By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's soccer has been picked No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II Women's Coaches National Pre-Season Rankings released Tuesday.
Davy Phillips' Ichabods are coming off a 14-4-6 season in 2025, including 8-0-4 in MIAA play, and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals.
Senior defender Lindsey Maul returns for No. 4-ranked Washburn soccer after earning first-team All-MIAA and all-region honors in 2025. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Sophomore Leah Henke is a top returner for No. 4-ranked Washburn University soccer after being named the MIAA freshman of the year last season. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods return a key nucleus of players from last year's team, including first-team All-MIAA picks Lindsey Maul, a senior defender, and Leah Henke, a sophomore forward. Henke was named the MIAA freshman of the year last fall.
Also returning are All-MIAA second-team pick Rilyn Snyder, a senior defender, third-team conference selections Grace Peterson (senior midfielder), Mackinly Rohn (senior midfielder) and Sam Searcey (junior forward) and honorable mention honorees Kate Hinck (sophomore forward) and Lili Everley (sophomore goalkeeper).
Washburn Rural products Rohn and Hinck are two of the five Topekans on the Washburn 2026 roster along with Rural grads Destiny Higgs, a redshirt freshman, and freshman Dayne Shriver, and Hayden freshman Reese Huscher.
Washburn will open its regular season at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 in Yager Stadium against pre-season No. 21 Maryville.
2026 UNITED SOCCER COACHES PRE SEASON POLL
- Florida Tech 15-3-6
- Cal Poly Pomona 14-1-3
- Franklin Pierce University 17-3-5
- Washburn University 14-4-6
- Dallas Baptist University 20-2-0
- West Chester University 16-3-4
- Nova Southeastern University 16-1-4
- Lenoir-Rhyne University 13-5-3
- University of Missouri-St. Louis 15-5-2
- University of Colorado-Colorado Springs 14-3-6
- Thomas Jefferson University 17-3-1
- Colorado School of Mines 14-3-5
- Catawba College 17-1-4
- University of North Georgia 18-3-1
- Minnesota State University-Mankato 18-1-4
- St. Cloud State University 16-3-5
- Shepherd University 12-2-6
- Western Washington University 14-1-7
- Grand Valley State University 19-2-1
- Lander University 14-4-2
- Maryville University of St. Louis 13-3-6
- Ashland University 14-3-5
- Gannon University 16-3-2
- Simon Fraser University 14-3-5
- Mercy University 14-4-3
Also receiving votes:
Point Loma Nazarene University, Columbus State University, Saint Anselm College, California State
University Stanislaus, Colorado Mesa University, Concordia University Irvine, California State UniversityLos Angeles, Francis Marion University, Dominican University of California, Fairmont State University.
(Records shown are final 2025 records)
