freshman last year.
RAISING THE BAR
WKU looks to continue the 2025 success into 2026 after a historic year going 6-0-2 in league play and winning a share of the regular season title. Reigning Coach of the Year Jason Neidell leads a strong core with three Preseason All-CUSA selections Makenna Egan, Georgia Liapis and Abby Wiedermann. Egan was last year’s Freshman of the Year after scoring five goals and notching four assists. Liapis was named Midfielder of the Year after a career-best nine goals. Wiedermann will lead the back line after being a First-Team selection in 2025.