By OkayGoal
Earlier this month, United Soccer Coaches announced the Defenders on its list of NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch for the 2026 intercollegiate season. Every few days, United Soccer Coaches will announce the remaining position groups.
Bella Ayscue
Bella Ayscue is a junior at Penn State University and is originally from Apex, N.C. She joined the Nittany Lions in 2024 and played in every match during her freshman season. Penn State is looking to continue their success into 2026 after making to the second round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.
Hailey Baumann
Hailey Baumann is a senior at the University of Wisconsin. Baumann’s hometown is South Lyon, Mich and she has been playing for the Badgers since 2023. She has been a starter since her freshman year and hopes to make another postseason push for Wisconsin. The Badgers are currently ranked No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.
Taylor Bloom
Taylor Bloom is a graduate student at the University of South Carolina. She is originally from Huntington Beach, Calif., and played her first season with the Gamecocks in 2025. Before transferring to South Carolina, Bloom played at Pepperdine. In 2025, South Carolina lost in the first round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, but will look to bounce back in 2026.
Morgan Brown
Morgan Brown is a junior at Texas Christian University (TCU) and is originally from Wylie, Texas. She has been playing for the Horned Frogs since 2024 and has been a starter for the majority of her collegiate career. Brown is coming off an impressive 2025 season as TCU played in the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship semifinal.
Amelia Campanella
Amelia Campanella is a senior at the University of South Alabama. She is from Canada, specifically Ottawa, Ont. She has been playing for the Jaguars since 2023 and has started almost every match she has appeared in. During her junior season, she played a team-high of 1,608 minutes and ranked No. 7 in the nation in shutout percentage.
Caroline Castans
Caroline Castans is a senior at the University of Kansas. Her hometown is Flower Mound, Texas, and she has spent her whole collegiate career playing for the Jayhawks. Last season, she helped them reach the quarterfinal of the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship. Kansas currently sits at No. 15 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.
Fernanda Dantas
Fernanda Dantas is a junior at the University of Oklahoma and is originally from Salvador, Brazil. She started her collegiate career at Marshall College, where she was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team in 2025. Dantas will begin her first season with the Sooners this fall with the hopes of helping Oklahoma make their first tournament appearance since 2016.
Isabelle (Izzy) De Buyl
Izzy De Buyl is a redshirt sophomore at Santa Clara University. She’s from Overland Park, Kansas, and had a standout freshman season with the Broncos. In 2025, De Buyl made the Third Team All-West Region, WCC All-Freshman Team, and was an All-WCC Honorable Mention. In her sophomore year, she hopes to continue her dominance and push Santa Clara into the postseason.
Featured image via Matthew Kemper/The Daily Collegian.