Lady Wildcats Look to Build New Identity in 2026

Aird Enters 27th Season Leading Bethel Women's Soccer Program

MCKENZIE, Tenn. – A new season will bring a new look and a new identity for the Bethel University Lady Wildcats as the women's soccer program prepares for the 2026 campaign.

Longtime head coach Misty Aird enters her 27th season leading the Lady Wildcats. Aird has compiled an overall career record of 277-197-28, including a 76-65-11 mark in conference play, while establishing Bethel women's soccer as one of the university's most recognized athletic programs.

The 2026 season, however, will be about more than past accomplishments. After graduating a large and experienced group from last year's squad, Aird and the Lady Wildcats will enter the fall looking to establish a new identity with a combination of veteran leadership and a talented group of newcomers.

"We are really excited to have a fresh start and create a new identity," Aird said. "We are going to evolve as a team and create a whole new vision."

Veteran Leadership Will Be Important

The Lady Wildcats return a core group that will be counted on to provide leadership throughout the season.

Returning players include Briley Ross, Addie Schumacher, Hadley Looper, Ximena Castro, Jacqueline Carbajal-Salmeron, Luiza Rodrigues, Montserrat Sandlaudio, Tiara Oolo, Tinotenda Taurai, Abbie Lessentine, Hannah Dellingham and Valerie Flores.

The returning starters include Ross, Schumacher, Looper, Castro, Rose Boicht, Zainab Manneh, and Carbajal-Salmeron.

Bethel's senior class features Looper, Castro, Schumacher, Ross, and Flores. Looper, Ross, Schumacher, and Castro will serve as team captains.

Aird believes the leadership of the veteran group will be critical as the Lady Wildcats bring together a roster with several new faces.

"I think our seniors have done a good job stepping into leadership roles," Aird said. "We are on the same page on how we want to cultivate this team. We have a vision of teamwork and dedication and a new vision for our season."

A New-Look Roster

Bethel lost a significant amount of experience from last season, including Tacia Austin, Audrey Larue, Anna - McCall Johnson, Alba Lopez, Kelley Nunes, Hilda Moyo, Leni Volker, Jana Faude, Paula Pinilla, Anahi Tagle, Johanna Veldhuizen and Vivianna Villalobos.

Aird said competition will be wide open at virtually every position as the Lady Wildcats work through preseason training.

"We graduated a large portion of our team," Aird said. "Those players had experience, but we are excited about having a fresh start and are looking forward to the younger players stepping up in big roles."

The Lady Wildcats welcome Lola Guerin, Maria Carrico, Megan Murphy, Manon Petit, Iness Brocaille, Natasha Muchakati, Isabella MessinaDaSilva, Shrin Guzman, Juliana Gallardo and Amelia Benton to the program.

With so many new players competing for playing time, Aird is eager to see who emerges during preseason training and the early portion of the schedule.

"We are really excited about them," Aird said of the newcomers. "We have had some meetings this summer, and everyone seems to be ready to go and has bought into our vision."

Still, the Lady Wildcats enter the season without predetermined roles throughout much of the lineup. Aird sees that competition as an opportunity for players to step forward.

"Every position is open because it is a new team," she said. "We are open to seeing who is going to step up and lead this team."

Tough Schedule Designed to Prepare Lady Wildcats

As has traditionally been the case under Aird, Bethel will face a challenging schedule designed to prepare the Lady Wildcats for conference competition.

"Our schedule is always hard," Aird said. "If you want to be the best, you have to play the best. Our conference is hard, so we have to play tough competition to prepare us for the conference schedule."

The difficult slate will also provide an early test for a team working to develop chemistry and establish roles. With a blend of experienced returners and newcomers, the early portion of the season will be important as the Lady Wildcats develop their style of play and team identity.

Expectations Extend Beyond the Field

While winning remains an important goal for the program, Aird emphasized that the mission of Bethel women's soccer extends well beyond the final score.

"The expectation always is to win," Aird said. "Secondly, the expectation is to develop young women—to teach them to believe in themselves, give them purpose and hold them to live and move with character."

Now, as she begins her 27th season with 277 career victories, Aird and the Lady Wildcats will turn the page to a new chapter.

There are positions to be won, roles to be defined and a new team identity to be established.

For Aird, her players and the Bethel women's soccer program, the opportunity to build that identity begins now.

And her message to Lady Wildcat fans is simple:

"Come and support your Lady Cats."