RICHARDSON, Texas - UT Dallas graduate student
Melyna Martinez was honored as the Lone Star Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, while the Comts were picked fourth in the LSC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, the league announced Wednesday.
The Comets received 557 points and one first-place vote after finishing in fourth place with a 12-3-3 overall mark and a 9-3-2 record in conference play.
DBU was predicted to repeat as LSC champions with 662 points and 38 of the 45 first-place votes, followed by Midwestern State with 583 points and two first-place votes. Texas Woman's was third in the 15-team poll with 581 points and three first-place nods.
Stephen Shirley, entering his fourth season at the helm of the Comets, returns seven starters and 15 total players from last year's squad.
Having been granted full-member status in NCAA Division II in July, UTD will be able to compete in the postseason for the first time since 2023.
Along with Martinez, two more Comets were among the 42 student-athletes listed on the LSC's Player to Watch list - senior forward/midfielder
Gabby Thompson and senior defender/midfielder
Kaley Robison.
Martinez, from San Antonio, Texas, was the 2025 LSC Goalkeeper of the Year at Angelo State. She also earned All-South Central Region honors last season. She started all 19 games and posted 59 saves, a 0.70 goals against average, an .819 save percentage and six shutouts.
Thompson, from Whitehouse, Texas, was an All-LSC First Team and Second Team All-Region selection in 2025. She led the Comets with 12 goals, including an LSC-leading four game-winners, to go with five assists.
Robison, from Argyle, Texas, missed most of the 2025 season with an injury. She has contributed to six shutouts as a defender or midfielder in her UTD career and was the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Year at Dallas College-Brookhaven in 2023.
Also returning are seniors
Elizabeth Campos,
Viviana Duarte,
Kyleigh D'Spain,
Nailea Lorenzo and
Madison Carney; juniors
Natalie Garcia,
Jules Chavez,
Lyla Nielsen and
Amelia Griffin; and sophomores
Julia Rutter,
Cori Harper,
Kira Schkade,
Grace Pritchard,
Maya Walker,
Ava Ramos,
Amy Escorza and
Kaitlyn Rush. Chavez was an All-LSC Third Team selection last season, while Schkade and Walker were named to the LSC All-Freshman Team.
Joining the Comets for the 2026 campaign are transfers
Dawson Marrs,
Emma Best,
Abby Hendy,
Mariah Lewis,
Linzy Villa,
Ella Spiller,
Kate Palmieri and
Haley Pazahanick, along with freshmen
Ella Kelley,
Joy Bryner,
Avery Riley,
Erika Montes,
Madi Guay,
Ava Gilkes and
Natalie Esparza. Best and Spiller were all-conference selections for Lubbock Christian last season. Hendy was an All-American for Delta College in Michigan.
The Comets will play their final exhibition games this Friday and Saturday against Austin and East Texas Baptist, respectively, at the UTD Soccer Field. The regular season will start on August 27 with a trip to the Aloha State. They will take on Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade, then take on Oklahoma Baptist and Missouri Southern State on the road during the first week of September. The LSC schedule begins on September 9 at home against Angelo State, the first of seven home contests. The final home game of the year will be on October 24 against West Texas A&M. The Comets will play at #5 DBU on October 7.
The eight-team LSC women's soccer tournament will be held Oct. 30 (first round), Nov. 2 (quarterfinals), Nov. 5 (semifinals) and Nov. 8 (final). The first round and quarterfinal matches are played at the site of the higher seed. The semifinals and final rounds are hosted by the No. 1 seed.
Check out UTD's
schedule page and
promotions schedule for more information.
All LSC soccer regular season and tournament matches can be viewed live on
FloCollege. Monthly, yearly and family subscriptions are available.
LSC Release
