Missouri Valley University’s women’s soccer team will begin the 2026 season with high expectations after earning the No. 6 spot in the NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll.
The preseason ranking, released Wednesday, places the Vikings among the nation’s top teams heading into the new campaign. Missouri Valley enters the season after an outstanding 2025 season in which the team posted an 18-1-4 record and went undefeated during the regular season.
The Vikings also remained unbeaten in Heart of America Athletic Conference play last season. Their strong campaign continued through the conference postseason, where Missouri Valley captured its second Heart Postseason Championship since 2023.
The team then advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2025 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship.
Vikings Continue National Success
Missouri Valley has established itself as one of the most consistent programs in NAIA women’s soccer. The Vikings have appeared in 54 of the previous 56 national coaches’ polls dating back to the 2020 season.
The team has also maintained a spot in the national top 10 since the 2025 preseason poll, making the No. 6 ranking another sign of the program’s continued success.
Two other Heart of America Athletic Conference programs also earned spots in the preseason Top 25. MidAmerica Nazarene is ranked No. 15, while Central Methodist comes in at No. 18.
Missouri Valley will face five opponents that entered the season ranked in the preseason poll. The Vikings open against No. 17 Southeastern of Florida before traveling to face No. 24 Columbia in Missouri on Sept. 1. They will then travel to No. 4 Oklahoma Wesleyan on Sept. 5.
Conference play will bring additional ranked matchups, with Missouri Valley scheduled to host No. 18 Central Methodist on Oct. 7 and No. 15 MidAmerica Nazarene on Oct. 27.
Season Opens Monday in Marshall
The Vikings will begin their season at home Monday at 7 p.m. against Southeastern. The matchup will be played inside Volney C. Ashford Stadium in Marshall, Missouri.
With a national ranking, a successful returning program and several ranked opponents ahead, Missouri Valley enters the season with plenty of attention surrounding the team. The Vikings will look to build on last year’s conference championship run and make another deep postseason push.
For fans in Marshall and supporters of Missouri Valley athletics, the season opener provides the first opportunity to see the sixth-ranked team in the country begin its latest campaign.
