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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Murray State
Soccer Begins 2026 Campaign Against Murray State
8/11/2026 | Soccer
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss Soccer enters a new era this week as the Todd Shulenberger Era begins on Wednesday against Murray State. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Oxford.
QUICK KICKS
- Ole Miss opens its 2026 season against Murray State on Wednesday.
- The Rebels and Racers last met in September of 2019. Wednesday will be just the fourth meeting all-time. Ole Miss leads the series, 3-0
- Todd Shulenberger begins his first season at Ole Miss after being named the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 1, 2025.
- Newcomer Isabella Pontieri named to Hermann Trophy 2026 NCAA Division I Midfielders watch list.
- Paxton Bock, Ava Ghoreishi, Audrey Shackelford, Jenna Studer, and Alena Watts were selected to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watchlist.
- Ole Miss welcomes 17 newcomers to the 2026 roster.
- Ramsden returns after leading Ole Miss with four goals, nine points, 24 shots and three penalty-kick goals in 2025.
- Taylor Prigge returns to the goalkeeper room after posting a team-best .750 save percentage across five appearances last season.
A NEW ERA
Ole Miss begins a new chapter in 2026 under first-year head coach Todd Shulenberger, who was named the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 1, 2025.
Shulenberger came to Oxford after 11 seasons at Washington State, where he became the winningest coach in program history with a 113-67-34 record. He led the Cougars to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program’s first College Cup appearance in 2019.
During his time at Washington State, Shulenberger coached 43 all-conference selections and 10 players who were drafted into the NWSL or USL Super League.
SCOUTING REPORT: MURRAY STATE
Murray State comes to Oxford after finishing the 2025 season 10-4-5 overall and 5-1-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Racers closed the year unbeaten in their final seven matches, going 5-0-2 during that stretch. Murray State scored 25 goals on 307 shots last season while holding opponents to 21 goals and recording eight shutouts. The Racers were led offensively by Mary Hardy, who tallied six goals, five assists and 17 points, while Breece Bass added four goals, four assists and a team-high 62 shots. Murray State is led by first-year head coach Ben Madsen, who was named the fifth head coach in program history after spending 14 seasons at Auburn.
A GLANCE AT 2025
Ole Miss finished the 2025 season 4-8-3 overall, including a 3-3-2 record at home. The Rebels went 4-1 in non-conference play and began the year with wins in four of their first five matches.
The Rebels scored 13 goals in 2025, with eight of those goals coming from players who return to the 2026 roster. Ole Miss also recorded four shutouts, including three straight clean sheets against Southern Miss, UT Martin and Louisiana.
RETURNING PRODUCTION
Katie Ramsden returns after leading Ole Miss in goals, points, shots and shots on goal in 2025. Ramsden started all 15 matches and finished the season with four goals, one assist, nine points, 24 shots and 11 shots on goal.
Sarah Granno also returns after finishing second on the team with two goals and five points. Tate Blincoe and Evie Ewing each scored one goal last season, giving the Rebels four returning goal scorers from the 2025 roster.
BETWEEN THE POSTS
The Ole Miss goalkeeper room features Taylor Prigge, Anna Claire Jacobi and Sienna Smart in 2026.
Prigge returns after appearing in five matches and making four starts last season. She posted a team-best .750 save percentage, made 21 saves and recorded one shutout. Jacobi comes to Oxford from Appalachian State, while Smart joins the Rebels from Michigan.
ROSTER RESET
The Rebels enter the 2026 season with a 30-player roster that features a mix of returning experience, transfer additions and high school signees.
A total of 14 transfers and three true freshman round out the 17 newcomers. The roster includes student-athletes from 16 states, as well as Katie Ramsden, a native of Leeds, England.
TRANSFER TRAIL
Ole Miss enters 2026 with a roster that features a strong transfer presence, including eight players who followed Todd Shulenberger from Washington State.
Audrey Shackelford, Keira Mitchell, Alena Watts, Maizy Kluksdal, Ava Ghoreishi, Becca Skinner, Isabelle Wright and Jenna Studer all list Washington State as their previous college.
HERMANN WATCH
Isabella Pontieri became the latest Rebel to earn national preseason recognition after being named to the 2026 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch List by United Soccer Coaches.
Pontieri was one of 45 midfielders added to the watch list and one of seven from the SEC. The North Florida transfer came to Oxford after playing in 57 matches from 2023-25, scoring 14 goals and adding 12 assists over more than 2,700 minutes.
In 2025, Pontieri earned first-team All-ASUN honors after leading the conference in assists, shots on goal, total shots and game-winning goals. She finished the season with 10 assists, 44 shots on goal, 101 total shots, five game-winning goals and eight goals.
PRESEASON NODS
Ole Miss had five players selected to the 2026 SEC Soccer Preseason Watch List, with Paxton Bock, Ava Ghoreishi, Audrey Shackelford, Jenna Studer and Alena Watts earning recognition from the league office.
All five Rebels are in their first season at Ole Miss. Bock comes to Oxford after spending two seasons at SMU, while Ghoreishi, Shackelford, Studer and Watts all transferred from Washington State. Shackelford earned All-WCC Second Team honors in 2025 after scoring two goals and adding four assists, while Studer enters the season with 75 career matches and more than 5,000 minutes played.
STAY CONNECTED
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Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on X at @OleMissSoccer, on the Ole Miss Soccer Facebook page, and on Instagram at @officialolemisssoccer.
