MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – The Berry College women's soccer team has been picked to finish eighth in the 2026 SAA Preseason Poll, as announced by the conference Wednesday afternoon.
 
In 2025, the Vikings went 7-4-5 in the regular season (1-2-4 SAA) and just missed out on the postseason by one point. With several key contributors returning for this season, the team looks to build off the prior year and make a push back to the SAA Tournament.
 
The Vikings return three players that made the SAA All-Conference team in 2025, Giselle Aitken, Olivia Bryan, and Kate Hill. Aitken was named Second Team All-SAA after leading the team in goals (6), points (14), and shots on goal (24). Meanwhile, Bryan and Hill were both recognized as honorable mentions for anchoring the Viking defense.
 
Bryan was third on the team in minutes played last season, and Hill made an immediate impact in her first season as the starting goalkeeper. She allowed only eight goals all season long, racked up 70 saves, and led the SAA with a .897 save percentage.
 
Other notable returners such as Ide Strickland and Adalee Christenson look to step up on the offensive end after the departure of several seniors. Strickland finished second on the team in points (12) but led the team in assists (4) as a sophomore, and Christenson put together a seven-point freshman season with three goals and one assist.
 
Trinity, the reigning SAA Champion, is favored to go back-to-back with 71 points and seven first place votes. Sewanee took the second-place spot with 64 points and two first place votes.
 
Rhodes finished third in the poll with 58 points, Centre finished fourth with 51 points, and Oglethorpe took home fifth with 37 points to beat out Maryville and Southwestern.
 
Voting was conducted among the SAA's nine head coaches.
 
2026 WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL RESULTS
1. Trinity - 71 (7)
2. Sewanee - 64 (2)
3. Rhodes - 58
4. Centre - 51
5. Oglethorpe - 37
6. Maryville - 35
6. Southwestern - 35
8. Berry - 29
9. Millsaps – 16
 
The 2026 SAA Women's Soccer Championship is slated for November 5-8 in Mt. Berry, Georgia, at the Berry College.