WASHINGTON – Coming off the team’s seventh consecutive Atlantic 10 championship, Saint Louis women’s soccer has been selected as the league’s preseason favorite entering the 2025 season by the annual Under Armour Preseason Poll. Additionally, the conference unveiled the 11-player Preseason All-Conference Team on Wednesday morning ahead of the season’s opening slate of matches set for this upcoming Thursday.
The A-10 Preseason Poll and Preseason All-Conference Team are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Saint Louis returns five starters and 12 additional players from its 2024 team that made a seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, producing a 15-2-6 overall record with a 7-0-3 mark in conference play. The Billikens racked up 192 points in the preseason poll, including 11 first-place votes.
Billikens forward Julia Simon, who scored four goals and three assists during the 2024 campaign to earn all-conference honors, was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team, as well as St. Louis midfielder Hannah Larson, defenders Eva Schreiber and Izzy Luebbert, and forward Hope Kim. Larson racked up eight assists (tied for 40
th in the nation) last season, including the crucial pass for the Billikens’ game-tying goal in the 88
th minute of the NCAA Championship second round against USC. Schreiber and Luebbert anchored a Saint Louis back line that shut out 14 opponents, averaging just 0.61 goals against across the entire season. Kim recorded four goals (three game-winners) and three assists en route to All-Rookie accolades in 2024.
Dayton enters the 2025 season ranked second in the A-10 Preseason Poll, tallying 192 points and two first-place votes. The Flyers return nine starters from their 2024 squad, including two Atlantic 10 First Team selections: forward Laney Smith and defender Kyra Karfonta. Smith produced a spectacular rookie campaign last season, scoring nine goals (tied for fifth in the A-10) including three game-winners. Karfonta led a Dayton defense that posted 11 shutouts, while also contributing five goals and six assists offensively.
Smith and Karfonta headline four Flyers on the Preseason All-Conference Team, joined by goalkeeper Batoul Reda and midfielder Liv Grenda.
Fordham took the third spot in the preseason poll at 149 points, receiving a pair of preseason all-conference accolades for forward Liina Tervo and midfielder Lena Johnsen. Tervo won the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award last season, racking up 10 goals, eight assists, and 28 points – setting freshman school records in all three categories. Ranked as a top-25 freshman by TopDrawerSoccer, Tervo recorded the fastest hat trick in school history against Albany. Johnsen played a crucial role in the Rams’ attack as well, notching two goals and two assists including game-winners against Manhattan and George Mason.
After accumulating a 9-5-5 overall record during the 2024 season, Loyola Chicago placed fourth in the preseason poll with 145 points, followed by Saint Joseph’s in fifth at 140 and Rhode Island in sixth at 111. La Salle came in at seventh with 106 points, while VCU took eighth with 97 points – including one first-place vote.
Rounding out the preseason poll is Davidson at nine (91), Duquesne at 10 (79), George Mason at 11 (64), Richmond at 12 (59), George Washington at 13 (50), and St. Bonaventure at 14 (14).
2025 Women’s Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team
Kyra Karfonta, Dayton
Eva Schreiber, Saint Louis
Izzy Luebbert, Saint Louis
Liina Tervo, Fordham
Laney Smith, Dayton
Hope Kim, Saint Louis
Batoul Reda (GK), Dayton
Hannah Larson, Saint Louis
Julia Simon, Saint Louis
Liv Grenda, Dayton
Lena Johnsen, Fordham
2025 Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
- Saint Louis – 192 (11)
- Dayton – 173 (2)
- Fordham – 149
- Loyola Chicago – 145
- Saint Joseph’s – 140
- Rhode Island – 111
- La Salle – 106
- VCU – 97 (1)
- Davidson – 91
- Duquesne – 79
- George Mason – 64
- Richmond – 59
- George Washington – 50
- St. Bonaventure – 14