Ava Galligan, the LSU Tigers’ senior forward, has been selected for the 2026 MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, a 77‑player roster that highlights the nation’s most elite returning women’s soccer talent.
A Season of Milestones
During the 2025 campaign she powered LSU to a 15‑6‑4 record, securing the program’s first Sweet Sixteen berth and a run to the SEC Championship match. Her 11 goals and four assists translated into 26 points, including six game‑winning strikes, earning her First Team All‑SEC, SEC All‑Tournament, and United Soccer Coaches All‑Southeast Region honors, as well as Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year.
In the opening four matches of the 2026 season she has started every game, contributing two goals and four points while firing 14 shots, one of which was a game‑winner in a 5‑0 victory over Northwestern State.
The Road to the Trophy
The Hermann Trophy, recognized as the premier individual award in Division I women’s soccer, will see its semifinalist list released on December 4, with three finalists to be chosen by head coaches before the winner is announced on January 8, 2027, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Galligan’s career totals of 13 goals and 30 points place her among the most dangerous attackers in the SEC, and her continued excellence reflects the program’s rising profile under head coach Dan Brooks.