Jacob Kisamore

Women's Soccer 8/15/2025 2:00:00 PM Elon Athletics

Phoenix Welcomes VMI To Rudd For Home Opener

ELON – After opening the season on the road Thursday night, the Elon University women's soccer team (0-0-1) returns to Rudd Field for its first home contest Sunday against VMI (0-1-0). The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.

Elon vs. VMI Briefing
Match Details: Aug. 17, 2025 | Elon, N.C. | Rudd Field | 7 p.m.
Watch: FloCollege
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Admission: Free
Elon Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Numbers to Know
VMI Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats

The VMI Series

Elon and VMI have played just once before. The matchup came in 2012 at VMI.
The Phoenix scored two goals in both the first and second halves of a 4-0 victory. Elon had four different goal scorers and three different players with an assist.
Kate Murphy made four saves in goal for the Phoenix to finish with a clean sheet.

Last Time Out

Elon kicked off its 2025 campaign Thursday night in Richmond against VCU, with the Phoenix and Rams battling to a 1-1 draw.
Isa Murdock scored Elon's first goal of the season in the 34th minute. After receiving the ball near midfield from Gabby Hoschek, Murdock worked her way into VCU territory, evaded a defender and found the bottom left corner of the net. The effort was Elon's first shot on goal of the season.
Elon took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but the Rams pushed back after the break, generating several quality scoring chances. Katie Bisgrove made six of her eight saves on the night in the second half, with four coming in the first 15 minutes of the frame.
VCU finally broke through with the tying goal in the 77th minute when Vivian Vendt curled a ball past Bisgrove and into the top left corner of the net.
The Phoenix generated three corner opportunities in the game's final 13 minutes, but the tilt ultimately finished in a 1-1 tie.
Bisgrove's eight saves matched her career high, which she set at Towson last season.
With the result, Elon extended its unbeaten streak in season openers to 15, as the Phoenix has not lost on opening day since 2010. Head coach Neil Payne improved to 6-0-2 in season openers with the Phoenix.

Preseason Accolades

Elon was picked to finish first in the new CAA South Division, as the conference unveiled its preseason polls earlier this week. The Phoenix received nine of 12 first place votes and garnered 63 total points in the vote by the league's head coaches.
The Phoenix also had three players earn Preseason All-CAA recognition. Junior defender Grace Gelhaus and sophomore goalkeeper Katie Bisgrove earned a spot on the Preseason All-CAA Team while junior midfielder Gabby Hoschek was tabbed a Preseason All-CAA honorable mention.
Gelhaus was an All-CAA First Team selection a season ago after making 16 starts in 18 appearances for the Phoenix. She led Elon's defenders in goals (2), assists (3) and points (7) while logging the full 90 minutes on seven occasions. In Elon's CAA quarterfinal victory over College of Charleston, Gelhaus assisted on Elon's opening goal and notched the game-winning tally in the final five minutes to lift the Phoenix to a 2-1 victory.
Bisgrove earned All-CAA Rookie Team honors as a freshman in 2024. She made 15 starts in net for the Phoenix, delivering 10 victories, the second most by an Elon freshman in the program's Division I tenure. Bisgrove secured 66 saves in her rookie campaign and had 5.5 shutouts, one of just 15 Division I freshmen to register five or more clean sheets last season. She took home CAA Rookie of the Week on Sept. 23 following a five-save outing in a 2-1 victory over Northeastern.
Hoschek appeared in all 18 contests for Elon is 2024 on her way to earning All-CAA Second Team recognition. She totaled four goals, three assists and 11 points a season ago, with four of those points (1g, 2a) coming in Elon's 4-2 triumph at Wofford. The midfielder also netted goals against Gardner-Webb, Northeastern and Hofstra.
Gelhaus and Hoschek both played the full 90 minutes in Elon's season opener at VCU on Thursday, with Bisgrove starting in goal for the Phoenix.

2024 In Review

Elon is coming off a stellar 13-4-1 season in 2024 that included a trip to the semifinals of the CAA Championship.
The 13 victories were the most for Elon since also winning 13 in 2013. It was also the most wins for the Phoenix under head coach Neil Payne, besting the previous high of 12 victories in 2019.
The Phoenix went 7-3 in conference play a season ago and posted a 6-1-1 record at Rudd Field.
Elon began the campaign 8-0-1 and did not suffer a defeat until Oct. 3. The Phoenix delivered six shutouts and outscored its opponents, 31-17.
The Phoenix finished third in the CAA regular season standings and won its CAA Tournament quarterfinal against College of Charleston. Elon fell in the semifinals to eventual champion and tournament host Stony Brook.
Gelhaus earned All-CAA First Team honors with Hoschek and Kennedy Jones making the All-CAA Second Team. Rachel Buckle was selected to the All-CAA Third Team and Bisgrove received All-CAA Rookie Team accolades.

Meet The Phoenix: Returners

Elon returns 20 players from last season, which includes Bisgrove, Gelhaus and Hoschek, all of whom earned Preseason All-CAA recognition.
Murdock and senior Ashlee Brehio are back for the Phoenix this season after they both scored five goals a year ago. Brehio finished tied for second on the team last season with 12 points and tallied 15 goals in her first three seasons with the Phoenix. Murdock returned last season after missing the 2023 campaign due to injury, notching 11 points.
Another key returner is redshirt junior midfielder Ava Hellner, who notched seven points (2g, 3a) in 2024. She played in all 18 games a season ago, logging the full 90 minutes on seven occasions. Hellner started Elon's season opener at VCU on Thursday and played the full 90 minutes.
Juniors Jordan Green and Lauren McCauley are back for the Phoenix this season. Green appeared in all 18 games in 2024, tallying two assists, while McCauley netted three goals in 17 appearances. Green started and played the full 90 minutes for the Phoenix on Thursday at VCU.
Sophomores Jessica Hill and Jess Beck also return for Elon following productive debut campaigns. Hill started 16 contests on the back line in 2024, logging 1,454 minutes, while Beck made nine appearances and scored her first career goal in a conference win over William & Mary. Hill played all 90 minutes for Elon against VCU on Thursday.
Returners Megan Dwyer and Alexis Pierce both started on Elon's back line Thursday against VCU. Pierce was one of six Elon players to play the full 90 minutes, while it was Dwyer's second career start.

Meet The Phoenix: Newcomers

The Phoenix welcomes a trio of transfers to the fold this season.
Gia Milano comes to Elon following two seasons at Seton Hall. She appeared in 33 matches with the Pirates as a midfielder and defender and made her debut for Elon on Thursday at VCU, logging 21 minutes as a reserve
Junior Talia Feigin spent the last two seasons at Houston, appearing in eight contests in both 2023 and 2024. She scored her first collegiate goal in 2023 against Louisiana Tech. Feigin started Elon's season opener at VCU, playing 36 minutes.
After two seasons at Maryland, Isabel DiPrima joins the Phoenix in 2024 as a midfielder. She played in 21 matches across two seasons with the Terrapins, which included six starts as a freshman.
Elon also welcomes five freshmen to the team this season – Abby Brinker, Miranda Dumornay, Emma Geha, Charlise Grimes and Lilly McFadden. Brinker made her collegiate debut Thursday at VCU, tallying 32 bench minutes.

New Look CAA Soccer

Starting in 2025, the CAA will feature two divisions for women's soccer – a North and South Division.
Elon is part of the South Division alongside Campbell, College of Charleston, Hampton, UNCW and William & Mary.
The Phoenix will face all five South Division teams in the regular season along with four teams from the North Division.
At the end of the regular season, the top three teams from each division will qualify for the CAA Championship. The top seed in each division will receive a by to the semifinals while the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in both the North and South will clash in the quarterfinals.

Elon In Home Openers

Elon is unbeaten in its last 14 home openers with a 9-0-5 record dating back to the 2011 season. During Payne's tenure, the Phoenix is 6-0-1 in home openers.
In the seven home openers under Payne, Elon has outscored its opponents 12-0. The lone draw in a home opener in the Payne era was a 0-0 result against UNCG in 2018.
Elon's last loss in a home opener came in 2010 when the Phoenix fell 2-0 against Virginia Tech.
With a win Sunday, Elon would stretch its unbeaten streak in home openers to 15, which would match the streak in season openers the Phoenix extended Thursday at VCU.

Home Sweet Home

Sunday will be Elon's first match this season at Rudd Field after going 6-1-1 at home in 2024.
In eight home contests last season, Elon outscored its opponents, 14-3. The Phoenix did not concede a goal at Rudd until its sixth home game against William & Mary on Oct. 10. Elon went just over 521 minutes before allowing its first goal at home on the season to the Tribe.
The six home triumphs last season matched the most by Elon under Payne. The Phoenix also won six games at Rudd in 2019 and 2022.

Scouting VMI

The Keydets enter Sunday with a 0-1-0 record after dropping their season opener to Richmond on Thursday, 5-0.
Freshman goalkeeper Maren Ryberg made seven saves in her collegiate debut. Riley Boucher led VMI with three shots with Barrett Callejo adding two.
Of VMI's 10 shot attempts against the Spiders, eight were on target.
The Keydets were picked to finish 10th in the Southern Conference preseason poll after going 6-11-2 last season.
Boucher (9) and Callejo (4) led the Keydets in goals a season ago. Gianna De Cicco and Cadee Hegarty are also back in 2025 after pacing VMI with four assists apiece last season.
VMI returns four of seven players that logged over 1,000 minutes last season – Callejo, Caroline Marini, Katelyn Redlinger and Cameron Jones.
The Keydets are led by first-year head coach Jim Robbins, who became the program's fifth head coach following a stint as the head coach of the USL W League's South GA Tormenta FC in Statesboro, Georgia.

Stay Posted
For further coverage of Elon women's soccer, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonWSoccer), Instagram (elonwsoccer) and Facebook (Elon Women's Soccer).

--ELON--

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Players Mentioned

#24 Kennedy Jones: MF; 5' 6"; Senior

#2 Katie Bisgrove: GK; 5' 7"; Sophomore

#4 Ashlee Brehio: MF; 5' 2"; Senior

#6 Grace Gelhaus: D; 5' 7"; Junior

#7 Isa Murdock: F; 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior

#10 Rachel Buckle: D; 5' 4"; Senior

#12 Ava Hellner: MF; 5' 6"; Redshirt Junior

#14 Jessica Hill: D; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#16 Jordan Green: D/MF; 5' 4"; Junior

#17 Lauren McCauley: F/MF; 5' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#24 Kennedy Jones
: 5' 6"; Senior
: MF

#2 Katie Bisgrove
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: GK

#4 Ashlee Brehio
: 5' 2"; Senior
: MF

#6 Grace Gelhaus
: 5' 7"; Junior
: D

#7 Isa Murdock
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#10 Rachel Buckle
: 5' 4"; Senior
: D

#12 Ava Hellner
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Junior
: MF

#14 Jessica Hill
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: D

#16 Jordan Green
: 5' 4"; Junior
: D/MF

#17 Lauren McCauley
: 5' 6"; Junior
: F/MF