IRVING, Texas – Memphis has been named the 2026 American Conference women’s soccer preseason favorite, as voted on by the league’s head coaches.

The Tigers, winners of three of the last five American Championships (2021-23), earned a maximum 10 first-place votes and 100 total points to be named the 2026 conference favorite. Defending American tournament champion UTSA checked in with 80 total points in second place, Rice rounded out the top three with 73 points in third place, and South Florida was selected fourth with 71 points and one first-place vote. Tulsa was fifth with 63 points, followed by Charlotte (58 points), East Carolina (52), UAB (45), North Texas (28), Florida Atlantic (25) and Temple (10). Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

The American also announced the 2026 conference women’s soccer watch list, as selected by the conference’s head coaches. The watch list includes four league individual postseason award winners from 2025, including Finley Lavin of Memphis (Defensive Player of the Year), Memphis’ Ai Kitagawa (Midfielder of the Year) and Ellis Kelly from Memphis and Jadyn Jaeger from Rice (Freshmen of the Year).

On the watch list from the 2025 American All-Conference First Team includes Kitagawa and Lavin from Memphis and UAB’s Laila Stewart. Returning all-conference second team members on this year’s watch list include UAB’s Avery Berryman, Charlotte’s Evie Craven, East Carolina’s Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram and Isabella Gutierrez, North Texas’ Mia Bernard, South Florida’s Yui Suetsugu, UTSA’s Jasmine Kessler and Tulsa’s Blaine Schutte. Last season’s all-conference third team choices on the 2026 watch list are UAB’s Ava Mills, Charlotte’s Harlee Head, Florida Atlantic’s Hailey Santiago and Rice’s Lilly Reuscher.

The 2026 American Women’s Soccer Championship will be held November 8-14 at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

2026 American Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

1	Memphis (10)	100
2	UTSA	80
3	Rice	73
4	South Florida (1)	71
5	Tulsa	63
6	Charlotte	58
7	East Carolina	52
8	UAB	45
9	North Texas	28
10	Florida Atlantic	25
11	Temple	10

Note: First-place votes denoted in parenthesis

2026 American Conference Women’s Soccer Watch List
Avery Berryman, Sr., F, UAB
Ava Mills, Sr., D, UAB
Lailah Stewart, Sr., F, UAB
Evie Craven, Sr., F, Charlotte
Harlee Head, 5th, GK, Charlotte
Rachel Logue, 5th, D, Charlotte
Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram, Jr., F, East Carolina
Isabella Gutierrez, 5th, M, East Carolina
AJ Mayock, Jr., M, East Carolina
Isabel Bostic, So., M, Florida Atlantic
Sydney Neira, R-Jr., D, Florida Atlantic
Hailey Santiago, Jr., F, Florida Atlantic
Ellis Kelly, So., F, Memphis
Ai Kitagawa, Jr., M, Memphis
Finley Lavin, Sr., D, Memphis
Mia Bernard, Sr., M, North Texas
Claire Niedermeier, Jr., F, North Texas
Sarah Margaret Seabrook, 5th, GK, North Texas
Jadyn Jaeger, So., D, Rice
Lilly Reuscher, Jr., D, Rice
Dayo Tennyson, Jr., F, Rice
Sophia Cabral, Jr., F, South Florida
Brooke Fabri, Jr., M, South Florida
Yui Suetsugu, Sr., M/F, South Florida
Giovanna Echavarria, Fr., M, Temple
Amaya Hill, 5th, F, Temple
Maddie Ward, So., M, Temple
Brooklyn Bailey, So., F, UTSA
Aaliyaiah Durden, R-Jr., D, UTSA
Jasmine Kessler, Sr., GK, UTSA
Addison Castleberry, So., F, Tulsa
Blaine Schutte, Jr., F, Tulsa
Kaylyn Simmons, R-Jr., F, Tulsa