NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference’s women’s soccer head coaches have voted James Madison as the 2026 preseason favorite, as the league also announced individual honors and its preseason all-conference team.
Selected as the Sun Belt’s preseason favorite for the second straight year, James Madison received six first-place votes and 182 points in a poll of the conference’s 14 head coaches. Reigning East Division winner Old Dominion was picked second with 173 points followed closely by South Alabama - last season’s top-seeded team from the West Division - in third with four first-place votes and 171 points.
Georgia State (141) was selected to finish four fourth, followed by reigning regular season champion ULM (137) in fifth after also receiving three first-place nods. Marshall was picked sixth (126) with one first-place vote and ahead of Louisiana (125), App State (99), Georgia Southern (75) and Southern Miss (61) to round out the top 10.
All four players earning preseason superlative recognition are returners to their respective programs as winners of 2025 Sun Belt postseason awards at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.
For the second year in a row, James Madison third-year forward Ginny Lackey was selected as the Sun Belt Conference’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after receiving the league’s top honor for offense last season. A two-time United Soccer Coaches All-America selection, Lackey tallied a conference-leading 28 points on 11 goals and six assists during the regular season and led all Sun Belt players with three multi-goal efforts. She also became the first Sun Belt player to log back-to-back seasons with at least 25 points since 2015.
The two-time reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, Old Dominion fourth-year center back Ashlynn Kulha returns as the 2026 Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. A team captain, Kulha led the Monarchs to six shutouts at the heart of a defense that ranked second in the conference in goals allowed (17) and held opponents to just 24 shots on goal during league play.
Louisiana second-year midfielder Miku Kurihara garnered 2026 Sun Belt Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors after collecting the award for the conference’s top player at the position during her first year on campus. Kurihara led the Ragin’ Cajuns in both goals scored (6) and points (14) during conference play last season, and those marks ranked second among all players.
South Alabama sixth-year goalkeeper Sierra Giorgio was named 2026 Sun Belt Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year after receiving the conference’s top honor at the position last season. Giorgio led the conference and ranked No. 9 nationally in save percentage (.866) and goals against average (0.58) in her first campaign with the Jags in 2025. Her nine shutouts also led the Sun Belt, as she allowed just nine goals in 16 starts.
James Madison led the way with three Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team honorees, while Georgia State, Louisiana, Old Dominion and South Alabama earned two apiece.
The 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Championship will take place November 9-14 in Foley, Ala., marking the 11th consecutive season the Foley Sports Tourism Complex hosts the event.
2026 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year:
Ginny Lackey, James Madison (3rd Yr., F, Manchester, England)
Preseason Midfielder of the Year:
Miku Kurihara, Louisiana (2nd Yr., M, Chigasaki, Japan)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:
Ashlynn Kulha, Old Dominion (4th Yr., D, Holly Springs, N.C.)
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year:
Sierra Giorgio, South Alabama (6th Yr., GK, Ontario, Canada)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Aaliyah Faddoul, Georgia State (4th Yr., Ontario, Canada)
F – Carson Glenn, Louisiana (3rd Yr., Lewisville, Texas)
F – Ginny Lackey, James Madison (3rd Yr., Manchester, England)
M – Aleigha Arndt, James Madison (4th Yr., Moseley, Va.)
M – Carys Fraser, Georgia State (2nd Yr., Vancouver, Canada)
M – Miku Kurihara, Louisiana (2nd Yr., Chigasaki, Japan)
D – Amelia Campanella, South Alabama (4th Yr., Ontario, Canada)
D – Libby Holmes, Old Dominion (4th Yr., Shefford, England)
D – Ashlynn Kulha, Old Dominion (4th Yr., Holly Springs, N.C.)
D – Selma Rajakangas, James Madison (2nd Yr., Orebro, Sweden)
GK – Sierra Giorgio, South Alabama (6th Yr., Ontario, Canada)
2026 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. James Madison (6) - 182
2. Old Dominion - 173
3. South Alabama (4) - 171
4. Georgia State - 141
5. ULM (3) - 137
6. Marshall (1) - 126
7. Louisiana - 125
8. App State - 99
9. Georgia Southern - 75
10. Southern Miss - 61
11. Coastal Carolina - 60
12. Arkansas State - 53
13. Louisiana Tech - 39
14. Troy - 28
(Parentheses indicate first-place votes)