COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's soccer team was selected No. 3 in the 2026 RMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll, collecting 131 total points and five first-place votes. The Mountain Lions also placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-RMAC Team, including forward Abby Stassi, midfielder Taylynn Levi, and defender Malia Groshong.
 
Colorado School of Mines narrowly claimed the top spot in the preseason poll with 134 points and three first-place votes, edging out No. 2 Colorado Mesa University, which collected 132 points and matched UCCS with five first-place votes. The Mountain Lions finished just one point back of Colorado Mesa and three points behind Mines to secure the No. 3 position in the poll, rounding out a dominant pack of three teams at the top. Fort Lewis College was selected in the No. 4 position with 109 points, while Regis University (98 points), Westminster University (81 points), Metropolitan State University Denver (71 points), and Colorado Christian University (63 points) rounded out the remaining projected playoff spots in the Nos. 5-8 positions, respectively.
 
The RMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll is voted on by the league's 13 head women's soccer coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team. 
 
The Mountain Lions enter the 2026 campaign looking to build on a strong finish to the 2025 season that saw them make a deep run into the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament. After reaching the semifinal round of the RMAC Tournament, UCCS earned an at-large bid to the national tournament and opened NCAA postseason play with a first-round victory over No. 6 seed Midwestern State University. The Mountain Lions then advanced past No. 2 seed Colorado School of Mines in a penalty kick shootout before falling to top-seeded Dallas Baptist University in the South Central Regional Final.
 
The 2026 edition of the Mountain Lions is set to be anchored by a trio of standout performers that were named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team, including forward Abby Stassi, midfielder Taylynn Levi, and defender Malia Groshong.
 
A senior from Highlands Ranch, Colo., Stassi headlines the Mountain Lions' three Preseason All-RMAC selections after putting together a record-setting 2025 season that culminated in Second Team All-America honors from both United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA. Stassi also garnered First Team All-South Central Region honors from both organizations and collected First Team All-RMAC accolades as she established a new UCCS women's soccer school record with 17 goals on the year. The standout forward finished the campaign ranked second overall in the conference in both goals and points (37) and earned a pair of RMAC Offensive Player of the Week nods throughout the season.
 
Levi also returns to the Mountain Lions following an impressive 2025 season that earned her First Team All-South Central Region honors from United Soccer Coaches, Second Team All-South Central Region recognition from D2CCA, and a spot on the All-RMAC First Team. A midfielder from Colorado Springs, Colo., Levi finished the season ranked fourth on the team with 13 points off three goals and seven assists while recording more than 2,000 minutes of action in the center of the field for the Mountain Lions.
 
Groshong rounds out the Mountain Lions' preseason honorees coming off a 2025 campaign in which she collected United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-South Central Region recognition and Second Team All-RMAC accolades as a defender. An anchor on the UCCS backline, Groshong led all Mountain Lion field players with 2,058 minutes played while leading a defensive unit that limited opponents to just 0.83 goals per game and surrendered more than two goals in only one match throughout the season.
 
UCCS opens the 2026 season at home on Thursday, Aug. 27 as they welcome Point Loma Nazarene University to Mountain Lion Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Following a six-match non-conference slate, the Mountain Lions will begin RMAC play on Thursday, Sept. 17, with a 7 p.m. road contest at Fort Lewis College.
 
2026 RMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll 

Institution (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Colorado School of Mines	134
2. Colorado Mesa	132
3. UCCS	131
4. Fort Lewis	109
5. Regis	98
6. Westminster	81
7. MSU Denver	71
8. Colorado Christian	63
9. CSU Pueblo	55
10. Western Colorado	47
11. Adams State	45
12. Black Hills State	35
13. New Mexico Highlands	13

Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their team.
12 points for a 1st-place vote, 11 for 2nd, etc.
144 points maximum in women's soccer.
 

Pos.	Player	School	Yr.	Hometown
F	Bella Campos (PotY, 1)	Colorado School of Mines	Sr.	Highland Village, Texas
F	Abby Stassi (1)	UCCS	Sr.	Highlands Ranch, Colo.
F	Jenna Salazar (2)	Fort Lewis	Sr.	San Antonio, Texas
F	Fernanda Rodriguez (2)	Regis	Jr.	Vista, Calif.
MF	Taylynn Levi (1)	UCCS	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
MF	Natsuki Murakami (1)	Western Colorado	5th	Oita, Japan
MF	Elsa Nolen (2)	Regis	Sr.	Healdsburg, Calif.
MF	Ann Spence (2)	Fort Lewis	Sr.	Lafayette, Colo.
D	Natalie Rouse (DPotY, 1)	Colorado School of Mines	5th	Carlsbad, Calif.
D	Olivia Barrett (1)	Colorado Mesa	Jr.	Castle Rock, Colo.
D	Sarah Dunn (2)	Colorado Mesa	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
D	Malia Groshong (2)	UCCS	Jr.	Hillsboro, Ore.
GK	Keely Wieczorek (GKotY, 1)	Colorado Mesa	Sr.	Camas, Wash.

Symbols in parentheses are 2025 All-RMAC Recognitions: PotY – was the Player of the Year; DPotY – was the Defensive Player of the Year;
GKotY – was the Goalkeeper of the Year; 1 -was a First Team All-RMAC selection; 2 - was a Second Team All-RMAC selection.
 
For everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to gomountainlions.com.
 
SOCIAL
X – @GoMountainLions
Instagram – @gomountainlions
Facebook – GoMountainLions