TULSA, Okla. – The Summit League announced its 2026 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll and Players to Watch Tuesday morning, with Oral Roberts topping the preseason poll after capturing the 2025 Summit League regular season championship.
The Golden Eagles earned six of the eight first-place votes and finished with 48 points to claim the top spot in the preseason rankings.
Junior defender Precious Edosa and redshirt senior forward Brianna Castleberry were selected to the Summit League Players to Watch list.
Edosa enters her third season in Tulsa after a breakout sophomore campaign in 2025. The defender anchored an ORU back line that helped the Golden Eagles claim the Summit League regular season title, earning First Team All-Summit League honors. She also contributed offensively with three goals and one assist for seven points.
Castleberry returns for her final season after helping lead ORU to the conference championship. The forward earned First Team All-Summit League recognition after totaling three goals and a team-best nine assists for a team-leading 15 points during the 2025 campaign.
2026 Summit League Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll:
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Oral Roberts (6) – 48
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South Dakota State (2) – 44
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Omaha – 33
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South Dakota – 30
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Kansas City – 27
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North Dakota State – 20
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North Dakota – 14
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St. Thomas – 8
2026 Summit League Women's Soccer Players to Watch:
Kansas City: Ashley Koch (R-Jr., Forward) and Olivia Platt (R-Sr., Midfielder)
North Dakota: Cora Ellermann (Sr., Midfielder) and Hannah Peters (So., Midfielder)
North Dakota State: Amaya Garrett (Sr., Defender) and Morgan Russmann (Jr., Forward)
Omaha: Kendall Dobberstein (So., Forward) and Alyssa Kellar (Gr., Forward)
Oral Roberts: Brianna Castleberry (R-Sr., Forward) and Precious Edosa (Jr., Defender)
St. Thomas: Sofia Englund (Sr., Forward/Midfielder) and Izzy McEwan (Jr., Forward/Midfielder)
South Dakota: Mali Van Meeteren (Sr., Midfielder) and Klarissa Vega (R-So., Forward)
South Dakota State: Mallorie Benhart (Sr., Goalkeeper) and Mia Bosch (Jr., Midfielder)
The Golden Eagles open the 2026 season Wednesday, Aug. 12, in Conway, Arkansas, against Central Arkansas before beginning defense of their Summit League regular season title later this fall.
For the latest information on ORU women's soccer, follow @ORUWSOC on X or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics App in the Google Play or App Store.
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