The Rockhurst women's soccer team was picked to finish sixth in the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Preseason Coaches' Poll as the Hawks prepare to begin the 2026 season released Wednesday (August 26).
Rockhurst finished 8-6-4 overall and 7-4-3 in GLVC play last season and is looking to earn its fifth-straight GLVC Tournament berth and make its first appearance in the GLVC Tournament semifinals since 2019.
Greg Herdlick enters his 28th season as the Hawks' head coach and will lead a veteran group into the 2026 campaign.
"The goal for every start of the season is to qualify for the GLVC conference tournament to continue to play as long as possible," said Herdlick. "I know the current senior class has been disappointed that while making the GLVC Tournament in all their years, we haven't won our first-round matchups.
"That will be motivation for the seniors which will hopefully spill over throughout the rest of the team this season," Herdlick continued. "However, we must perform well during the conference season and get there first."
Rockhurst returns several key contributors from last season despite losing Anna Lantz, a Division II Conference Commission Association (D2CCA) Second Team All-American and the program's all-time leader in goals and points.
Senior midfielder Caitlyn Smith leads the group of returners after finishing second on the team in goals (eight), points (18) and shots (45, with 24 on goal) in 2025. Smith earned All-GLVC First Team, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, D2CCA All-Region First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team honors last season.
Junior defender Kaitlyn Hobart and sophomore forward Lexi Matzke also return after earning Second Team All-GLVC honors in 2025. Hobart helped Rockhurst post six shutouts while ranking second on the team in minutes played with 1,550. Matzke finished third on the team with 11 points, including two goals and a team-leading seven assists.
Other returning midfielders include juniors Alexis Cates and Julia Witt. Senior Jacie Tottleben and junior Elizabeth Mertzlufft return as forwards, while junior Lucy Molitor and seniors Quinn Conroy and Sydney Schmidt return to help anchor the defense alongside Hobart. Madison Mertzlufft returns at goalkeeper as a junior.
"We have several newcomers that will potentially crack the starting lineup or at least provide much needed depth throughout all positions," Herdlick said.
"The newcomers have meshed well and are making contributions at each and every position," Herdlick continued. "It has been encouraging to watch the team come together during this preseason. We have really focused this preseason on creating a solid team culture that will hopefully help us throughout the season."
The Hawks open the 2026 season with a pair of matches in Kearney, Nebraska. Rockhurst faces Nebraska Kearney on Friday, Aug. 28, at 2 p.m. before finishing the weekend against Fort Hays State on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 11 a.m.
Rockhurst then travels to Emporia State for a Sept. 2 matchup at 4 p.m. before returning home to host conference foe Indianapolis on Sept. 5 at noon. The match against Indianapolis will serve as Rockhurst's home opener and GLVC opener.
