Tweet #theGAC  RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. –  On Tuesday, the Great American Conference released the results of the 2025 women’s soccer preseason coaches poll. Harding collected four first-place votes to enter the season as the favorite.

The Lady Bisons went 6-4-2 in league play a season ago, their best regular season since 2018. They return six 2024 All-GAC selections in Kloey Fullerton, Calle Citty, Skylar Henley, Maysa Willis, Whitney Thomas and Regan Thompson. Fullerton and Thomas ranked second on the team with seven points. Willis posted a 1.00 goals-against average with five shutouts.

Southern Nazarene received a first-place vote and placed second in the poll. The Crimson Storm bring back the Adison Johnson, the 2024 GAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Ella Adams, the reigning Newcomer of the Year. Johnson led a Crimson Storm defense that paced the conference in shutouts, nine, and goals-against average, 0.83. Adams netted two goals and tallied seven points. Bella Morgas, a First-Team All-GAC forward, led the Crimson Storm with 11 points. Second-Team All-GAC midfielder Sam Smith and Honorable Mention goalkeeper Gianna Bonnett also return. Bonnett led the GAC in goals-against average, 0.84, and shutouts, eight.

Ouachita Baptist collected two first-place votes to finish third in the voting. A season ago, the Tigers won their first GAC regular-season title and went on to claim their first GAC Championship title. The bring back First-Team All-GAC forward Reese Brown who tallied four goals and four assists. Allison Reece made the All-GAC Second Team and the All-Tournament Team after scoring five goals and 11 points. Madi Vana also returns after placing on the All-Tournament Team.

Oklahoma Baptist claimed fourth, one point behind the Tigers. The Bison bring back three 2024 All-GAC selections in Lex Williamson, Sam Sheffield and Chloe Monroe. Williamson scored three goals, including a game winner against Ouachita Baptist. Sheffield’s four assists ranked second on the team

East Central and Southwestern Oklahoma State tied for fifth. Two Tigers - defender Emily Cavazos and goalkeeper Madison Mayhall - return after making the Honorable Mention All-GAC Team a season ago as freshmen. SWOSU’s Julie Andersen made the All-GAC First Team as a defender. The Bulldogs also bring back forward Hannah Gutierrez, midfielder Ashlyn Stigall   and goalkeeper Terra Rybuck.

Northwestern Oklahoma State rounded out the ranking. Carla Briscoe ascended from assistant coach following three years as an assistant to Alex Piekarski.

The 2025 regular season begins on Thursday, September 4 when five schools - East Central, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Baptist, Southern Nazarene and Southwestern Oklahoma State - open play. Ouachita Baptist starts the following day. The favored Lady Bisons debut with Northeastern State on Sunday, September 7. The GAC Championship takes place on Friday, November 14 and Sunday, November 16 at the site of the regular-season champion.