Utah Valley men’s soccer head coach  Michael Chesler  has announced his team’s 2026 schedule ahead of the Wolverines’ inaugural season in The Big West and their first with Chesler at the helm.

Utah Valley will play seven regular season games at UCCU Stadium and eight road games. The Wolverines will play a full six-game round robin Big West schedule, as well as three crossover games against the Pac-12.

UVU will open the season with a pair of friendlies on August 7 and 14. The Wolverines will play Snow College on the 7th at the Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex in conjunction with the Utah Premier Cup, and admission will be free. The Wolverines will then travel to Colorado to face perennial College Cup contender Denver on the 14th.

The Wolverines will officially open the season with back-to-back home games against the Pacific Tigers and the Central Arkansas Bears on August 20 and 24. Utah Valley will then head to the Bay Area to take on the Santa Clara Broncos on August 30.

September kicks off with a visit from the Omaha Mavericks out of the Summit League on the 3rd. Utah Valley will then make its first-ever trip to West Virginia to take on the 2020 National Champion and 2024 National Runner-Up Marshall Thundering Herd on Sept. 11.

Utah Valley wraps up the traditional portion of non-conference play with a trip to St. George for the Old Hammer Rivalry at Utah Tech on Sept. 21.

The Wolverines will play their first-ever Big West game on Sept. 30 against the UC Irvine Anteaters. UVU will then play its first two Big West road contests, traveling to UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 3 before facing Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 7.

Utah Valley returns home to face Sacramento State on Oct. 10 before heading back to California for the team’s first Pac-12 crossover game against the Cal Poly Mustangs on Oct. 14. The Wolverines will then host their final Big West regular season game on Oct. 17 against the CSUN Matadors.

UVU will face former WAC rival San Diego State on Oct. 21 in the team’s second crossover game of the 2026 campaign. The Wolverines will then host Oregon State for the team’s final home game of the regular season and final crossover game on Oct. 24.

Utah Valley closes out the regular season against former WAC rival and new Big West foe CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 31.

The top four teams in the league will qualify for The Big West Tournament, with all games being played on the campus of the better-seeded team. The semifinals will take place on Nov. 7, with the finals on either Nov. 13 or 14.

UVU softball adds transfers

Utah Valley softball head coach Cody Thomson has announced the signing of Southern Utah transfer catcher and corner infielder Michelle de la Cruz and Grand Canyon utility player Ellie Pond as part of his 2026 recruiting class.

A Las Vegas native, de la Cruz spent the last two seasons playing for the Thunderbirds, where she appeared in 72 games and made 29 starts. Last season, de la Cruz finished tied for third on the team with four home runs, three of which came against in-state rivals. Her last home run of the season came at the expense of the Wolverines, a game-tying pinch-hit homer in the WAC Tournament.

Prior to SUU, de la Cruz prepped at Palo Verde HS in Las Vegas, where she was named first team All-Region in 2023. In 2021, de la Cruz played for the Polynesian National Team. De la Cruz is engaged to BYU defensive tackle Anisi Purcell, who also started his collegiate career at SUU, and the couple is planning on getting married this fall.

Pond, who hails from Providence, Utah, was a key contributor for the 2026 Mountain West Champions, helping lead the Lopes to their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and their second regional final in the last three seasons. Pond appeared in 55 games with 42 starts as a sophomore, hitting .303 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs, both of which were fifth-most in a stacked lineup that won 54 games.

Prior to GCU, Pond played her freshman season just up the road at Salt Lake CC, where she was teammates with fellow Wolverine  Paige Shumway. Pond led the Bruins in almost every major offensive category, hitting 21 home runs to go with 72 RBIs, 16 doubles, 28 stolen bases, and a whopping 1.134 slugging percentage to earn second team All-America honors. Pond played her high school softball at Ridgeline HS in Cache Valley, where she was a two-time state champion in 4A and a three-time first team All-State honoree.

Pond joins a strong 2026 recruiting class that includes nine incoming freshmen. The Wolverines will have a good mixture of youth and experience next season, as the team graduated eight seniors and six starters, but will return four players who earned All-WAC honors and two starters from the 2025 season that missed most of the 2026 campaign due to injury.

UVU women’s soccer names assistant coach

Utah Valley women’s soccer head coach Chris Lemay  has announced the addition of Carter Johnson as the program’s new assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Johnson returns to Utah Valley after a standout playing career with the Wolverines and brings collegiate, professional, and player development experience to the coaching staff as the program prepares for its inaugural season in the Big West Conference.

“There were plenty of reasons that Carter is a great fit to join our program in an assistant coaching role,” said Lemay. “He knows Utah Valley, having played here on the men’s side and being married to former Wolverine great Julie Carter, one of our all-time outstanding alumni. His love for the game is infectious, he is energetic, and he is excited to bring his experiences into our team.

“Carter sees the game and understands the way that we want to play,” Lemay added. “He will be instrumental in helping our players develop on both sides of the ball. Carter will also be responsible for all film, recruiting and scouting.”

One of Utah’s most accomplished prep players, Johnson earned Gatorade Utah Player of the Year and Utah Mr. Soccer honors in 2018 before beginning his collegiate career at Utah Valley. He went on to become a four-year starter for the Wolverines, establishing himself as one of the program’s top defenders during his career.

Following his time at Utah Valley, Johnson finished his collegiate career at the University of Vermont, where he earned both all-region and all-conference honors while helping lead the Catamounts.

Johnson also brings professional playing experience after spending time with Real Monarchs, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, and Rhode Island FC. Since 2018, he has worked extensively as a personal trainer, helping players of all ages develop their technical skills, tactical understanding, and confidence on the field.

Ojo joins BYU softball

BYU softball head coach Gordon Eakin has announced the transfer signing of Jaylee Ojo.

Ojo joins the Cougars with two years of eligibility after spending the last three years at Iowa, where she picked up four wins and one save, including one complete game, also tallying 72 strikeouts.

The five-foot-11 right-handed pitcher made 24 appearances across the last three seasons for the Hawkeyes, totaling 60.1 innings of work. At the plate, she also hit a grand slam against Iowa State in 2025.

A two-time letterwinner and 2025 Spring Academic All-Big Ten team honoree, Ojo set career highs of seven innings pitched against Sacramento State and 10 strikeouts at Illinois as a freshman in 2024.

Originally from Sacramento, Calif., Ojo prepped at Sheldon High School, where she was the 2021 MaxPreps Selection Player of the Year (Class of 2023) and a two-time all-district team selection with a career 1.87 ERA and .444 batting average.

Ojo will join BYU’s 10 incoming freshman along with fellow transfers Rilyne Keck and Braylee Shields as the 13th member of the Cougars’ 2026 signing class this fall.