WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The No. 16 LSU Soccer team is set to officially open the 2026 season on the road Wednesday, August 12 as the Tigers take on No. 18 Wake Forest at 7 p.m. CT inside Spry Stadium.
The matchup will be broadcast nationally on ACC Network with Matt Krause and Morgan Bowens covering the opening-night action on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s contest marks the beginning of another highly anticipated season for LSU following the most successful campaign in program history. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time in 2025 after finishing the season with a 15-6-4 record and tying the program record for most wins in a season. LSU also advanced to the SEC Tournament Championship match for the third time in program history.
Head Coach Sian Hudson enters her seventh season at the helm of the Tigers after leading LSU to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. LSU is set to begin the 2026 campaign ranked No. 16 nationally by United Soccer Coaches and fourth in the SEC.
Live stats and streaming of the match can be found here.
The Tigers return a strong core from last season’s historic squad, led by senior duo and co-captains Kelsey Major and Ava Galligan, junior vice captain Ava Amsden, sophomore Sariyah Bailey and senior goalkeeper Audur Scheving, all of whom were named to the 2026 Preseason SEC Watch List.
Galligan headlines the group after earning First Team All-SEC recognition in 2025. She led LSU with 11 goals and four assists, while her six game-winning goals led the SEC. Bailey earned Third Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman honors following her freshman season.
THE MATCHUP
Wednesday marks just the fourth meeting between LSU and Wake Forest in program history. The Demon Deacons hold a 3-0-0 advantage in the all-time series, with the first meeting coming in 1998.
Wake Forest won last season’s matchup, 1-0, at Spry Stadium on a 32nd-minute goal from Lola Ressler. The Tigers enter the matchup looking to turn the page on last season’s result while opening another challenging non-conference schedule.
Wake Forest enters the season following a 10-4-4 campaign in 2025 that included an 8-0-3 record at home. The Demon Deacons have gone 23-2-8 at home over the last three seasons and have reached four of the last five NCAA Tournaments.
The Deacs return several key contributors from last season, while also welcoming 11 newcomers for the 2026 season, including five transfers and six freshmen. Among the additions are Georgetown graduate transfer forward Henley Tippins, Penn State transfer midfielder Riley Cross, UCLA transfer Sofia Atehortua, Miami transfer defender Taylor Maxwell and San Francisco transfer forward Kaitlyn Sasadeusz.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
This season’s LSU Soccer roster features 27 student-athletes, with a mix of returning veterans, newcomers and international talent. The Tigers return a strong core from last season’s historic NCAA Sweet 16 squad while adding a talented group of freshmen and transfers.
The senior class includes fifth-year seniors Kelsey Major and Allie Fryer along with the traditional seniors of Audur Scheving, Emma Alvord, Brielyn Knowles and Ava Galligan. Fryer transferred to LSU this summer after an accomplished four-year career at BYU, where she scored 30 career goals and earned All-Big 12 First Team honors in 2024.
The junior class consists of Amy Smith, Ava Amsden, Annaleigh Bruser, Senai Rogers, Katelyn Holt and Linka Ono.
The sophomore group includes Maud Ferrière, Ryann Denecour, Sariyah Bailey, Lila Jaillet and Rylie Kuyper while Rakel Sigurðardottir, Ryleigh Albin, Alexia Hansen, Ella Kate Johnston, Berglind Hlynsdottir, Ava Villapando, Mia Conard, Jaya Dern, Kylee Rocha, and Marie Pues make up this year’s freshmen class.
2026 LSU Soccer Roster breakdown by position:
Goalkeepers:
- Katelyn Holt (R-So)
- Rylie Kuyper (R-Fr)
- Audur Scheving (Sr)
- Marie Pues (Fr)
Defense:
- Emma Alvord (Sr)
- Rakel Sigurðardóttir (Fr)
- Ryleigh Albin (Fr)
- Amy Smith (Jr)
- Annaleigh Bruser (R-So)
- Kelsey Major (5th-Sr)
- Lila Jaillet (So)
- Jaya Dern (Fr)
- Kylee Rocha (Fr)
Midfield:
- Maud Ferrière (So)
- Ella Kate Johnston (Fr)
- Ava Villapando (Fr)
- Ava Amsden (Jr)
- Mia Conard (Fr)
- Linka Ono (Jr)
- Brielyn Knowles (R-Jr)
Forwards:
- Alexia Hansen (Fr)
- Ryann Denecour (So)
- Berglind Hlynsdóttir (Fr)
- Sariyah Bailey (So)
- Ava Galligan (Sr)
- Allie Fryer (5th-Sr)
- Senai Rogers (R-So)
LOOKING AHEAD
LSU’s 2026 slate begins this week on the road in Winston-Salem before the Tigers return home to host Northwestern State on Sunday, August 16 at 6 p.m. CT. The squad will also face UCF, Florida Gulf Coast, Arizona State, Arizona and Baylor during non-conference play before beginning SEC action Sept. 11 against Tennessee.
For all information regarding LSU Soccer, visit LSUSports.net and follow the Tigers on social media at @LSUSoccer.