IRVING, Texas – The BYU women’s soccer team was ranked No. 6 in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, while the Preseason All-Big 12 Team bolstered three Cougars, the league announced Monday morning.
Presley Freeman, Lucy Kesler and Ellie Walbruch have all been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team ahead of the 2026 season.
Freeman played in every game for the Cougars last season, tallying 1,682 minutes on the pitch, a career-high two goals, four assists and eight shots. She is the only current BYU player to start every game for the past two seasons, starting in 45 consecutive games dating back to the start of the 2024 season. She was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team following the 2025 season.
Kesler started 22 games last season, missing just two while attending the U-20 USWNT Training Camp. She scored her first career brace against OSU and added three assists to her stat sheet. She was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team, the All-Big 12 First Team and the All-Midwest Region First Team. Following the season, she was honored as a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American.
Walbruch’s career-high season placed her atop the Cougars in goals (16), shots (91) and shots on goal (41). She scored her first career hat trick against Arizona and had four multiple-goal games last season. She led the conference during the Big 12 Tournament with five goals and was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the tournament and given a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Following the season, she was named to the All-Big 12 First Team, All-Midwest Region First Team and became a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American.
After finishing the 2025 season ranked eighth in the Big 12 conference and winning the Big 12 Tournament, the Cougars received a total of 164 votes for a sixth place standing in the 2026 preseason poll. TCU took the top spot for the second year in a row with 13 first place votes and 222 total votes. Colorado took second with 187 votes, West Virginia and Kansas tied for third with 182 votes each and Texas Tech rounded out the top five teams with 180 votes.
The Cougars welcome seven new freshmen and one transfer senior to the 2026 roster.
The Cougars will be back on South Field Saturday evening for an exhibition match against Idaho State at 7 p.m. MT.