ELON – The Elon women's soccer team kicks off its 2026 season Thursday night against VCU at Rudd Field. The defending CAA champion Phoenix is unbeaten in its last 15 season openers, a streak dating back to 2011.
Elon vs. VCU Briefing
Match Details: Aug. 13 | Elon, N.C. | Rudd Field | 7 p.m.
Admission: Free
The VCU Series
- This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the Phoenix and Rams, with the previous four all ending in ties.
- Elon and VCU met in the season opener for both teams last season. The match ended in a 1-1 tie with Isa Murdock scoring Elon's lone goal. Katie Bisgrove made eight saves in goal for the Phoenix.
- Thursday will be just the second match between Elon and VCU at Rudd. Their only previous matchup at Elon came in 2011 and ended in a scoreless draw.
Preseason Recognition
- Elon was picked to finish first in the CAA South Division on Monday as the conference unveiled its preseason poll.
- The reigning CAA champions received eight of 12 first-place votes in the South to top the preseason poll for the second consecutive season. The Phoenix accrued 62 total points in the poll, the most of any team in either division.
- The Phoenix also had four Preseason All-CAA selections – Bisgrove, Murdock, Grace Gelhaus and Ava Hellner. The four honorees were the most on any team in the conference.
- Bisgrove returns to Elon's net this season after earning All-CAA Third Team and CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors in 2025. The junior goalkeeper set a single-season Elon Division I record last season with nine shutouts, which included a streak of six in a row, the longest by a CAA women's soccer goalkeeper since 2007. Bisgrove led all CAA goalkeepers in save percentage (.869), goals against average (0.78) and saves (106) last season.
- Gelhaus became the first Elon player to win CAA Defender of the Year last season after notching 17 points, the second most on the team and the most by a Phoenix defender since 2013. The senior was one of the top 10 CAA scorers last season, with her seven goals ranking tied for fifth in the conference and earned both All-CAA First Team and All-CAA Tournament Team recognition.
- Hellner is back to anchor Elon's midfield again in 2026 after logging over 1,700 minutes a season ago. The fifth-year midfielder finished with nine points last season with three goals and three assists. All three of her helpers came in conference matches against UNCW, Campbell and Towson.
- Murdock led the Phoenix with a career-high 20 points last season, the most by a Phoenix since 2019, and matched Gelhaus with a team-best seven goals to earn All-CAA Second Team honors. She finished tied for third among CAA scorers in points and tied for fifth in the conference in goals, earning spots on both the All-CAA Second Team and All-CAA Tournament Team.
Defending Champions
- Elon won its second CAA title last fall and its first since the spring 2021 season.
- The Phoenix finished third in the South Division and clinched a CAA Tournament berth with a tie against College of Charleston on the last day of the regular season. Elon rode a six-match unbeaten streak into the postseason.
- Elon started its tournament with a 1-0 road win over William & Mary behind an Ashlee Brehio goal. In the semifinals, the Phoenix eliminated UNCW, the South's top seed, on the road via a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw to advance to the championship match.
- In the CAA final, Elon upended Stony Brook on the road in penalty kicks after a 1-1 decision on Long Island. Bisgrove made 10 saves in the contest to finish Elon's championship run with 28 stops.
- The Phoenix led the CAA last season in goal differential, goals against average, save percentage and shutout percentage. Elon allowed just 16 goals in 21 matches, conceding just 11 times in conference play.
- Elon also had a top-three scoring offense in the conference, netting 1.78 goals per match in CAA play.
Opening Night Notables
- Nonconference Streak: The Phoenix is unbeaten in its last 14 regular season matches against nonconference opponents, a streak dating back to 2023. Elon went 6-0-2 in nonconference play a season ago, shutting out its final seven opponents, including NC State, to set a program record for consecutive shutouts.
- Elon In Season Openers: Elon is 11-0-4 in its last 15 season openers since 2011. Head coach Neil Payne's Elon teams are 6-0-2 in season openers since his debut campaign in 2018, which includes an opening-night draw last season against VCU.
- Back Line Back Again: Elon returns its entire starting back line from a season ago in Gelhaus, Megan Dwyer, Jessica Hill and Alexis Pierce. Hill logged all but 35 minutes last season to lead the Phoenix with 1,895 minutes on the pitch, with Pierce (1,803) and Dwyer (1,547) also logging over 1,500 minutes.
- Key Returners: The Phoenix brings back 84% of its starts from last season's championship roster. Of Elon's 10 players to record 1,000-plus minutes a season ago, eight are back in 2026, including captain Jordan Green. Other notable returners include Jess Beck, Miranda Dumornay, Talia Feigin and Lauren McCauley.
- New Kids On The Block: Elon welcomes six new players this season with three transfers (Anica Carpenter, Alexis Gordon, Gabby Tirado) and three freshmen (Hannah Carlson, Nicole Kleyner, Emerson Rogers).
Scouting VCU
- VCU was picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll and received one first-place vote.
- The Rams are coming off a 7-10-3 campaign in 2025 that featured a 5-4-1 record in conference play. They lost to Rhode Island in the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament.
- Isabelle Franklin returns for her sophomore season after leading the Rams with 12 points (3 goals, 6 assists) last season. Jensyn Lyns also returns after notching 11 points a season ago.
- Midfielder Vivian Vindt is also back for the Rams. She scored VCU's lone goal last season against the Phoenix.
- Mia Pongratz returns to VCU's net after starting all 20 matches last season for the Rams. She posted a 1.85 goals against average and 0.695 save percentage.
- VCU is led by second-year head coach Lauryn Hutchinson. She played for the Rams from 2010-12.
Stay Posted
For further coverage of Elon women's soccer, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonWSoccer), Instagram (elonwsoccer) and Facebook (Elon Women's Soccer).
