San Antonio, Texas- After one of its strongest seasons in recent years, the Our Lady of the Lake University women's soccer team enters the 2026 season with momentum, an experienced roster and high expectations under third-year head coach Lee Williams.

The Saints are coming off a successful 2025 campaign in which they posted a 12-5-2 overall record and an impressive 8-2-1 mark in Red River Athletic Conference play. OLLU earned a berth in the RRAC Tournament and advanced to the conference semifinals after defeating Texas A&M University-Victoria 4-0 in the quarterfinals before falling to Xavier. Throughout the season, the Saints showcased their ability to compete at a high level with dominant victories over North American (9-0), Texas College (8-0), Jarvis Christian (6-0), A&M-Victoria (6-0), Louisiana Christian (4-0) and Southwest (5-1).

The 2026 season marks Williams' third year leading the Saints. With more than 25 years of coaching experience, Williams brings a wealth of knowledge from the collegiate, professional and academy levels. A native of Swansea, Wales, he has coached across 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 to the Saints coaching staff, continuing to play an important role in the development of the program and its student-athletes.

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 another successful campaign.

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 continue to showcase the program's broad recruiting reach, featuring student-athletes from across Texas as well as international talent from Italy, Germany, England and New Zealand. The combination of experienced upperclassmen and emerging young talent provides OLLU with a balanced roster entering the new season.

The 2026 schedule will once again challenge the Saints against quality competition. OLLU opens the preseason at St. Mary's University on Aug. 14 before hosting its annual Alumni Game on Aug. 16. The nonconference slate also features matchups against Oklahoma City, Science & Arts, Huston-Tillotson, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar before conference play begins Sept. 24 against LSU Shreveport.

The Saints will navigate another demanding Red River Athletic Conference schedule with matchups against Texas A&M-Texarkana, Louisiana Christian, LSU Alexandria, the University of the Southwest, Texas College, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, A&M-Victoria and North American. OLLU concludes the regular season at home against North American on Oct. 24 before setting its sights on another postseason run.

With a successful season behind them, a veteran core returning and another year of experience under Williams' leadership, the Saints enter 2026 focused on building upon last year's accomplishments. OLLU has established itself as one of the conference's top contenders, and the program will look to carry that momentum into another season with its sights set on competing for a Red River Athletic Conference championship and making another deep postseason run.