San Antonio, Texas-  After a competitive 2025 campaign that saw Our Lady of the Lake University women's soccer earn a spot in the postseason, the Saints enter the 2026 season with a talented roster, experienced leadership and high expectations under second-year head coach Lee Williams.

OLLU finished the 2025 season with an 8-7-2 overall record and a 7-5-1 conference mark, earning a berth in the RRAC Tournament. Throughout the season, the Saints demonstrated their ability to compete at a high level, producing several dominant performances, including shutout victories over Texas College, Paul Quinn and North American. OLLU also recorded impressive conference wins against Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Huston-Tillotson and the University of the Southwest.

The 2026 season marks the second year leading the Saints for Williams, who brings more than 25 years of coaching experience and a wealth of knowledge from the collegiate, professional and academy levels. A native of Swansea, Wales, Williams has coached across multiple levels of the sport, including NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, MLS NEXT, ECNL and professional development environments.

Before becoming head coach, Williams played an important role in the OLLU soccer program as a graduate assistant with both the men's and women's teams, contributing to some of the most successful seasons in program history. His coaching philosophy emphasizes player development, academic achievement and building a strong team culture.

Assistant coach Jesus Sanchez returns for his second season with the Saints, continuing to help support the growth and development of the program.

OLLU returns a strong core of experienced players for the upcoming season, highlighted by a senior class that provides leadership across the field. Defenders Mia Saenz and Gabrielle Deleon, midfielders Gizel Lopez, Grace Reed and Jaslyn Orozco, and forward Leah Tapia are among the returning veterans expected to play key roles in the Saints' pursuit of success.

The roster also features graduate-level experience from forwards Deserie Herrera and Hannah Brookfield, along with a talented junior class that includes Angela Garcia, Eleonora Diversi, Catherine Smith, Monica Sanchez, Kira Brown, Mariana Medrano, Sadie Rios and Lelia Rolandi.

The Saints roster continues to showcase the program's diverse recruiting reach, featuring student-athletes from across Texas as well as international players from Italy, Germany, England and New Zealand. The combination of experienced upperclassmen and emerging young talent gives OLLU a balanced lineup heading into the new campaign.

The 2026 schedule will provide plenty of opportunities for the Saints to test themselves against quality competition. OLLU will compete in a 20-match regular season featuring 13 home contests, beginning with a preseason matchup at St. Mary's University on Aug. 14 before returning home to host Alumni on Aug. 16.

The early portion of the schedule includes challenging non-conference matchups against Oklahoma City, Science & Arts, Huston-Tillotson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar. Conference play begins Sept. 24 when the Saints host LSU Shreveport.

The Saints will face a demanding conference schedule throughout the fall, with important matchups against Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Louisiana Christian, LSU Alexandria, University of the Southwest, Texas College, Texas A&M University-San Antonio and A&M-Victoria. OLLU will conclude the regular season at home against North American on Oct. 24.

With a year of experience in Coach Williams system, a veteran group of leaders and a roster filled with promising talent, OLLU women's soccer enters the 2026 season focused on continued improvement and competing for postseason success.

The Saints have built a strong foundation, and the 2026 campaign provides an opportunity to take the next step forward.