With the college season approaching, here is my preview of the women’s programs heading into 2026.

UCR (NCAA D1)

Coach

This will be Mike Dibbini’s second season in charge of the Highlanders. One notable change to establish his roots in the program was the hire of Tara Oper as the director of operations/player development in July.

Tara (Riverside native) helped Cal Poly Pomona win the 2024 NCAA DII national title 2-1 by scoring the first goal. In the offseason of 24′, she played with amateur side Future FC of Corona, where she scored 10 goals and helped FFC lift the South Western Premier League women’s title.

Last Season

UCR ended the 2025 season with one of the worst in program history. They did not win a single game; 16 losses overall and two ties. They scored 6 goals and allowed 42.

Opinion

The UCR women’s program has long been one of the worst in the IE. Since 2003, they only made the playoffs four times. Nat Gonzalez has held the charge for the highlanders from 2012-2024, where in his early years he helped the program to three of those playoffs appearances. Then the program dipped massively in performance.

This problem has a lot of weight for the back of Mike Dibbini, a project that can’t be overturned in one season, or maybe four, based on the context provided above.

When I saw the UCR v CBU crosstown match, the team looked like they forgot the basics. They had no game plan moving forward, bunkered down most of the game, and gave away so many bad passes that CBU could have run up the score. If that observation was any sign of the UCR season, then coach Mike’s project would be very tough.

One thing I remain optimistic about is the hire of Tara. Her performance as a player and seeing how she played for FFC and her contributions to CCP honestly could lead her to playing professionally. Also, her control of the ball, shooting skills, and adaptability to fit into a team culture is a big boost to the turnaround of this team. What the team needs is to recruit better players who, at the very least, get the basics of passing down so they can build a team strategy to win games and not end up last in the Big West.

I don’t expect the new and promising coaching staff to turn it around in one season, but this hire proved to me that this season should be slightly better than last. I predict no playoffs but not last place for the Highlanders.

Poll

I sent a poll to my followers asking them if they think the IE programs will make the playoffs. They consist of former players and coaches, so their votes do carry weight.

Playoffs?	Votes
Yes	8
No	6

CBU (NCAA D1)

Coach

This will be Kristen St. Clair’s 19th season in charge of the Lancers. Since 2007, she has helped Cal Baptist to 3 PacWest (DII) titles in 2011,2012 and 2017. Then, with the transition to DI, CBU has made four consecutive playoff appearances since 2022, including two WAC tournament titles in 2024 and 2025.

Last Season

CBU had quite a few notable matches in the 2025 season. They blanked rivals UCR in the annual crosstown derby match 2-0 at home in a game where they dominated possession and could have score more. CBU has won the last three editions of the derby.

Then in October they fell massively to Utah Valley 7-1 in a shock result. In the home leg against UV, they fell again 2-1. Yet they clinched a playoff ticket and defeated Utah Tech on penalties in the WAC semifinals. They would again play Utah Valley in the WAC tournament final on the road and again win in penalties, with O’Brien Mikayla scoring the winner.

They were seeded against #3 Kansas on the road in the first round of the NCAA tournament and fell 3-1.

Notable changes

Last March, it was announced that CBU will move to the Big West conference. CBU will now face more local California programs that will cut down on long Utah and Texas travel. Now the crosstown derby will count towards the conference standings, making the game more meaningful.

Opinion

With the change to the Big West, CBU still remain in my opinion, the best women’s program in the IE, and their upward trajectory will not go down. I think their only challenge is new, unfamiliar teams they face in the Big West. As said before, the travel does benefit them. Overall, as a program (and the men’s side as well), CBU is consistent and has high expectations of their players. I see them clinching the playoffs this season without a doubt, Top 4 in the BW.

Poll

Playoffs?	Votes
Yes	12
No	2

CSUSB (NCAA D2)

Coach

This will be Mark Peters’ 5th season in charge of the Yotes. During his time leading CSUSB, last season he helped the program reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016. His goal for the season is to win the CCAA conference and continue his strong attack. He also wants to improve his defensive numbers and will pay extra attention to Cal Poly Pomona. CPP won the national title in 2024 and were national semifinalists last year.

Last Season

The Coyotes ended the 25′ season with an overall record of 8-6-5 (6-3-2 in conference), placing 4th in the standings and clinching a playoff ticket. They fell in the first round to Cal Poly Humboldt at home on penalties.

Opinion

The Yotes have shown a promising turnaround from a bottom-half-of-the-table team to one that competes. I do agree with the coach putting more attention on CPP based on their deep playoff runs and season consistency. I expect them to get the final 6th spot to clinch the CCAA playoffs.

Poll

Playoffs?	Votes
Yes	10
No	6

University of Redlands (NCAA D3)

Coach

Coach Suzette Soboti will lead the Bulldogs in her 28th season, making her one of the longest-serving women’s coaches in the IE. She has won three SCIAC titles in 2008, 2010, and 2014.

Last Season

The Lady Bulldogs finished the 2025 season with a 1-14-2 (1-10-1 conference) record, placing ninth in the SCIAC. A dramatic drop in performance compared to their last season, when they had an overall record of 8-10-1.  

Opinion

The successful season drought continues for the Lady Bulldogs, with their last season among the worst overall. U of R has not reached the playoffs since 2018, and it seems the program has not made any drastic changes.

A notable pattern as well is the recruitment of non-local players into the program. Based on casual observation of the team’s social media posts, incoming players appear to be from the Pacific Northwest, with four coming into the 2026 roster. Not to criticize non-local players, but I feel the lack of IE talent gives the program a culture of accepting failure. In my time seeing IE players, they show a desire and hustle to play ball, with a fight to compete and a soccer IQ that stands out to others. While not all IE talent is the best, it’s one idea to look at for this program to get out of the rut.

For the long tenure of coach Soboti with this program, her success from the 2000’s and mid-late 2010s seems so distant. While also in charge of the colleges lacrosse team, it seems the program won’t have a major turnaround until she can find what worked in the past, or the program should find a new coach to turn the program around.

I predict they won’t get much better than last season, perhaps a little better.

Poll

Playoffs?	Votes
Yes	9
No	5

La Sierra University (NAIA)

Coach

This will be Carlos Trevino’s 2nd season in charge of the Eagles, taking over for his brother, David’s 7 year tenue with the program.

Last Season

LSU ended the 2025 season with an overall record of 6-8-3 (3-7-3 in conference), placing 8th in the GSAC standings and out of the playoffs.

Opinion

I don’t have much of an opinion on LSU for the next season. During the non-conference matches, LSU had a 3-game winning streak, scoring  12 goals and allowing 2. Once the conference matches started, it seemed the successful run faded away. The GSAC opponents have become tougher for a mid-to-below-table LSU side, who I think will end up in the same position again this season. I predict no playoffs for the Eagles.

Poll

Playoffs?	Votes
Yes	9
No	3