2026 Roster
2026 Schedule
 
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – For the first time since 2023, the Alverno College soccer team will take the field at the Alverno Soccer Field and throughout the region, as they are prepped and ready for the 2026 campaign. Head coach Sendi Jimenez Garcia brings in a talented group of 11 newcomers, as well as five returners who practiced throughout last year, to usher in a new era of Alverno soccer in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C).

"[Our goal for this season is] we want to surprise people. While we know we are rebuilding, we aren't approaching this season with the mindset that we have to wait to be competitive," said Jimenez Garcia. "Our goal is to compete in every match, challenge ourselves every day, and show the potential of what Alverno Soccer can become."

While no one on the team has donned an Alverno uniform yet in a game, five players were with the team last year, building a culture and honing their skills in preparation for this year.

"Our culture is built around commitment, trust, accountability, and growth. We want our players to compete for one another, communicate, and take pride in representing Alverno. Since we are building this program together, every player has a voice and an opportunity to help shape the standards and traditions that will define Alverno Soccer moving forward," said the Inferno head coach.

Despite the lack of collegiate experience, the second-year head coach is confident in the players they have returning and the new students coming in to make an immediate impact in 2026.

 "We have several players to look out for this season. We have a good mix of returners who understand the program and newcomers who have already shown they can make an immediate impact. Rather than focusing on just one or two names, I think fans will see different players step up throughout the season and contribute in different ways," she said.

"Fans should be excited to follow our program this year because this is more than just another season; it's the return of Alverno Soccer after not competing for the past four years. We have a young, hungry group that has the opportunity to bring this program back to life and build something special from the ground up. Fans will get to watch us grow, establish our identity and culture, and create a foundation for the future of Alverno Soccer,' said Jimenez Garcia.

Forwards
The forward group features four student-athletes, including senior Natasha Perez (Milwaukee, Wis./Milwaukee High School of the Arts), who worked with the team last spring and brings experience and leadership to a young group. Three freshmen, Julia Hamilton (Racine, Wis./Walden III), Amely Hernandez Alvarez (Milwaukee, Wis./South Division), and Leah Serdynski (West Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Connections Academy), round out the group.

Midfielders
Nine student-athletes are listed as midfielders to begin the season, giving Alverno plenty of options in the middle of the field. Sophomores Irene Evangelista (Milwaukee, Wis./Bayview) and Jas Sanchez (Greenfield, Wis./Greenfield) join freshman Amelia Luna (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa West), freshman Kayla Lai (Aiea, Hawaii/President Theodore Roosevelt), and sophomore Rica Joy Oliveros (Ewa Beach, Hawaii/James Campbell).

Hernandez Alvarez, Perez, and Serdynski will also see time in the midfield, adding even more flexibility to the group.

Defenders
The defense features returning sophomores Cristina Contreras (Milwaukee, Wis./Ronald Reagan College Preparatory) and Jacky Rodriguez Torres (Milwaukee, Wis./Saint Joan Antida), along with freshmen Brooklyn Hill (Roy, Utah/Utah Military Academy) and Aniyah Townsend (Milwaukee, Wis./Milwaukee High School of the Arts).

Lai and Oliveros will also contribute on the defensive side, giving the Inferno additional versatility as the season unfolds.

Goalkeepers
Freshmen Priya Jackson (Waipahu, Hawaii/Moanalua), RM Javar (Pearl City, Hawaii/Pearl City), and Hannah Wester (Clintonville, Wis./Clintonville) make up Alverno's goalkeeper group and will compete for time between the posts. Each goalkeeper also brings positional versatility to the roster, with Jackson and Javar capable of contributing on defense and Wester at forward.

2026 Schedule
The 2026 campaign begins at St. Norbert College on Wednesday, Sept. 2, opening their season against a former conference opponent. They continue with road action in their next three games to start the year, taking on Andrews University in Michigan on Friday, Sept. 4, Lakeland on Wednesday, Sept. 9, and then Mount Mary on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The Inferno play their first home game in almost three years on Tuesday, Sept. 15, hosting Maranatha Baptist, as the programs meet for the first time since 2017 and for only the second time in over 10 years. They then travel to the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sept. 19 before returning home for two straight games. The homestand beings with the second matchup of the year against Andrews University on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and is followed by a home matchup against UW-Whitewater on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Alverno begins its month of October at home taking on Great Lakes Christian College on Oct. 3 and then travels to Knox College on Oct. 7. The team then hosts Kalmazoo on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Benedictine on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Inferno travel to Alma College on Friday, Oct. 16 and follow that with a road match at Maranatha Baptist on Tuesday, Oct. 20. They then wrap up their road schedule with a matchup with Saint Mary's College (Ind.) on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The final two regular-season games are at home for Alverno, as they host former conference opponents Lakeland on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and Rockford on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The C2C women's soccer championship begins on Thursday, Nov. 5, with two quarterfinal matches, with the winners advancing to the semifinals the following day, Friday, Nov. 6. The championship game is set for Sunday, Nov. 8. The top six teams by NPI qualify for the championships, with the 2026 tournament being hosted by Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.

Coast-to-Coast Conference Season Preview (from the C2C conference office)

Mary Washington emerged as the league favorite heading into the 2026 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) Women's Soccer season as voted on by the conference's eight head coaches. The Eagles earned 47 points in this year's C2C Preseason Coaches' Poll, including five first-place votes.

Following close behind UMW was reigning C2C Champion Christopher Newport, which earned 45 points and the three remaining first-place selections. UC Santa Cruz and Salisbury tied for the No. 3 spot in this year's poll with 32 points apiece, while Johnson & Wales Charlotte completed the top-five with 29 points.

Regent (17 points), Warren Wilson (15), and new addition to the conference Alverno (7) rounded out the voting in that order.

Competition gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 1 as the teams begin their quest for the 2026 C2C Women's Soccer Championship. The top six teams will qualify for the event, which will be hosted by CNU in Newport News, Va. from Nov. 5-8.

2026 C2C Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
Rank	Team	Points (1st)
1	Mary Washington	47 (5)
2	Christopher Newport	45 (3)
T3	UC Santa Cruz	32
T3	Salisbury	32
5	JWU Charlotte	29
6	Regent	17
7	Warren Wilson	15
8	Alverno	7

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Below is a brief preview of each team (in rank order) entering the 2026 season:

Mary Washington: The Mary Washington women's soccer team enters the 2026 campaign following one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Eagles finished 14-4-5 in 2025, earned three victories over nationally ranked opponents, and advanced to the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals, setting the stage for another strong season. UMW returns two of its captains in Maci Landel (Stafford, Va.) and Naomi Knight (Moseley, Va.), who both competed for Richmond Ivy this summer. The duo played key roles in the Eagles'; postseason run, earning Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference First Team honors. Landel was also recognized as an All-American after leading the team with nine goals and 11 assists, while Knight anchored the back line by starting 22 matches and adding a pair of goals. The Eagles also welcome back a wealth of experienced talent. Layla Royster (Midlothian, Va.) (six goals) and Emily Box (Virginia Beach, Va.) (five goals) return to bolster the attack, while Amanda Dolan (West Islip, N.Y.), Katie Britton (Henrico, Va.), Olivia Ewing (Glen Allen, Va.), and Taylor Garofalo (Virginia Beach, Va.) all return after logging significant minutes during Mary Washington's NCAA Tournament run. In goal, Emily Orn (Chester, Va.) is back after starting 20 matches last season, posting seven shutouts and 47 saves. Head coach Scott Gerseny also strengthened the roster with an experienced recruiting class. Graduate student Hailey Baltzelle (Stafford, Va.) joins the Eagles after appearing in 36 games at the Division I level with Longwood. Sophomore forward Erin Lee (Rockville, Md.) transfers from Connecticut College, while veteran goalkeepers Kaylee Norstrand (Bel Air, Md.) and Elizabeth Mayo (Rockville, Md.) arrive from the junior college ranks. Mary Washington also welcomes a talented freshman class of 10 student-athletes, with many hailing from the Richmond and Northern Virginia regions. The Eagles will open the 2026 season on Sept. 1 when they travel to Ashland, Va., to take on Randolph-Macon.

Christopher Newport: The Christopher Newport women's soccer team starts the year ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll after capturing the 2025 Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Championship and a ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance a season ago. The Captains return the bulk of a stingy defense that ranked in the top-ten nationally in goals-against average and shutouts including senior All-Region goalkeeper Amy Sidaway (Shelby Township, Mich.). Sidaway has registered two of the top three best single season performances in league history and is already the all-time leader in career goals-against average (0.41) and shutouts (33). Head coach Jamie Gunderson enters his sixth season with an overall record of 93-4-12 (.908).

UC Santa Cruz: The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs finished the 2025 season with a 1-0 overtime loss in the C2C Championship to Christopher Newport following a 1-0 victory over Mary Washington in the semifinals. The Banana Slugs lost five players to graduation, including their four All-Conference honorees, but welcome 11 new faces to the squad for the 2026 campaign. Additionally, the Banana Slugs welcome Lauren Nadler back to the helm of the program after serving as the assistant coach last season. Nadler served as the head coach from 2017-2022 and was named the Conference Coach of the Year four times. UC Santa Cruz will be on the road for the majority of the season and is set to take on No. 1 WashU, No. 6 Pomona-Pitzer, and No. 14 Cal Lutheran in key matches throughout the year.

Salisbury: The Sea Gulls return three All-C2C student-athletes in Brooke Spadin (Delmar, Md.), Ava Wheeler (Bel Air, Md.), and Lauren Chesney (Mount Airy, Md.) after going to the C2C Semifinals with a 6-11-5 record in 2025. SU posted eight shutouts in their final 11 games and were led by sophomore keeper Riley Kinzeler (Coatesville, Pa.), who had seven. Offensively, the leading goal scorer from last year, Jordan Edwards (Catonsville, Md.) (four goals) returns alongside Wheeler, who tallied two goals and a team-leading five assists to go with 1676 minutes played. Skylar Williams (West River, Md.) and Spadin each scored three goals apiece. The Sea Gulls will be led defensively by Chesney and Rebecca Fairbanks (Columbia, Md.), who has been a mainstay on the backline for the past three seasons.

JWU Charlotte: JWU Charlotte returns a veteran side in 2026 after finishing 8-8-1 last season. Eleven Wildcat regulars return as they continue to develop a cohesive and balanced attack and defensive setup. Senior Zoe Balmer (Raleigh, N.C.) and sophomore Allison Bryman (Ellicott City, Md.) will each vie for minutes in net behind the Wildcat backline. All-C2C selection Isabelle Gonzalez (Dacula, Ga.) anchors that backline, while fellow All-Conference performer Olivia Kieffer (Charlotte, N.C.), along with Hannah Greene (Holly Springs, N.C.) set the tempo in the midfield. Junior Jess Garman (Waxhaw, N.C.) keys the Wildcat attack, and will be joined by Mia Townson (Guatemala City, GTM) and Azalianna Absalom (Pelzer, S.C.). Newcomers to watch include defender Elliette Kinney (Creswell, Ore.), who was a two-sport star in high school, and Gabriela Rebollar (Elizabethtown, N.C.), who will bolster the midfield. The Wildcats face off against two in-state, non-conference foes during the season in addition to trips to the Peach State to take on Agness Scott and Berry. The regular season closes with a trio of C2C opponents, as JWU travels to Salisbury before hosting Warren Wilson and Regent.

Regent: After losing only two players to graduation, third year head coach Briley Fillenwarth returns an experienced group, along with 13 new faces, as Regent begins their second year as members of the C2C. In net, the Royals will once again rely on senior Kristen Miller (Peoria, Ariz.), who currently is the program's all-time saves leader. Last season, Miller led the C2C in saves finishing with 147 on the year. In addition, fellow seniors Sierra Smullen (Snow Hill, Md.) and Anna Teague (Salisbury, N.C). return to provide an offensive spark, while junior Serenity Cortez (Fresno, Calif.) returns to help anchor a veteran defense.

Warren Wilson: The Owls enter the 2026 season under third-year head coach Maximiliano Viera, continuing to build on the program's growth over the past two seasons. After earning a spot in the conference tournament last season, Warren Wilson returns a strong core of experienced players, while welcoming a talented and versatile group of newcomers. With increased depth and competition throughout the roster, the Owls will look to build on last year's progress and take another step forward in 2026.

Alverno: Sendi Jimenez Garcia will lead a roster of more than 10 freshmen as the program reignites for the Inferno in 2026. The team will look to take advantage of its youth and build a strong foundation for the future as they compete for the first time since the 2023 season. Five sophomores and one senior will look to lead the young group as Garcia begins her first season of competition in the NCAA after coaching at NJCAA school Bryant & Stratton for two seasons.