PULASKI, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee Southern women's soccer team was selected third in the 2026 Southern States Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll, the league office announced.
The Firehawks earned 173 points and four first-place votes in the poll, trailing only defending SSAC regular-season and tournament champion William Carey and Life University. UT Southern finished ahead of Xavier, Mobile, Point, Dalton State, and the remainder of the 14-team conference field.
The Firehawks enter 2026 among the conference favorites after receiving the second-most first-place votes in the poll. Head Coach Will Austin returns for his 11th season with a veteran coaching staff and a talented roster featuring First Team All-SSAC selections Millie Rayner, Mia Saum, and Kamilia Tayebi, along with a group of promising newcomers.
Austin owns a 173-31-17 career record at UT Southern, good for a program-best .821 winning percentage. Under his leadership, the Firehawks have established themselves as one of the NAIA's premier programs, compiling five NAIA Quarterfinal appearances, two NAIA Second Round appearances, one NAIA Semifinal appearance, and capturing the 2021 NAIA National Championship.
UT Southern posted an 11-6-2 overall record in 2025, finishing third in the conference standings with a 7-3-1 mark in SSAC play and advancing to the SSAC Championship semifinals.
William Carey topped the poll with 187 points and nine first-place votes, while Life placed second with 180 points and one first-place vote. UT Southern's four first-place votes were the second-most of any team in the conference.
The Firehawks will face a challenging schedule in 2026 that includes matchups against several nationally ranked opponents, including preseason No. 3 Embry-Riddle, No. 11 Indiana Wesleyan, No. 15 Lindsey Wilson, No. 9 William Carey, and No. 13 Life.
The top eight teams in the final SSAC standings will qualify for the conference tournament. Opening-round matches will be hosted by the higher seeds on Oct. 30-31, while the tournament semifinals and championship will be contested Nov. 5 at the Emory Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex in Montgomery, Alabama.
2026 SSAC Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll
- William Carey – 187 (9)
- Life – 180 (1)
- UT Southern – 173 (4)
- Xavier – 151
- Mobile – 136
- Point – 121
- Dalton State – 118
- Thomas – 105
- Faulkner – 80
- Brewton-Parker – 72
- Abraham Baldwin – 51
- Blue Mountain – 46
- Wesleyan – 30
- Andrew – 20
The Firehawks open the 2026 season with an exhibition match at UAH on Aug. 16 before officially opening the regular season on Aug. 20 against preseason No. 3 Embry-Riddle at Grissom Pitch.
FOLLOW THE FIREHAWKS
Tap in with everything happening around UT Southern Athletics and keep up with the Firehawks all season long.
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/utsathletics
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utsouthernathletics
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UTSouthernFirehawks
Scores, highlights, announcements, behind-the-scenes content, and more — stay connected and rep the Firehawks everywhere you go. Go Firehawks!
