The Wolverines received four of the six available first-place votes and totaled 24 points to edge California Baptist (22 points, two first-place votes) atop the preseason rankings. UVU will join the Big West Conference beginning in the 2026.

In addition to the team honor, graduate forward Faith Webber was named the WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while senior defender Taylor Nelson was voted WAC Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Utah Valley led all teams with five selections to the Preseason All-WAC Team: Webber, Nelson, Ashley Garcia, Ruby Hladek, and Kate Shirts.

Utah Valley has not lost a WAC regular season match since Oct. 8, 2022, at Seattle U. Since then, the Wolverines have posted a 19-0-3 record in league play, extending their WAC regular season unbeaten streak to 22 matches.

Webber returns for her final season after a historic 2024 campaign in which she led the nation in goals per game (0.95) and set UVU single-season records for goals (18), points (38), and shots on goal (56). The 2024 WAC Offensive Player of the Year and Academic All-America honoree is already UVU’s all-time leader in goals (48), points (109), and shots on goal (152), among other career records.

Nelson, a 2024 Second Team All-WAC, helped anchor a UVU back line that helped the Wolverines post five shutouts in league play last season. Hladek also returns after earning First Team All-WAC honors in 2024. She led the WAC with 10 assists, ranking 15th nationally. She finished second on the team in scoring with five goals, 20 points, and 44 shots. Shirts, who earned Second Team All-WAC and All-WAC Freshman Team honors last season, made a strong debut for UVU and was named WAC Freshman of the Year. Shirts contributed eight assists last season –ranking second in the WAC and 20th nationally. Garcia played key role in the midfield during the team’s run to a third straight regular season title, scoring four goals and registering two assists for 10 points in 2024.

Utah Valley opens its 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 14, when it travels to play Big Sky Conference foe Idaho State in Pocatello, Idaho. Utah Valley will then return home for its first-ever match in UCCU Stadium, a newly constructed state-of-the-art facility, against in-state rival Utah on Monday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. For ticket information, please visit GoUVU.com/Tickets.

2025 WAC Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll

(first-place votes in parenthesis)

Utah Valley (4) – 24 pts

California Baptist (2) – 22 pts

T3. Tarleton State – 15 pts

T3. Utah Tech – 15 pts

Abilene Christian – 8 pts

Southern Utah – 6 pts

2025 WAC Preseason Superlatives

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – Faith Webber, Gr., Utah Valley

Preseason Co-Defensive Players of the Year – Summer Allen, Sr., CBU; Taylor Nelson, Sr., Utah Valley

Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year – Mikayla Kendall, Sr., Tarleton State

Preseason All-WAC Team

Summer Allen, Sr., D, California Baptist

Kaylee Hauck, Sr., F, California Baptist

Aubrey Murray, Sr., MF, Southern Utah

Mikayla Kendall, Sr., GK, Tarleton State

Lacy Fox, Sr., F, Utah Tech

Kyah Le, Sr., MF, Utah Tech

Michelle Rodriguez, Jr., D, Utah Tech

Ashley Garcia, Jr., MF, Utah Valley

Ruby Hladek, Sr., F, Utah Valley

Taylor Nelson, Sr., D, Utah Valley

Kate Shirts, So., MF, Utah Valley

Faith Webber, Gr., F, Utah Valley