2026 Big West Women's Soccer Schedule | Standings | Stats | Week 2 Notes (Aug. 19).pdf

What 2 Watch 4
- The second week of the 2026 Big West women’s soccer season features 19 matches from Wednesday, Aug. 19, through Monday, Aug. 24.

Sunday’s spotlight falls on UC Irvine as the Anteaters visit No. 1 Stanford, while Cal Poly returns home to face San José State after pushing the Cardinal in a narrow 1-0 decision. Cal State Fullerton will also face a nationally ranked team on the road, No. 17 Colorado, on Thursday. 

Sacramento State carries a 2-0 record into road tests against San Francisco and Nevada. UC San Diego visits UNLV and Northern Arizona following a four-goal win over Utah Tech, highlighted by Regan Ramirez’s first collegiate goal, while Long Beach State travels to Fresno State and NM State.

UC Riverside opens the week at Oral Roberts, while CSUN, Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Fullerton host their home openers. California Baptist and UC Santa Barbara each welcome two opponents before Utah Valley closes the slate Monday against Utah State. 

A total of 13 matches are set to air live on ESPN+ this week. Please check the listings here to watch your favorite Big West squad in action!   

2026 Big West Women's Soccer Schedule

Winners Circle
-Cal Poly (1-1-0) — The Mustangs split their opening week at Spanos Stadium, defeating UNLV 1-0 to snap a 13-year winless streak in season openers before narrowly falling 1-0 to No. 1 Stanford. Junior midfielder Miah Thomas buried the decisive penalty kick in the 85th minute for a memorable first goal in a Cal Poly uniform, while junior goalkeeper Shannon Porubski made two saves to secure a 10th career shutout. The Mustangs remain home to welcome San Jose State on Sunday afternoon.

UC Santa Barbara (1-0-0) — The Gauchos started the season on a high note with a 1-0 victory over LMU at Harder Stadium. Senior forward Olivia Howard headed home the game-winner in the 15th minute, while junior goalkeeper Maddie Buckley finished with four saves to record a 19th career clean sheet. UC Santa Barbara continues its homestand against San Jose State on Thursday and Fresno State on Sunday.

UC San Diego (1-1-0) — The Tritons bounced back from an opening-night setback with a 4-2 victory over Utah Tech, producing their most goals in a match since 2023 and their highest home total of the Division I era. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Shih opened the scoring with a first collegiate goal before senior midfielder Lana Gilligan converted from the penalty spot to send UC San Diego into halftime ahead 2-0. Sophomore forward Ava Tibor extended the advantage in the 61st minute with a seventh career goal, which ultimately stood as the game-winner. UC San Diego hits the road next week to face UNLV on Thursday and Northern Arizona on Sunday.

Long Beach State (1-0-1) — The Beach finished opening week unbeaten after following a scoreless draw against Saint Mary’s with a 1-0 home victory over Colgate. Senior forward Cherrie Cox delivered the game’s lone goal in the 23rd minute for a 24th career tally and sixth game-winner. Senior goalkeeper Aurora Schuck made three saves to earn a second straight shutout as Long Beach State held a 19-10 advantage in shots and remained unscored upon through 180 minutes. The Beach heads out for its first road trip of the season to meet Fresno State on Thursday and New Mexico State on Sunday.

USCA West Region Rankings (Week 1)
- Six Big West programs earned recognition in the first United Soccer Coaches West Region Poll of the 2026 season.

UC Santa Barbara leads the region at No. 1, followed by Cal Poly at No. 2, Utah Valley at No. 4, California Baptist at No. 6, Long Beach State at No. 8 and Sacramento State at No. 9. The Beach, Gauchos, Hornets, Lancers, Mustangs and Wolverines combined for a 5-1-3 record through opening weekend.

Weekly Awards 
Sacramento State forward Mia Jackson scored twice in a winning debut to earn Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors for the week of Aug. 17. This is the first Big West weekly distinction of Jackson's career. Jackson powered the Hornets to a 5-2 season-opening victory over Pacific, converting both shot attempts for the first two goals of the forward’s collegiate career. The Atlanta, Ga., native completed the brace with the eventual game-winner early in the second half. It marked the first two-goal performance by a Hornet since Sept. 18, 2022. From there, Jackson played 61 minutes in a 1-0 road victory over Causeway rival UC Davis, helping Sacramento State defeat the Aggies for the first time since 2017.

Long Beach State goalkeeper Aurora Schuck posted consecutive clean sheets to secure Big West Defensive Player of the Week honors for Aug. 17. This is the second weekly distinction of Schuck's career after earning the award on Sept. 23, 2024. Schuck played all 180 minutes in goal as the Beach opened the season unbeaten at 1-0-1 without conceding a goal. The Lakewood, Calif., native stopped two shots in a scoreless draw against Saint Mary’s before making three saves in a 1-0 victory over Colgate. The LBSU netminder faced 17 shots across the two contests and turned away all five attempts placed on frame.

Cal State Fullerton goalkeeper Allison Craycroft delivered a clean sheet in a collegiate debut to collect Big West Rookie of the Week honors for Aug. 17. This is Craycroft's first career weekly honor. Making a first career start in goal, Craycroft kept San Diego off the scoreboard throughout the Titans’ season-opening 0-0 draw. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native faced nine shots and stopped the lone attempt placed on target to preserve the shutout.

New Kids on the Pitch
- The Big West welcomes California Baptist, Sacramento State and Utah Valley in 2026, adding three championship programs with a combined nine NCAA Division I Championship appearances.

California Baptist enters after winning consecutive WAC Tournament titles and earning NCAA Championship berths in 2024 and 2025. The Lancers captured the 2025 crown after erasing a two-goal deficit against fellow newcomer Utah Valley and prevailing in a penalty shootout.

Sacramento State brings three Big Sky Tournament titles and three NCAA appearances. The Hornets' latest championship came in 2024, when they became the first program in Big Sky history to advance through every postseason round via penalty kicks.

Utah Valley arrives having won four consecutive WAC regular-season titles from 2022-25. The Wolverines finished 14-5-3 and earned an at-large NCAA berth in 2025, marking their fourth national postseason appearance.



2026 USCA Players to Watch
- A total of four standout Big West student-athletes have been selected to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's Players to Watch list.

The lists are compiled and released by the Division I All-America Committees to highlight some of college soccer's top returning talent ahead of the 2026 regular season.

All four honorees were also named to the 2026 Preseason All-Big West Team following impressive 2025 campaigns. Annika Smith recorded seven goals, four assists and 18 points on the way to Big West Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Camryn Cruz produced six goals and an assist for Cal State Fullerton. California Baptist's Anja Jestrovic paced the Lancers with eight goals, eight assists and 24 points, while Mikayla O'Brien collected 88 saves and six shutouts en route to being named the WAC Goalkeeper of the Year.

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 2025 who are scheduled to return for the 2026 season. 

Top Drawer Soccer 2026 Women's Breakout Candidates
- A total of 11 Big West student-athletes have been named 2026 Women's Big West Breakout Candidates by TopDrawerSoccer.

The list features emerging talent from 11 conference programs, including 2025 Big West All-Freshman Team selections Mia DiLeo, Jaiden Gore and Kayalily Penn, along with WAC All-Freshman honoree Kandace Koerth.

2026 Preseason Prognostics 
- Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara have been selected as co-favorites to capture the 2026 Big West women's soccer title, as voted on by the league's 12 head coaches. Four programs received at least one first-place vote in the tightly contested preseason poll.

Defending Big West champion Cal Poly (10-3-9, 6-2-2 BW) and 2025 Championship runner-up UC Santa Barbara (13-5-5, 5-2-3 BW) each collected 100 points to share the top spot. The Mustangs earned a poll-high five first-place votes, while the Gauchos received four.

Cal State Fullerton (14-3-3, 6-2-2 BW) landed just behind the co-favorites in third with 98 points and one first-place selection. Big West newcomer Utah Valley (14-5-3, 9-0-1 WAC) garnered the remaining two first-place votes and 95 points, earning a fourth-place finish slightly behind the Titans.

UC Irvine (8-5-7, 5-2-3 BW) sits in fifth with 76 points, followed closely by newcomer California Baptist (10-9-4, 6-3-1 WAC) in sixth with 75 points. Long Beach State (5-8-5, 2-4-4 BW) collected 72 points to take seventh in a close margin at the middle of the pack. 

2025 regular-season champion CSUN (8-7-5, 6-1-3 BW) was voted eighth. UC San Diego (5-6-8, 3-3-4 BW) landed in ninth with 45 points, followed by Cal State Bakersfield (8-9-2, 5-4-1 BW) in 10th with 33. UC Riverside (0-16-2, 0-9-1 BW) earned 22 points to take 11th, while new member Sacramento State (6-11-1, 2-5-1 Big Sky) rounds out the 2026 preseason coaches' poll with 18 points.

Coaches also voted on an 11-member Preseason All-Big West Team featuring standout student-athletes from across the conference. California Baptist, Long Beach State and Utah Valley led all programs with two selections apiece.

Representing defending champion Cal Poly is forward Annika Smith, who started all 22 matches and finished the 2025 campaign with seven goals, four assists and 18 points as The Big West's Offensive Player of the Year in 2025

Long Beach State placed forwards Radisson Banks and Cherrie Cox on the preseason squad. Banks earned All-Big West Second Team recognition after producing four goals and five assists for 13 points across 18 matches. Cox recorded five goals and two assists for 12 points despite appearing in just 10 contests and returns with 2023 Big West Offensive Player of the Year recognition.

Defender Emily Caughey represents UC Santa Barbara after appearing in 22 matches and contributing two goals and an assist in 2025. The All-Big West Second Team selection helped the Gauchos advance to the Championship Final, scoring a game-winning goal in the first round of postseason play. 

Utah Valley's first Big West preseason team selections are midfielder Josie Clawson and defender Mia Owens. Clawson earned All-WAC Second Team honors after registering five goals and five assists for 15 points across 22 matches. Owens was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year after starting all 22 contests, logging 1,794 minutes and contributing one goal and two assists while helping the Wolverines record seven shutouts.

Newcomer California Baptist is represented by midfielder Anja Jestrovic and goalkeeper Mikayla O'Brien. Jestrovic paced the Lancers with eight goals, eight assists and 24 points across 22 appearances, while O'Brien collected 88 saves and six shutouts en route to 2025 WAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

The preseason team also features midfielder Camryn Cruz of Cal State Fullerton, defender Hailey Clingan of UC Irvine and defender Sydney Lipkin of CSUN. Cruz started all 20 matches and produced six goals and an assist for 13 points. Clingan made 19 starts across 20 appearances, logging 1,712 minutes while helping the Anteaters record eight shutouts. Lipkin started all 20 contests and played 1,798 minutes for a Matador defense that registered nine clean sheets and allowed just 16 goals.

The 2026 Big West Women's Soccer Championship begins Wednesday, Nov. 4, with first-round matches hosted by the higher seeds. The top six teams will qualify for the postseason, with the top two seeds receiving first-round byes. Semifinal action is slated for Saturday, Nov. 7, with each matchup hosted by the higher seed. The Championship final will follow on Saturday, Nov. 14, with the highest remaining seed serving as host. The winner will earn The Big West's automatic berth into the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.

Action across The Big West kicks off Wednesday, Aug. 12, while conference play begins Wednesday, Sept. 23. The regular-season slate concludes Saturday, Oct. 31.

Select regular-season contests are slated for broadcast on ESPN+. Please check The Big West's listings for upcoming matchups and additional information.

2025 Postseason Rewind
- No. 3 seed Cal State Fullerton opened the 2025 Big West Women's Soccer Championship with a dramatic 1-0 victory over No. 6 seed Cal State Bakersfield. The Titans broke the scoreless tie with just 84 seconds remaining, while Isaac Ranson recorded three saves to preserve the shutout. 

In the later first-round match, defending champion and No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara edged No. 4 seed UC Irvine, 1-0. Emily Caughey scored the game-winner off a feed from Mya Delaney in the 52nd minute, while Maddie Buckley helped the Gauchos withstand UCI's pressure with a two-save shutout. 

The semifinals at CSUN's Matador Soccer Field brought more late-match drama. No. 2 seed Cal Poly defeated Cal State Fullerton 1-0 behind Jessie Halladay's penalty kick in the 75th minute and Shannon Porubski's clean sheet with three saves. UCSB then battled top-seeded and regular-season 

In the Championship Final, Halladay struck again with the game-winner just 115 seconds from full time, lifting Cal Poly past Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara, 1-0. Halladay earned Championship MVP honors as the Mustangs claimed their fourth Big West title, first since 2004, and secured the conference's automatic NCAA Championship berth.


2026 NCAA Championship Recap
- Making their first NCAA Championship appearance in 21 years, Cal Poly struck just 49 seconds into their opening-round match against No. 1 national seed Stanford behind Halladay's 10th goal of the season. Cal Poly challenged the Cardinal throughout the night before the Mustangs concluded their historic postseason run with a 3-1 defeat.


 

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. 

The Big West Women's Soccer
The Big West has built a proud women's soccer tradition since conference sponsorship began in 1996. Across three decades of competition, six programs have captured the conference championship while Big West student-athletes have earned nine United Soccer Coaches/NSCAA All-America honors and produced four NWSL Draft selections.

The league's success has also reached the national stage, highlighted by Long Beach State's run to the 2011 NCAA quarterfinals (Elite Eight) and UC Irvine's recent postseason surge. The Anteaters won three consecutive Big West titles from 2021-23 and recorded NCAA Championship victories in each season, defeating national powers UCLA twice and Southern California, and advanced to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2022 and 2023. 

A year ago, second-seeded Cal Poly defeated fifth-seeded and defending champion UC Santa Barbara, 1-0, at Matador Soccer Field. The Mustangs scored with 115 seconds remaining to capture their fourth overall conference championship and first since 2004.

The Big West Women's Soccer Championship was contested in 1996 and 1997 before taking a five-year hiatus. It returned in 2003 and has been played every year since, with the exception of 2020's COVID pause. Six schools have earned at least one tournament title, with Cal State Fullerton leading the way with eight victories.

The Big West is more than an athletic conference.

We are bold competitors, visionary leaders and driven student-athletes united by a commitment to excellence in competition, in the classroom and in our communities.

Our mission is to provide championship experiences that unite communities through the power of sport.

Founded in 1969, The Big West is an NCAA Division I conference comprised of 12 nationally recognized institutions: California Baptist, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Long Beach State, Sacramento State, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and Utah Valley.

Stretching from the surf to the summit, our footprint reflects the diversity, innovation and ambition of the West. Together, our institutions are united by a shared pursuit of competitive excellence, academic achievement and meaningful service.

The Big West sponsors 19 NCAA Division I championships in baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball, women's beach volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and men's and women's water polo.

We are united by a shared philosophy: Only The Bold®

Only The Bold® challenges us to think differently. To compete fearlessly. To lead with conviction. To embrace innovation, champion opportunity and pursue excellence without compromise.

Being bold isn't about making noise. It's about having the courage to challenge expectations, the confidence to forge new paths and the determination to strengthen every student-athlete, every campus and every community we serve.

The Big West. Only The Bold®.

Big West Women's Soccer
- The Big West has built a proud women's soccer tradition since conference sponsorship began in 1996. Across three decades of competition, six programs have captured the conference championship while Big West student-athletes have earned nine United Soccer Coaches/NSCAA All-America honors and produced four NWSL Draft selections.

The league's success has also reached the national stage, highlighted by Long Beach State's run to the 2011 NCAA quarterfinals (Elite Eight) and UC Irvine's recent postseason surge. The Anteaters won three consecutive Big West titles from 2021-23 and recorded NCAA Championship victories in each season, defeating national powers UCLA twice and Southern California, and advanced to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2022 and 2023.