The VMI women's soccer team opened its 2026 campaign at home with a 1-0 defeat to Longwood, a result that dropped the Keydets to an 0-4 start to the season.
Longwood edged ahead early in the second half, finishing with a 16-12 advantage in shots and a 5-2 edge in corner kicks. The decisive goal arrived at the 50:13 mark when Bailey Altizer’s cross from Sarah Olson found the back of the net, sealing a 1-0 victory for the Lancers.
Goalkeeping Heroics
Maren Ryberg was busy between the posts for VMI, making seven saves, while Longwood’s Brynn Clagett recorded a single stop to preserve the clean sheet.
Offensively, VMI’s Isabella Franco led her side with four attempts, and Nixon Carpenter added two shots, but the Lancers’ Taylor Martin and Phoebe Ganion each topped the shot chart with three tries.
Despite the narrow loss, the Keydets showed resilience in set‑piece situations and will look to translate their corner‑kick superiority into more scoring chances in the weeks ahead.