IRVING, Texas — Memphis has been named the 2025 American Conference women’s soccer preseason favorite, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
The Tigers, winners of three of the last four American Championships (2021-23), earned six first-place votes and 96 total points to be named the favorite. South Florida was right behind in second place with 94 total points and four first-place votes. Rice was picked third with 76 points, while defending American champion East Carolina was selected fourth with 64 points and one first-place vote. North Texas was fifth with 63 points, followed by Tulsa (48 points), UAB (47), UTSA (38), Florida Atlantic (36), Charlotte (33) and Temple (10). Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
The American also announced the 2025 American Conference Women’s Soccer Watch List, as selected by the conference’s head coaches. The watch list includes all five league individual award winners from 2024, including Offensive Player of the Year Leah Chancey of Rice, Finley Lavin of Memphis (Defensive Player of the Year), South Florida’s Sadie Sider-Echenberg (Midfielder of the Year), Leire Herraez Gallach of South Florida (Goalkeeper of the Year) and Memphis’ Ai Kitagawa (Freshman of the Year).
On the watch list from the 2024 All-Conference First Team includes Chancey, Herraez Gallach, Lavin, Sider-Echenberg, Abbey Burns of UAB and Rachel Roebuck of North Texas. All-Conference Second Team members on this year’s watch list includes, Kitagawa, UAB’s Jette Zimmer and South Florida’s Gentiana Fetaj, while Third Team honorees include Juliana Viera of East Carolina, Michelle Horan of Florida Atlantic and Tulsa’s Blaine Schutte.
The 2025 American Women’s Soccer Championship will be held November 3-9 at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
2025 American Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
| 1 |
Memphis (6) |
96 |
| 2 |
South Florida (4) |
94 |
| 3 |
Rice |
76 |
| 4 |
East Carolina (1) |
64 |
| 5 |
North Texas |
63 |
| 6 |
Tulsa |
48 |
| 7 |
UAB |
47 |
| 8 |
UTSA |
38 |
| 9 |
Florida Atlantic |
36 |
| 10 |
Charlotte |
33 |
| 11 |
Temple |
10 |
Note: First-place votes denoted in parenthesis
2025 American Women’s Soccer Watch List
Abbey Burns, Sr., M, UAB
Louise Larsson, So., D, UAB
Jette Zimmer, Sr., F, UAB
Amelia Brown, Sr., M, Charlotte
Evie Craven, Jr., F, Charlotte
Laura Cate, Westerbeek, Sr., D, Charlotte
Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram, So., F, East Carolina
Isabella Gutierrez, Sr., M, East Carolina
Juliana Viera, Sr., F, East Carolina
Daniella Diaz, Sr., D, Florida Atlantic
Michelle Horan, Sr., F, Florida Atlantic
Morgan McDonald, Sr., M/F, Florida Atlantic
Ashley Henderson, Jr., F, Memphis
Ai Kitagawa, So., M, Memphis
Finley Lavin, Jr., D/M, Memphis
Mia Bernard, Jr., M, North Texas
Abi Major, Sr., D, North Texas
Rachel Roebuck, Gr., F/D, North Texas
Eileen Albers, Jr., M, Rice
Leah Chancey, Gr., M, Rice
Lilly Reuscher, So., D, Rice
Gentiana Fetaj, Sr., F/M, South Florida
Leire Herraez Gallach, Sr., GK, South Florida
Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Sr., M, South Florida
Shari Atkins, Jr., F, Temple
Valentina Bitterwolf, Fr., M, Temple
Teagan Harkins, Fr., F, Temple
Jasmine Kessler, Jr., GK, UTSA
Zoe May, Sr., M, UTSA
Michelle Polo, Jr., M, UTSA
Aniya Facen, So., F, Tulsa
Blaine Schutte, So., F, Tulsa
Kaylyn Simmons, R-So., F, Tulsa