OREM--Utah Valley travels to Honolulu, Hawaii to play in the OUTRIGGER Soccer Kickoff hosted by the University of Hawaii. The Wolverines will open the 2023 season against Hawaii on Thursday before taking on Houston Christian on Sunday at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium.
The Wolverines head into the 2023 season fresh off the team's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance and the team's first-ever at-large bid into the tournament. UVU returns 11 letterwinners, including eight starters from last year's squad. UVU went 14-5-3 in 2022 and won the WAC regular season title with a 9-1-1 WAC mark.
Utah Valley was selected to win the 2023 Western Athletic Conference title in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Jenna Shepherd Gremillion was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year and Heather Stainbrook was named Preseason co-Offensive Player of the Year. Utah Valley's Sydney Bushman, Hannah Lee, Faith Webber also joined Shepherd Gremillion and Stainbrook on the Preseason All-Conference Team. Utah Valley earned the top spot in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, tallying 79 points and seven of the nine first-place votes. Grand Canyon was second at 73 points and two first place votes. Seattle U earned the third spot with 66 points and one first-place vote.
BROADCAST INFO
Utah Valley's match at Hawaii will be broadcast over the air on ESPN Radio Honolulu. Sunday's match against Houston Christian will not be broadcast.
ABOUT HAWAII
The Rainbow Wahine will return a bulk of their production from a season ago in 2023. UH's returnees combined to score 14 of the team's 15 goals in 2022 while also accounting for 41 of the 45 points and 13 of the 15 assists. Additionally, Hawai'i returns 123 of its 165 starts from last season while the returnees fired off 163 of the 176 total shots. A big key to the Rainbow Wahine returning so much experience in 2023 were the decisions by Eliza Ammendolia and Kelci Sumida to take advantage of their extra year of eligibility and return for their fifth seasons. (Hawaii Athletics)
SERIES HISTORY VS. HAWAII
Utah Valley and Hawaii will meet on the pitch for the fifth time on Thursday night. Hawaii holds an all-time 4-0 record against the Wolverines. All four games have been played in the Aloha State. The Rainbow Wahine defeated UVU, 2-1, in overtime on Aug. 18, 2017.
ABOUT HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
Houston Christian went 7-10-3 last season and finished Southland Conference play with a 6-5-1 mark. The Huskies were picked fourth in the Southland Conference preseason poll, receiving two first place votes and finishing just a point behind Southeastern in third. The Huskies play Gonzaga in the opener of the Outrigger Soccer Kickoff before playing former Great West Conference rival Utah Valley on Sunday. The team placed three members of its 2023 roster on the Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference team with Kat Lazor earning first team honors while Chloe Bagshaw and Mia Salas were second team selections. (Houston Christian Athletics)
SERIES HISTORY VS. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN
Utah Valley and Houston Christian will meet on the pitch for the 12th time on Sunday. Utah Valley holds an all-time 6-4-1 advantage in the series. The Wolverines have won four of the last five meetings, including a 2-1 win in the last meeting on Aug. 20, 2017 in Honolulu.
UTAH VALLEY FAVORITE TO WIN 2023 WAC TITLE
Utah Valley has been selected to win the 2023 Western Athletic Conference title in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Utah Valley earned the top spot in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, tallying 79 points and seven of the nine first-place votes. Grand Canyon was second at 73 points and two first place votes. Seattle U earned the third spot with 66 points and one first-place vote. California Baptist (56 points) was fourth in the poll, followed by Utah Tech (44 points), Stephen F. Austin (41 points), Southern Utah (36 points), Tarleton State (24 points), Abilene Christian (17 points), and UTRGV (14 points). Utah Valley won the 2022 WAC regular season title and earned the program's first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
