Liberty University announced that midfielder Liz Bustillo and forward Ashlee Bucksar have been invited to compete in the 2026 Senior Nexus Championship (NXC) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The invitation marks a significant milestone for the program and underscores the players’ rising prominence on the national stage.
A Milestone for Liberty Field Hockey
Bustillo, a senior entering her second season at Liberty, will be making her fourth appearance at an NXC Championship event, having previously participated in the U‑21 Junior Nexus Championship last year.
Bucksar, a redshirt junior who spent the 2025 season at the University of Delaware before returning to Liberty, will be making her debut at the Nexus Championship. She previously earned a spot on the Lady Flames roster in 2023 and 2024.
The Senior NXC, formerly known as the Young Women’s National Championship, draws 144 elite collegiate and post‑collegiate athletes from across the country. Participants are selected after training at one of the seven USA Field Hockey High Performance Centers, making the event a critical evaluation point for national team prospects.
Beyond the tournament itself, the Senior NXC serves as a selection pipeline for the 2026‑27 Junior USWNT Selection Camps, the U.S. Women’s National Development Squad, and ultimately the senior U.S. Women’s National Team. Athletes who previously earned caps on the U‑18 and U‑21 national teams were automatically included in the selection pool.
Selection Pathways and National Teams
The upcoming championship will also feature a contingent of U‑21 USWNT athletes competing in a Four Nations Tournament in England from July 8‑15, highlighting the international scope of the selection process.
Both players expressed excitement about testing themselves against the nation’s best and about contributing to Liberty’s growing legacy in field hockey.