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Position Previews

Football 7/4/2025 2:30:00 PM Chatting with Brandon Bailey about his position group Story Links 2025 Football Season, Presented by Morris Bank As the dog days of summer roll on, GSEagles.com is sitting down with each of the 11 position coaches to discuss their room. Up next is defensive coordinator and safeties coach Brandon Bailey. Q: […]

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1 month ago

July 5, 2025

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7/4/2025 2:30:00 PM

Chatting with Brandon Bailey about his position group

As the dog days of summer roll on, GSEagles.com is sitting down with each of the 11 position coaches to discuss their room. Up next is defensive coordinator and safeties coach Brandon Bailey.

Q: Coach, what were your general takeaways from spring ball when it came to your safeties group?
BB: I was pleased overall. We had some new additions from the Portal and a few guys who had to step into bigger roles after we lost TJ Smith and Tyrell Davis, and with Mark Stampley II and Deontre Morris transferring. That meant a lot more reps for some guys, and they really embraced the challenge. They played fast and hard, and they showed up with the right mindset.

What I was most proud of, though, was how they attacked that bigger role. Whether it was getting in extra work with a position coach or just spending more time together as a group, they put in the effort. That kind of buy-in is what you need, and I think we’re in a good spot heading into fall camp.

Q: Which veterans really stood out this spring?
BB: I loved the way Justin Meyers practiced — consistent, high effort, locked in every day. Prince Green III, going into his third year here, made big strides. Devin Collier also took some nice steps forward. But the biggest surprise was Chris Crouch. He had a huge spring — flying around, making plays, and really carved out a role for himself on defense that hadn’t been there before. I’m excited to see what’s next for him.

Q: What about the newcomers? Who caught your eye?
BB: Jayden Davis, the transfer from Georgia Tech, is a big-time addition. He’s long, he can run, and he’s shown he can tackle in space. He came into a scheme that’s pretty similar to what he ran at Tech, so that helped his transition. He had a great spring, and we’re really excited about his potential.

Q: Who are your leaders?
BB: I think the needle immediately turns to Justin Meyers, no doubt. He’s earned his stripes — multi-year starter, battled through injuries, and just brings his hard hat and lunch pail every day. He’s not a loud guy, not one to scream or yell. But when he talks, people listen. He leads by example, and that goes a long way in our room.

Q: Any position battles you’re excited to watch unfold during preseason camp?
BB: Honestly, all of them. I think we’ve got five or six guys who can help us win football games, and that’s a great problem to have. The big challenge — and the fun part — will be figuring out how to get the best 11 on the field. We usually play two safeties, a nickel, and two corners, but if you’ve got three or four safeties playing at a high level, you’ve got to find creative ways to get them involved. There’s real depth in that room now, and the competition is going to be fierce. I’m excited to watch it play out.

Q: So from the safeties, what’s the top thing that you’ll be preaching that your group needs to do to help this team win
BB: Down the ball in open space. The number one quality of a great safety, I don’t care where you play or what scheme you play in, if you’re a third level defender then you have to be able to down the ball in open space. They call the position safety for a reason. You’ve got to do a lot of other things, but when everything goes wrong and maybe something spits out of there, if you’re playing a single high safety defense that just got to get the ball on the ground so you live to fight another day. So tackling in open space consistently is always the challenge.

Q: Final thoughts — when you look at the defense overall, with some veteran returners and new faces, how are you feeling heading into camp?
BB: We’re in a much better place than we’ve been before — year three in the system helps a lot. We did have some staff turnover with new coaches on the D-line and at linebacker, but we brought in guys who already knew the system. That made the transition smoother.

On the player side, we’ve got a good group of returners and some strong additions from both the Portal and high school recruiting. I think this might be the most athletic group we’ve had since I’ve been here, across the board — up front, at linebacker, and in the secondary.

What’s been most encouraging is how quickly the new guys have embraced our culture. When your head coach sets the tone the right way, new players come in and want to be part of it. If your culture’s broken, they’ll make it worse. But if it’s strong, and you recruit the right people, they’ll make it better. And that’s what we’re seeing with this group.

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The Big West Women’s Soccer Notebook: Opening Whistle Awaits Teams This Week

What 2 Watch 4 – The wait is over…our 2025 Big West women’s soccer season is here! All 11 squads are ready to take the pitch during an action-packed opening week. 2024 regular-season champion and preseason favorite Hawai’i wastes no time diving into a marquee matchup, heading to Southern California to battle rival Long […]

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11 minutes ago

August 14, 2025

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What 2 Watch 4

– The wait is over…our 2025 Big West women’s soccer season is here! All 11 squads are ready to take the pitch during an action-packed opening week.

2024 regular-season champion and preseason favorite Hawai’i wastes no time diving into a marquee matchup, heading to Southern California to battle rival Long Beach State in a non-conference contest on opening day. The Rainbow Wahine took the last meeting 1-0, with Tatum Porter’s late strike sealing the win in last year’s regular-season finale. From there, UH heads to face (RV) Pepperdine, while the Beach will test themselves against No. 19 Texas at George Allen Field.

The ranked showdowns continue when UC San Diego and Cal State Fullerton will each welcome (RV) California on Aug. 14 and Aug. 17, setting the stage for early-season statements. A new-look Cal Poly program takes on (RV) BYU on Monday, Aug. 18, for a primetime home opener at Mustang Memorial Field.

Defending conference champion UC Santa Barbara kicks off its season at Harder Stadium against LMU.

– A total of 15 matches are set to air live on ESPN+ this week. Please check the listings online below watch your favorite Big West squad in action!

2025 Big West Women’s Soccer Schedule

New Faces of The Big West

– The Big West welcomes a new crop of leaders around the conference during the 2025-26 season. A trio of programs has welcomed new head coaches with Cal State Bakersfield, UC Davis, and UC Riverside, while Cal Poly kept its hire within the league.

The Roadrunners welcome Whitney Pitalo, who most recently served as the First Assistant Coach at Boston College, aiding the Eagles to a 12-5-2 overall record and the team’s best finish in the American Coastal Conference (ACC) since 2018. CSUB earned its first pair of victories in the Big West Championship last season, before being narrowly edged in the Final in penalty kicks.

Kat Mertz joins the Aggies after orchestrating a program-changing run as head coach at NCAA Division II MSU Denver, posting a 39-20-19 overall record and a 28-12-8 mark in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) action over four seasons. UCD capped off 2024 with the best regular season record in the league at 13-5-2 and earned the No. 2 seed in the Championship behind a 6-2-2 performance in conference play.

Mike Dibbini will now be the new manager of the Highlander. Dibbini brings nearly two decades of collegiate head coaching experience to UC Riverside, boasting a career record of 303-176-52 (.619). Most recently, he built Kansas State University’s women’s soccer program from the ground up, leading the Wildcats since their 2016 debut and steering them to multiple milestones, including a Big 12 Championship appearance in 2022.

Bernardo Silva will now take the reins at Cal Poly, succeeding Alex Crozier, who led the Mustangs since the program’s inception in 1991. After leading CSUB for two seasons, he set multiple Big West program records and guided the Roadrunners to their best conference finish in history. A former Mustang assistant (2013-16), Silva compiled an 11-20-9 overall record and 6-8-6 Big West mark while coaching the ‘Runners.

2025 USCA Division I Players to Watch

– A total of four standout Big West student athletes have been chosen to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch list.

The listings are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to promote college soccer leading up to the official start date for the regular season later this month. Honorees include United Soccer Coaches All-Americans and All-Region players from 2024 who are scheduled to return for the 2025 season.

Isabella Cruz	Senior	Midfielder	Cal State Fullerton
Nalani Damacion	Sophomore	Midfielder	Hawai’i
Genavieve Fontes	R-Senior	Midfielder	UC Davis
Kennedy Justin	Sophomore	Goalkeeper	Hawai’i

Superwoman

– Isabella Cruz of Cal State Fullerton has been selected as one of The Big West’s pair of 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year conference nominees.

Each year, NCAA member schools nominate graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves on and off the field of play. From there, the NCAA Woman of the Year selection process narrows the pool to the Top 30 honorees—10 from each division—before selecting three finalists from each division. The award recipient is chosen by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics and honored at the NCAA Convention.

A second-generation Latina and standout student-athlete, Cruz has exemplified excellence both on and off the field. She completed her bachelor’s degree in communications in just 2.5 years, graduating summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in professional communications while competing in her final season of NCAA eligibility. As a team captain for the CSUF women’s soccer program, she has led with integrity, building a team culture centered on inclusivity, support, and growth.

Beyond athletics, she serves as her team’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), advocating for the student-athlete experience across campus. Her commitment to service is evident through her volunteer work with Football for Her, campus engagement efforts like promoting voter participation, and community-driven initiatives such as food drives and holiday gift collections.

In addition to her academic and service contributions, Cruz has gained hands-on experience in sports marketing as an intern with Orange County Soccer Club, and currently serves as the social media manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), using digital storytelling to foster connection and purpose.

International Action

– Cal State Bakersfield senior Catalina Roggerone has once again been called up to the Argentina Women’s National Team, making the midfielder’s second appearance in 2025. The Mendoza, Argentina native helped the squad reach the semifinals and secure a podium finish, placing third overall in a major international tournament.

Preseason Prognostics

-Hawai’i has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2025 Big West women’s soccer title, as voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches. Four teams received at least one first-place vote on the preseason poll.

The Rainbow Wahine, who finished 12-8-1 overall with an 8-1-1 record in conference play last season, earned 88 points and six first-place votes to claim the top spot after earning their first-ever Big West regular-season championship.

Defending tournament champion UC Santa Barbara (8-6-9, 4-2-4 BW) ranks second with 84 points and three first-place selections, followed closely by UC Irvine (6-7-6, 4-2-4 BW) with 81 points and one first-place nod. Long Beach State (6-9-3, 3-5-2 BW) collected 74 points and a first-place vote to land in fourth, while Cal State Fullerton sits just behind in fifth at 73 points.

Cal Poly (5-11-3, 3-6-1) finished sixth in the voting at 53 points, followed by UC San Diego (3-12-4, 1-6-3 BQ) in seventh with 42 points, and UC Davis’s (13-5-2, 6-2-2 BW) 37 points placed the Aggies in eighth. Cal State Bakersfield (8-10-5, 4-3-3 BW) and CSUN (5-11-3, 3-4-3 BW) are knotted at No. 9 with 27 points as UC Riverside (2-13-4, 0-6-4 BW) rounds out the 2025 preseason coaches’ poll.

Coaches also voted on an 11-member Preseason All-Big West Team featuring standout student-athletes from across the conference. Cal State Fullerton and Hawai’i led the way with both squads having a pair of representatives on the team.

The Big West unveiled its 11-member Preseason All-Conference Team, as voted on by league head coaches. The list features top returning talent from across the conference, with Cal State Fullerton and Hawai’i leading all programs with two selections each.

Representing the Titans are forward Isabella Cruz and defender Kaylin Raibon, who finished second and third in team scoring last season.

Preseason favorite Hawai’i places midfielder Nalani Damacion, the 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year, and forward Amber Gilbert on the squad. Last season, Damacion notched seven goals, including five game-winners, while Gilbert was a consistent threat up top in 17 starts.

The preseason list also includes Cal State Bakersfield’s standout goalkeeper Kamy Anaya, who helped lead the Roadrunners to their first Big West Final in program history with a .770 save percentage. Long Beach State forward Cherrie Cox returns to the pitch after claiming the 2023 Big West Offensive Player of the Year accolade behind a 13-goal campaign.

UC Davis forward Genavieve Fontes, the league’s top scorer last season with 11 goals, earns a spot alongside UC Santa Barbara’s forward Devin Greer, who tallied 10 goals en route to 2024 Freshman of the Year honors.

Jessie Halladay led the Mustangs as a forward with 11 points in 2024, while Mihaela Perez of UC Irvine helped anchor a defense that recorded five clean sheets in 19 starts. Midfielder Yoshi Rubalcava rounds out the 2025 preseason team as CSUN’s representative after posting career-highs in both goals (5) and points (12) a year ago.

The 2025 Big West Women’s Soccer Championship is set to begin on Sunday, Nov. 2, with first-round matches hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, who will face the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. From there, our semifinals and the title match will take place at the home venue of the 2025 regular-season champion and No. 1 seed. Semifinal action is slated for Thursday, Nov. 6, with the Championship Final set for Sunday, Nov. 9. The winner will earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.

Action across The Big West kicks off this Thursday, Aug. 14, while league play commences Thursday, Sept. 18, with four matches on the docket, kicking off a seven-week slate. Each side will play five home matches and have three bye dates throughout the Thursday-Sunday rotation, which concludes on Oct. 30.

2024 Postseason Rewind

– No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara opened its postseason run with a 2-1 win over No. 6 seed Cal State Fullerton. Freshman standout Devin Greer led the way with a goal and an assist, including the game-winner in the 73rd minute.

In the later first-round match, No. 5 seed Cal State Bakersfield made history in their Big West Championship debut, upsetting three-time defending champion and No. 4 seed UC Irvine 1-0 behind Kamy Anaya’s eight-save shutout and Isis Salazar-Ortega’s 44th-minute strike.

The semifinals at Waipi’o Peninsula Soccer Stadium in O’ahu, brought more drama. UCSB edged No. 2 seed UC Davis 3-2 in double overtime thanks to Greer’s penalty kick to reach the title match for the first time since 2018, while CSUB stunned top-seeded and regular-season champion Hawai’i, 3-0, to reach their first-ever Big West Championship final in any sport, still without allowing a postseason goal.

In the Championship final, UCSB and CSUB battled to a stalemate before the Gauchos prevailed 8-7 in a penalty shootout to claim their third Big West title, all won via PKs. The victory sent UCSB to its 10th NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship appearance.

From The Big West to the Big Leagues

– In January 2022, Long Beach State forward Lena Silano was selected 34th overall by the Washington Spirit in the third round of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft.

Silano was the second straight player from the Beach to be drafted and is the fourth overall Big West student-athlete to hear their name called in the NWSL Draft. Former teammate, Kaitlin Fregulia, and 2x Big West Defensive Player of the Year (2017, 2021) was selected 12th overall to the North Carolina Courage as the highest draft pick in Big West Women’s Soccer history.

Silano won the 2022 Big West Offensive Player of the Year Award and has been an All-Big West selection twice (2021, 2022). The forward was also a member of the 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team.

Two months later, another alum of the Big West would have an opportunity to play in the NWSL as UC Irvine alum Scarlett Camberos was signed by Angel City FC (LA), marking her return to Southern California after spending time at Club América Femenil. The former Anteater scored 13 goals and notched seven assists during her senior season.

Another monumental moment for the conference occurred during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, while Quinley Quezada represented UC Riverside and the Big West on the biggest stage while playing for the Philippines. The squad suffered a 2-0 defeat versus Switzerland in the first group stage before winning its first-ever World Cup match against New Zealand, 1-0 on July 25, 2023. However, the Philippines fell in its final group match to Norway, 6-0.

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The UNLV Rebels have Hired Brooke Koblitz as an Assistant Coach.

The UNLV Rebels Track and Field program has hired Brooke Koblitz as an assistant coach. She specializes more specifically in long-distance and cross-country. The team announced that she’d be joining the staff on Wednesday. Head coach Carmelita Jeter said she’s excited to have Koblitz on board in Las Vegas. “I’m very excited to add Brooke […]

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August 14, 2025

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“I’m very excited to add Brooke to our Rebel family,” said Carmelita. “Brooke has the knowledge, grit and grind from competing in the SEC as a collegiate student-athlete and understands what it takes to be the best. At her prior institution, she helped the program achieve goals with the same mindset we have here, Brick by Brick, along with building the ladies’ confidence not only for the sport, but for life. I’m very excited to see how her energy, passion, and competitiveness will inspire these ladies to reach their personal best and maintain a positive mindset.”

Welcome to the 702! Assistant Coach Brooke Koblitz officially joins the staff 🎰

🗞️ https://t.co/fTSpJwT1Qy#BrickBy🧱 #BEaREBEL pic.twitter.com/la7OQwH3wL

— UNLV Track & Field/Cross Country (@unlvtfxc) August 13, 2025

Prior to joining the Rebels, Koblitz had spent the past three years as an assistant track and field cross country coach at Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville, Tennessee. Before coaching at Trevecca Nazarene in 2022, she started up the program and coached at Nolensville High School in Georgia in 2016. She is a Georgia native from Alpharetta and also ran track herself for the Georgia Bulldogs. While with the Bulldogs, she ran in the 800m, 1500m, and mile while also competing in cross country. That includes competing in an SEC Championship as a senior.

At Centennial High School, she was a three-sport athlete and lettered in all three. The sports were track and field, cross country, and basketball. She was a state champion in the 1600m.

In addition to coaching, she has also worked as a track and field official through Vanderbilt University. She has been doing that since 2017. During her time as an official, she has officiated indoor events, including various Vanderbilt Indoor Invitationals, the SEC Indoor Championships, and the TSSAA State Indoor Championships.

The addition of Koblitz should bring experience to the program that she can share with the current Rebels cross country runners. This should be an exciting season for UNLV, who hope to compete at the highest level in 2025 – 2026 and win the Mountain West Conference. This team has shown potential and promise and hope to take that to the next level with the help of an impressive coaching staff and talented young athletes.

More UNLV Rebels On SI News

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8 storylines to follow in the 2025 college volleyball season

The 2025 college volleyball season is right around the corner. Here are my top storylines for this season. 1. Can Penn State go back-to-back in its new era? Penn State ended last season back on top of college volleyball in a new era under Katie Schumacher-Cawley. We know the Nittany Lions had the biggest volleyball […]

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1 hour ago

August 14, 2025

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The 2025 college volleyball season is right around the corner. Here are my top storylines for this season.

1. Can Penn State go back-to-back in its new era?

Penn State ended last season back on top of college volleyball in a new era under Katie Schumacher-Cawley. We know the Nittany Lions had the biggest volleyball dynasty with four national titles in a row from 2007 to 2010. Now they bring in one of the best players in the country and look to rebuild while staying on top.

Penn State Volleyball, 2024 National Champions

2. Big expectations for Big Red

Nebraska heads into the season at the No. 1 spot, looking like the most dangerous lineup in the country. With a new head coach in Dani Busboom Kelly, can they live up to the hype? There are a lot of high hopes and expectations with one of the most talented lineups.

alllll the angles from our fav red-white rally 🎥 #GBR pic.twitter.com/TM7vE8o8Gn

— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) August 12, 2025

3. New season, new rosters

Multiple teams got an entirely new look in the transfer portal — the season is going to start fast and strong. It will be interesting to see how the rosters with players from all over the country gel with one another.

SEE MORE OFF-SEASON CHANGES: Transfer portal recap

4. Marquee matchups in the first few weeks

We have incredible nonconference tournaments this year for the first time. So many top-10 matchups, top-25 matchups right out of the gates. Many of the top-10 teams. Many of the top-10 teams will probably have early records that will look a lot different than years past.

OPEN SEASON: Check out the who, when and where kicking off the 2025 season

5. Restored and revamped rivalries

It feels like we have some new fun matchups to keep an eye on, or old rivalries that have an added flair. With the rise of Texas A&M after last year’s run, that Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry seems even more fun this year. How about Louisville vs. Kentucky — new stars on both teams. Then there’s Kentucky and Texas fighting for the top of the SEC. Or how about Penn State and Nebraska after the reverse sweep in the semifinals and as the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams. That one feels like it has some added value this season as well.

6. New portal additions projected to push UCLA toward the top

There is a lot of preseason talk about UCLA rebuilding from the portal. The Bruins have four national championships, but three were in the ’90s. This rebuild could be a push to bring UCLA back to the forefront of college volleyball.

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐏𝐊! ✍️

The talented middle blocker with National Championship experience is officially in the Blue and Gold!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/IbYjtlZes8

— UCLA Women’s Volleyball (@UCLAWomensVB) January 15, 2025

7. Fresh faces at the helm of college volleyball

We have some new coaching eras beginning in 2025. Multiple legendary head coaches stepped down after 2024: John Cook, Ray Bechard, Mary Wise and more. We will embark on the new eras of Dani Busboom Kelly at Nebraska, Matt Ulmer at Kansas and Dan Meske at Louisville to name a few. 2025 feels like the start of a new era.

8. Who’s the next big name?

And finally: Who will emerge as superstars this season? Last year graduated a lot of very big shoes to fill, and we have high profile youngsters and freshmen to look forward to seeing on the court this season. Last year we saw names like Izzy Starck, a freshman, go on to win the national title. Who will be big-time this year? We have highly touted recruits like Abby Vander Wal at Texas or players like Stella Swenson at Minnesota who didn’t play last year.

So many question marks for this season — and what I feel like is the one of the most highly anticipated college volleyball seasons yet. .

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Olympian Alex Obert Becomes First Men’s Water Polo GM at Pacific

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1 hour ago

August 14, 2025

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Alex Obert has been appointed as the first-ever General Manager for men’s water polo at the University of the Pacific, marking a significant milestone in collegiate water polo. Obert is a three-time Olympian who graduated in 2016 with an engineering degree and brings a wealth of experience, including a bronze medal from the 2024 Olympics and multiple championships in international competition. His return to Pacific, under head coach James Graham’s leadership, is aimed at enhancing the program’s performance through a data-driven approach.

By the Numbers

2024 Olympic Games (Paris) – Bronze Medalist
2015 and 2019 Pan American Games – Gold Medalist

State of Play

This role is the first of its kind in U.S. collegiate men’s water polo.
Pacific’s 2025 season opens on August 30 in Providence, Rhode Island.

What’s Next

With Obert’s appointment, anticipate new strategies focusing on data analysis and athlete development as the men’s water polo team aims for greater success in upcoming competitions.

Bottom Line

Obert’s combination of athletic excellence and professional insight is poised to elevate Pacific’s water polo program, potentially changing the landscape of collegiate sports management.

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Army West Point volleyball trains at Fort Indiantown Gap

Army West Point’s women’s volleyball team prepared for its season at Fort Indiantown Gap, blending volleyball and Army culture. LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — Army West Point’s women’s volleyball team found a new home in Pennsylvania this preseason. The Black Knights hit the road, spending the weeks leading up to their first match at Fort Indiantown […]

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2 hours ago

August 14, 2025

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Army West Point’s women’s volleyball team prepared for its season at Fort Indiantown Gap, blending volleyball and Army culture.

LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — Army West Point’s women’s volleyball team found a new home in Pennsylvania this preseason.

The Black Knights hit the road, spending the weeks leading up to their first match at Fort Indiantown Gap.

“It’s a great honor to host them,” said Fort Indiantown Gap garrison commander Col. Kevin Potts. “We’re a premier asset here for Pennsylvania and the National Guard itself, so having people come and utilize that [is] just a big boon for us.”

The goal for the Black Knights was to get away from the chaos of the Academy while still surrounding themselves with the culture of the Army.

“The people make this place incredible,” Army West Point’s head volleyball coach, Alma Kovaci Lee, said. “We have everything we need to have a great preseason, and I think it’s really important that we conduct our training in places where it matters. Being in Fort Indiantown Gap, we not only get volleyball, but [we get] the Army side as well.”

The team even found time for some cool experiences to help break up the hours of training each day.

“We got to go up in Blackhawks the other day with our team, which was incredible,” said senior outside hitter Norah Shattan.

Kovaci Lee added that the team has “been able to hangout together, have a campfire [and] enjoy getting to know each other — something that we can’t get in an Academy.”

When it was time to practice, however, it was the team’s serving as an escape for the service members at Fort Indiantown Gap.

“It’s something different. They can come in and catch an hour or two of them doing practice here in the morning and afternoon,” said Potts. “People could come in and hang out, watch and see what they do and how hard they train.”

The team is representing a different side of the Army.

Shattan said the athletes “have this connection at a broader level than just as a cadet that we normally see. It’s cool that we can represent the Army playing our sport that we love.”

Potts added that the girls help provide the recognition that “the Army is not just being in the field with a weapon, fighting the fight. It’s also all the things that go around that. It’s all the sporting events that go on, all the esprit de corps that goes on [and] all the camaraderie.”

As the team wraps up its preseason at Fort Indiantown Gap, its preparing to open its season on the road at NC State on Aug. 29.

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Women’s Soccer Opens Thursday Night at Flagler Credit Union Stadium

BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Florida Atlantic women’s soccer team opens the 2025 season in the Flagler Credit Union Stadium against Loyola (MD) on Thursday evening before hitting the road. The Owls will then travel to Orlando to take on the Knights on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m. The Greyhounds will also open their […]

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2 hours ago

August 14, 2025

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BOCA RATON, Fla. — The Florida Atlantic women’s soccer team opens the 2025 season in the Flagler Credit Union Stadium against Loyola (MD) on Thursday evening before hitting the road. The Owls will then travel to Orlando to take on the Knights on Sunday, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m.

The Greyhounds will also open their season in Paradise on Thursday evening, while the Knights will travel to Birmingham, Ala., to take on another American opponent, the Blazers of UAB, on opening night.

On Thursday, the gates will open at 6 p.m. There will be a fan zone with games such as teqball, mini soccer, and more prior to the match. Fans will also have the chance to win two Universal Studios tickets. Concessions will be opened for fans on the deck of the stadium. The parking garage will be closed during the match. Guests are encouraged to park in lot 5. The team will be available for postgame autographs at the conclusion of the match.

ABOUT THE OWLS

Head Coach Patrick Baker enters his 13th season at the helm for the Owls. Baker is one of the top 40 winningest active Division I women’s soccer head coaches.

The Owls enter their third season in the American Conference.

Defender Daniella Diaz, midfielder Morgan McDonald, and forward Michelle Horan were named the Owls’ three players to watch by the American.

FAU has 12 newcomers on the roster for the upcoming season.

Additions to the coaching staff consist of former player Kat Cunningham, who stayed in Paradise as an assistant coach to kick off her coaching career. Additionlly, Jeremy Hampton was promoted to associate head coach.

2024 assists leader Horan returns to complete her college career with seven, which leads the team in that category.

ABOUT THE GREYHOUNDS

This season marks the 14th season of Head Coach Joe Mallia at the helm for Loyola (MD).

The Greyhounds were picked to finish fifth in the Patriot League out of ten teams.

Defender Zoe Willis was named in the 2025 Preseason All-Patriot League

As an addition to the staff for Loyola, Dallas Fiszel joins Mallia and Emma Steiner in Baltimore after spending two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast.

Junior Brigid Mulholland returns after being the starting goalkeeper in the 2024 season. Mulholland recorded 19 starts with 62 saves and seven shutouts on the year.