IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West released its 2026 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday, with UC San Diego earning a ninth-place selection heading into the program's sixth and final season in the conference. The Tritons received 45 points in voting by the league's 12 head coaches.
UC San Diego returns after a 2025 campaign in which it finished 5-6-8 overall and 3-3-4 in conference play. The Tritons will look to build on that foundation this fall under eighth-year head coach Kristin Jones as they take on a 19-match regular-season schedule.
The 2026 Tritons will open their season on Wednesday, August 12 at home against San Diego State. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. from Triton Soccer Stadium. UC San Diego will begin Big West play on Sept. 23 at CSUN. The Tritons' conference schedule concludes on Oct. 31 with Senior Night against UC Irvine. The six-team Big West Championship begins Nov. 4 with the opening round and concludes with the championship match on Nov. 11. The winner of the Big West Championship will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
2026 Big West Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| T-1. |
Cal Poly |
100 (5) |
| T-1. |
UC Santa Barbara |
100 (4) |
| 3. |
Cal State Fullerton |
98 (1) |
| 4. |
Utah Valley |
95 (2) |
| 5. |
UC Irvine |
76 |
| 6. |
California Baptist |
75 |
| 7. |
Long Beach State |
72 |
| 8. |
CSUN |
58 |
| 9. |
UC San Diego |
45 |
| 10. |
Cal State Bakersfield |
33 |
| 11. |
UC Riverside |
22 |
| 12. |
Sacramento State |
18 |
First-place votes in parentheses.
2026 Big West Women's Soccer Preseason All-Big West Team
| Student-Athlete |
School |
Position |
Year |
| Radisson Banks |
Long Beach State |
Forward |
Senior |
| Emily Caughey |
UC Santa Barbara |
Defender |
Senior |
| Josie Clawson |
Utah Valley |
Midfielder |
R-Junior |
| Haley Clingan |
UC Irvine |
Defender |
Junior |
| Cherrie Cox |
Long Beach State |
Forward |
Senior |
| Camryn Cruz |
Cal State Fullerton |
Midfielder |
Senior |
| Anja Jestrovic |
California Baptist |
Forward/Midfielder |
Senior |
| Sydney Lipkin |
CSUN |
Defender |
Junior |
| Mikayla O'Brien |
California Baptist |
Goalkeeper |
Fifth |
| Mia Owens |
Utah Valley |
Defender |
Senior |
| Annika Smith |
Cal Poly |
Forward |
Senior |
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
