Rina Ogimoto, a senior midfielder for the UNC Greensboro women’s soccer program, has been named to the 2026 Southern Conference Preseason All-Conference Team, a distinction chosen by league coaches ahead of the upcoming season.
Her selection follows a 2025 campaign in which she topped the Spartans with 14 points and six goals, adding two assists and three penalty goals that topped the conference, while logging 1,465 minutes across 19 appearances after transferring from Pacific and Arizona Western.
The Spartans concluded the previous season with a 4‑12‑3 overall record and a 2‑4‑3 mark in league play, yet they managed to score 22 goals – the most since the 2022 campaign – and recorded five shutouts, a performance that helped them climb to seventh in the 2026 SoCon Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 43 points.
Samford earned the preseason poll’s top spot with ten first‑place votes, while Furman and East Tennessee State shared second‑place votes, setting the stage for a competitive conference slate.
Season Opener and Schedule
UNC Greensboro will open the 2026 regular season on the road, traveling to face High Point on August 13 before hosting East Carolina on August 16, with all home games offering free admission for fans.
The team’s schedule also includes a non‑conference matchup against VMI, a 3‑0 victory in the 2025 SoCon Tournament before falling to Western Carolina in the quarterfinals, providing an early benchmark for the Spartans.
Coach’s confidence in Ogimoto’s leadership is evident, as her experience and ability to find the back of the net are expected to be pivotal as the squad aims to improve on last year’s seventh‑place preseason ranking.
With a blend of veteran presence and fresh talent, the Spartans hope to translate their offensive surge into more wins and a deeper run in the conference tournament as the new season unfolds.