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Abilene Christian women’s soccer is gearing up for an exciting 2025 campaign, featuring a competitive mix of challenging road tests and a strong slate of home matches at Elmer Gray Stadium. The Wildcats open the year with a pair of preseason tune-ups, with an intrasquad Purple/White Scrimmage on August 6, followed by a dominant 5-1 exhibition win over the University of the Incarnate Word on August 9.

The regular season kicks off on Thursday, August 14, at UTEP, before a quick turnaround to face New Mexico State on August 17. ACU’s home debut comes August 21 against Tulsa for the Freshman Tailgate — the first meeting between the programs since 2014.

The matchup will help set the tone for the season during the first week of classes, giving fans an early glimpse at what the Wildcats have in store.

On August 24, ACU hosts Houston Christian for She Can Be Day, an event dedicated to empowering women and girls in sports and beyond. Additional non-conference highlights include trips to Oral Roberts (August 28), East Texas A&M (August 31), and North Texas (September 4), plus a First Responders Night clash at home with Northwestern State on September 11.

The final non-conference test comes at Baylor on September 14 — a rematch of the 2023 meeting in which the Big 12 foe came out on top. The Wildcat’s best result against the Bears came in 2019, a hard-fought 2 OT draw.

Western Athletic Conference play begins September 25 with back-to-back road games against defending WAC champion California Baptist and Utah Valley. The Wildcats return home on October 2 for the Purple Game against Utah Tech, followed by Senior Day versus Southern Utah on October 5. League play also features trips to Tarleton State (October 10), Southern Utah (October 16), and Utah Tech (October 19).

A three-game home stretch closes the regular season: Greek Night and Pink Out the Punch against Tarleton State (October 25), Kicks and Treats versus Utah Valley (October 30), and International Day against California Baptist (November 2), celebrating ACU’s diverse campus community.

With a strong mix of experience and new talent, the Wildcats enter 2025 confident in their ability to compete at a high level. Head coach Stephen Salas said the group’s energy and chemistry have already set a positive tone for the year.

RETURNERS

“This is the strong group of seniors who are determined and hungry to lead their team from the front,” said Salas. “With 10 seniors in our leadership group, the standard is high and the expectations even higher. Every position group is primed with experience, leadership, and drive.

Our attack has made massive strides, matching potential with opportunity largely thanks to the development of Associate Head Coach Audrey Adkison. Amelia Legget and Peyton Hill headline the front line after an outstanding spring and preseason, showing the strength, composure, and determination that set the tone for our offense. We have Hannah Vetromile, Nia Leslie, and Raegan Hollis, who will put backlines on their heels with how elusive they are. A creative force and potential breakout player is one of our leading goal scorers from last year, Amelia Miller.

Our midfield is led by our graduate student-athlete, Abby Smith. Her ability to create, along with Emma Nylund and Baylie Simon, will be crucial for us. Baylie and Emma’s consistency in their work ethic is what shines and helps lead our team. Raelin Miller complements her sister’s creativity with her ability to find impact passes and her vision on the ball. We are ecstatic about the versatility in being able to use Hannah Martin in the midfield or backline, and she excels in both. Aliyah Anderson will be a driving force of leadership this season with her ability to mentor tactically and impart wisdom while recovering from injury.

Defensively, we’ve transformed into a unit with a strong backline thanks to assistant coach Kylie Gazza. McCarly Holloman’s relentless work ethic and ability to dominate on both sides of the ball set the tone of our team. Gracie Kelly is ruthless on the backline, as she was one of the top freshmen last year in the WAC and is poised to prove herself again. The goalkeeping position is the strongest and most athletic we’ve had as a staff, and I couldn’t be more proud of the work they’ve put in and keep putting in to serve the team and compete. Lili Ross and Emma Konsmo have grown into their roles of goalkeeping and leadership between the posts.”

NEWCOMERS

With our returners, there are seven first-year students, as well as two transfers who proudly wear the purple and white. 

Shakira Kafero-Roberts, a forward from the United Kingdom, transferred from the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. She started in 14 games her first year with four goals, four assists, and averaged 1092 minutes on the season. Kefero-Roberts will be a substantial addition to the frontline at ACU.

Shelby Hollywood, a standout dual-sport athlete in volleyball and soccer from Salado, Texas, brings an impressive résumé to the collegiate level as an Offensive MVP and recipient of All-Region and All-State honors.

Emma Taylor, hailing from Frisco, Texas, also adds an accomplished background with both All-State and All-Region recognition.

From Olathe, Kansas, Keely Niehues arrives as an Eastern Kansas League Champion with multiple State Tournament appearances under her belt.

The freshman traveling the farthest is Kylie Wilkins from Temecula, California, a former Rookie of the Year who adds a unique regional perspective to the team.

“We have a good balance of players coming in from freshmen and transfers in various positions that will complement our returners well,” Salas said. “Shakira is bringing in international experience, is a transfer freshman of the year, and has already brought a dynamic spark that elevates our attack. When we discussed speed, Shelby Hollywood and Kylie Wilkins added a valuable asset to our team, as they could get behind backlines. Emma Taylor and Keely Niehues bring in much-needed height and have an innate ability to create. 

The other transfer, Katy Gregson, is a Junior originally from Frisco, Texas. She came from Liberty University, where she totaled 14 games in her time as a Flame. Gregson managed to score one goal in 363 minutes. She brings DI experience to the table and will help create a leadership that will help ACU make its way to the top.

Jada Farrigton, a freshman from Leawood, Kansas, balances three sports, lettering all three in high school. Farrington was recognized as Defender of the Year, a regional champion, and an All-State player.

“Our newcomers to our backline will strengthen us for this year and beyond,” Salas said. “Katy Gregson has been key to our backline and team mentality since transferring in the spring. Her ability to dominate anywhere across the backline, coupled with her determined integrity, speaks to our team identity. Jada Farrington is already turning heads with her all-around defensive game and has a bright future as a Wildcat.”

The final newcomer, Bella Medrano, a native of Lubbock, Texas, is one addition to the goalkeeper squad. Being Goalkeeper of the Year, All-District, All-Region, and All-State, she brought aggressiveness to the defense. 

“Bella Medrano is the future of ACU goalkeeping in making clutch saves, is dangerous with her distribution, and can be one of the best goalkeepers for years to come,” said Salas.

I’m excited to watch the growth of this team over each practice, game, and throughout the season, with our focus to win a conference championship as a team. The spring showed us what this team can be, going 6-1 and setting the standard in fitness levels. This team is determined for gritty performances, growth in our sisterhood and leadership, and will compete and be resilient in everything we do.”

ACU will aim to carry momentum into the 2025 WAC Women’s Soccer Tournament, set for November 5–8 in Orem, Utah.

Fans can catch the season opener at UTEP on August 14 at 8 p.m. CT, streamed live on ESPN+ with stats available online.