BYU women's soccer picked to win Big 12 in first year in league; UVU tabbed 1st in WAC

PROVO — BYU has officially hit "preseason favorite" status in its first year of a new conference home.

Of course, it came in women's soccer.

The No. 13 Cougars received six first-place votes when the Big 12 released its preseason coaches projections Thursday morning in the current 14 team Big 12, edging TCU and Texas — who each played for last year's Big 12 tournament title — as preseason favorites by one and four points, respectively.

BYU received 156 total points to TCU's 155, which was ranked ninth in the United Soccer Coaches' preseason rankings. Texas, ranked 15th nationally, received 152 total points.

West Virginia (132) and Texas Tech (117) rounded out the top five, followed closely by fellow newcomer UCF (115), which was ranked 23rd.

The Cougars completed an 11-3-7 season in 2022 en route to an unbeaten 6-0-3 mark for second place in the West Coast Conference. They finished ranked No. 14 nationally after advancing to the Round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual national runner-up North Carolina 3-2.

But BYU returns every starter from last year's team, losing just one season and adding freshmen Tylie Pratt, Halle Dixon, Ella Rustand and Ellie Ford. They also brought in two transfers in Washington State goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez and UCLA forward Ellie Walbruch, as well as six players who recently returned from missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"There are very few times in anybody's coaching career that you return all of your starters. I mean, it rarely ever happens," BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood told KSL.com. "For us to have that going into this new season and going into the Big 12, we feel that it's a big advantage for us. Any time you return that many players who have that many significant minutes for you, most of that returning group also played significant minutes during our 2021 run (to the national championship match).

"Having that chemistry, having that experience, that leadership helps make it that much easier for new players to come in and really get acclimated to what we do and how we do it."

BYU seniors Brecken Mozingo, Jamie Shepherd and Laveni Vaka — all starters a year ago — received preseason All-Big 12 honors earlier this week. The three honorees is tied for the most in the league with TCU's Olivia Hasler, Gracie Brian and Camryn Lancaster.

The Cougars' first Big 12 home match comes Sept. 14 against the Horned Frogs. Talking about reigniting a former Mountain West rivalry.

But first, BYU opens exhibition play Thursday night at Rutgers. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. MDT before returning home Saturday night to face Idaho State in a second exhibition game (7 p.m. MT, ESPN+).

Utah Valley tabbed to win WAC

Also announced Thursday, Utah Valley women's soccer was picked first in the WAC's preseason coaches' poll.

The Wolverines received seven of the nine first-place votes in the league for 79 total points, out-distancing Grand Canyon (73) and Seattle (66). California Baptist (56) and Utah Tech (44) rounded out the top five, while Southern Utah was picked seventh.

Fresh off the 2022 WAC regular-season title and program's first-ever at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament, the Wolverines are led by WAC preseason defensive player of the year Jenna Shepherd Gremillion and preseason offensive co-player of the year Heather Stainbrook.

Sydney Bushman, Hannah Lee and Faith Webber, along with Gremillion and Stainbrook, also received All-WAC preseason honors.

Related topics