Preseason Favorites and Award Winners
The Big South Conference has released its 2026 women’s soccer preseason poll, and High Point has emerged as the clear favorite, earning seven first‑place votes and a total of 76 points – the highest tally the program has received since 2021.
Coach Aaron McGuiness will guide a Panthers squad that returns seven starters and 17 members of the 2025 championship team, the same group that captured the conference title as the No. 4 seed.
Among the individual honors, Longwood’s Samantha Fischer was selected as Preseason Forward of the Year. The freshman forward also earned Freshman of the Year accolades and a spot on the First‑Team All‑Big South, having already scored three match‑winning goals in 2025, including a two‑goal effort against VMI on August 20.
High Point’s Kari Powell received Preseason Midfielder of the Year recognition. Powell started every game in 2025, logging the second‑most minutes on the field and completing a full 110 minutes in the championship match against USC Upstate.
Radford’s Caitlyn Nottingham was named Preseason Defender of the Year. The defender started all 20 games, contributed to six shutouts and amassed 1,216 minutes of play, earning Defensive Player of the Week honors for a career‑high 10 saves against USC Upstate.
Also from Radford, Lexi Radvanyi captured Goalkeeper of the Year after posting 51 saves, six shutouts and a 1.20 goals‑against average, highlighted by a career‑high 10‑save performance in a key matchup.
The 2026 season officially begins on August 12, with conference play slated to start on September 19. The top six teams will qualify for the championship series in November, promising a competitive finish to the year.