Five LSU Tigers women’s soccer players earned spots on the 2026 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Preseason Watchlist, according to an announcement by the conference on Monday. The selections highlight a roster that enters the upcoming campaign ranked No. 16 nationally in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, marking the program’s highest preseason ranking since 2018.
LSU Tigers 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist Selections
The SEC preseason watchlist features 75 student-athletes from across the conference, including 18 returning players who earned All-SEC recognition during the previous season. According to the Southeastern Conference, senior forward Ava Galligan headlines the five selected LSU players. Galligan returns for her senior campaign after a standout 2025 season where she helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
The Ashburn, Virginia, native led LSU with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points last year, recording six game-winning goals that led the conference. Her performance earned her a spot as a 2025 First Team All-SEC selection, making her one of four returning first-team honorees named to the 2026 watchlist.
Joining Galligan on the watchlist are forwards Sariyah Bailey and Allie Fryer, defender Kelsey Major, and goalkeeper Audur Scheving. Bailey enters her sophomore season after making an immediate impact as a freshman in 2025, where she earned SEC All-Freshman Team and Third Team All-SEC recognition. Fryer joins the Tigers for her fifth-year season after transferring from BYU, bringing extensive experience and 30 career goals to the LSU attack. Major, a New Orleans native, returns for her senior year after serving as a core member of the defense and starting every match last season. Scheving, also a senior, provides experience in goal after recording 42 saves and six wins during the 2025 campaign.
SEC Preseason Rankings and League Outlook
The 2026 season marks the 34th year of women’s soccer in the SEC, with league play opening this week. LSU stands as one of five conference programs featured in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll alongside Vanderbilt at No. 5, Arkansas at No. 10, Georgia at No. 19, and Tennessee at No. 24, according to sports.yahoo.com.
The conference watchlist showcases depth across all participating programs as teams prepare for the opening matches of the 2026 campaign. Alabama placed five players on the list including Leah Klurman and Kiley Kukan, while Arkansas named five selections featuring Kennedy Ball and Bella Field. Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt also contributed athletes to the 75-player preseason roster.