IRVING, Texas – Officials from the American Athletic Conference league office announced on Tuesday the results of the Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll and also the members of the 2024 Women's Soccer Watch List. As a team, the Roadrunners were chosen at eighth for the team’s second year in the league. Meanwhile, senior Sasjah Dade repeats on the AAC Watch List, joined by first-time honorees Olivia Alvarez and Sabrina Hillyer.
Dade (Senior/Defender/Ontario, Calif.) was named to the AAC Watch List last year during the team’s inaugural AAC season and has started 39-of-40 games over the past two seasons as a key defender for the Roadrunners. Tied for third on the team with two goals, both times that Dade found the back of the net were for game-winning goals – against Central Arkansas in the opener and at Rice in the finale. Dade registered an assist, while also recording a .421 shot on goal percentage with eight targets. In 2022, Dade was named to the All-Conference USA third team. After helping UTSA’s defense to a school-record .072 goals-against-average and seven shutouts, Dade was called up to play on the Samoa Women’s National Team at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.
Picking up her first Watch List recognition, Alvarez (Senior/Midfielder/Arlington, Texas) started all 18 matches last season and was a steady component in UTSA’s transition to the attack. Alvarez logged one goal and one assist last year, registering a .476 SOG% with 10 on-target shots – including the game-winning penalty kick against Texas A&M-Commerce. Alvarez also tallied a .438 SOG with one goal in 2022.
Also recording her first Watch List nod, Hillyer (Defender/Graduate Student/Katy, Texas), stepped right into the lineup when she arrived in 2021 and has started 59 consecutive outings as part of the defensive core ever since. Hillyer is also a threat to push the ball in transition and scored two goals last year via eight shots on goal and a .400 SOG% - chipping in two assists as well. Though she didn’t net a goal in 2022, Hillyer posted four assists in helping UTSA to the Conference USA Tournament title and the first NCAA appearance since 2010.
With UTSA going into its second year in the soccer-strong American Athletic Conference, the Roadrunners were picked at eighth of 11 teams in the preseason coaches poll. Last season, the Roadrunners were among the top defensive teams in the conference, logging a 7-7-4 mark on the year. UTSA sits behind three-time defending champion Memphis (9 first-place votes), South Florida (1 first-place vote), East Carolina, Charlotte (1 first-place vote), Florida Atlantic, North Texas, and Tulsa. The Roadrunners were selected ahead of UAB, Rice and Temple.
The 2024 American Women’s Soccer Championship will be held November 4-10 at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
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2024 AAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll |
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|
1 |
Memphis (9) |
99 |
|
2 |
South Florida (1) |
91 |
|
3 |
East Carolina |
73 |
|
4 |
Charlotte (1) |
72 |
|
5 |
Florida Atlantic |
64 |
|
6 |
North Texas |
54 |
|
7 |
Tulsa |
46 |
|
8 |
UTSA |
41 |
|
9 |
UAB |
32 |
|
10 |
Rice |
21 |
|
11 |
Temple |
12 |
2024 AAC Women’s Soccer Watch List
Abbey Burns, Jr., M, UAB
Kendall Page, Sr., M, UAB
Anika Toth, Gr., GK, UAB
Macey Bader, Sr., F, Charlotte
Payton Patrick, Sr., F, Charlotte
Emma Wakeman, Gr., GK, Charlotte
Annabelle Abbott, Gr., D/F, East Carolina
Maeve English, Gr., GK, East Carolina
Samantha Moxie, Sr., F, East Carolina
Lexi Gonzalez, Gr., GK, Florida Atlantic
Jodi Smith, Sr., D, Florida Atlantic
Sofia Voldby, Sr., M, Florida Atlantic
Anna Hauer, So., F/M, Memphis
Momo Nakao, Sr., M, Memphis
Anne-Valerie Seto, Sr., M, Memphis
Summer Brown, Jr., F, North Texas
Maddie Ogden, Gr., GK, North Texas
Rachel Roebuck, Gr., D, North Texas
Leah Chancey, Gr., M, Rice
Faith Hutchins, Gr., GK, Rice
Carsyn Martz, Jr., D, Rice
Georgia Brown, Sr., D, South Florida
Sadie Sider-Echenberg, Jr., M, South Florida
Serita Thurton, Sr., F/M, South Florida
Phoebe Hollin, Sr., D, Temple
Carly Steinberg, Gr., M, Temple
Yao Zhou, Gr., M, Temple
Olivia Alvarez, Sr., M/F, UTSA
Sasjah Dade, Sr., D, UTSA
Sabrina Hillyer, Gr., D, UTSA
Hannah Chance, R-Jr., F, Tulsa
Jordan Frederick, Jr., F, Tulsa
Kaylyn Simmons, So., F, Tulsa
The Roadrunners officially kick off the 2024 season this Thursday, Aug. 15, welcoming Navy to Park West for the first meeting in the series. UTSA closes out the week with a neutral site cross-town battle against UIW at Toyota Field on Sunday, Aug. 18. Tickets are $12 and available here.
- UTSA -