AUGUSTA, Ga. – No. 20 Lander women's soccer was predicted to place third in the Peach Belt Conference in this morning's Preseason Poll, which is voted on by the league's head coaches. Standout goalkeeper
Leah Hayes Coen was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Bearcats head into 2026 on the heels of the most historic campaign in program history a season ago, when they won a record 14 games and reached the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship game for the first time after defeating Francis Marion and Catawba in the First and Second rounds.
Lander returns much of its core unit from last season, including each of its four All-PBC performers in
Peyton Bibbee, Hayes Coen,
Sophia Trio and
Kylie Wilson. Bibbee, Hayes Coen and Wilson were also named All-Southeast Region by United Soccer Coaches.
Among the returners is defensive stalwart
Maddie Leber, who scored the remarkable game-winning goal against Catawba to send the Bearcats to the Southeast Regional Championship.
Paige Bailey returns after leading LU in goals as a freshman.
One of the new Bearcats is sophomore transfer
Saige Peterson from nationally-ranked Truett McConnell University. Peterson started 13 matches and played in 23 for the Bears in 2025 while scoring seven goals with four assists at the forward position. TMU won the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season championship and later competed in the NAIA National Tournament.
Lander opens this season a week from today (Aug. 27) in a 7 p.m. home match versus Anderson. The Bearcats head to Greeneville, Tennessee, two days later on Aug. 29 to face Tusculum at 2 p.m.
Four additional non-conference games follow, including home matches versus Converse on Sep. 2, Wingate on Sep. 5 and Newberry on Sep. 16. The Bearcats will have a chance to avenge their NCAA Tournament loss to Lenoir-Rhyne on the road on Sep. 9 in Hickory, North Carolina.
PBC play, and the final nine contests of the season, begins at home versus Clayton State on Sep. 19. The regular season concludes on Oct. 24 at Georgia College before the PBC Championship commences on Halloween – the top-eight teams in the league will qualify. The semifinals are on Nov. 4 and the championship is scheduled for Nov. 7.
PBC Preseason Poll:
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Columbus State (3) |
73 |
| 2. |
North Georgia (6) |
71 |
| 3. |
Lander |
66 |
| 4. |
GCSU (1) |
57 |
| 5. |
Flagler |
53 |
| 6. |
USC Beaufort |
39 |
| 7. |
USCA |
36 |
| 8. |
Georgia Southwestern |
24 |
| 9. |
Clayton State |
18 |
| 10. |
Middle Georgia |
13 |
