RICHMOND, VA. – First-year VCU men's soccer midfielder Bya Ndimubandi was named to TopDrawerSoccer's preseason Best XI Freshman Team ahead of the 2026 season, the organization released Monday.
 
In its 2026 preseason awards, TopDrawerSoccer named just 16 Division I midfielders to its four Best XI teams, among them the VCU newcomer. Ndimubandi was joined by Duke's Logan Moniz, DePaul's Mason Kutch and Stanford's Tim Fortier on the freshman team.
 
Ndimubandi is one of three Atlantic 10 players to appear in the preseason awards list, with Saint Louis first-year goalkeeper Lucas McPartlin also appearing on the freshman team.
 
The Cape Town, South Africa, native arrives at VCU from the Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy. He spent four seasons as a midfielder with SIMA and played amateur summer league soccer with the Charlottesville Blues in 2026, playing eight games.
 
Ndimubandi and the Rams will kick off their 2026 regular season with a five-match road trip, beginning on Thursday, August 20 at No. 14/11 UNC Greensboro. VCU's complete schedule can be viewed online, with information about the VCU Athletic Village available here.