MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference released its 2026 preseason coaches' poll Tuesday afternoon, with Nova Southeastern selected to finish second in the league for the third consecutive season. The Sharks received 20 points and one first-place vote.
Led by Interim Head Coach Stephen Burgess, NSU enters the 2026 campaign looking to make another deep postseason run after falling to Florida Tech in the NCAA South Region championship last season. The Sharks concluded the 2025 season with a 16-1-4 overall record and a 7-0-3 mark in Sunshine State Conference play, capturing the SSC regular-season title. NSU also secured the No. 1 seed in the SSC Tournament and went on to win the conference tournament championship.
Alexa Berezcki and Genesis Hernandez headline a talented group of returners as the Sharks aim for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. NSU also welcomes back Gretchen Duttenhofer, Ginger Schulz, Maja Isaksson, Ella Niemelä, Maria Jansen, Indie Morgan, Liwa Nilsson, Lova Korpas, Haley Mettrick, Emma Besl, Michelle Barrero, and Isabella Larriu.
Below are the full results of the 2026 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches cannot vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
2026 SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL
| Rank |
School |
Points (First Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Florida Tech |
10 (10) |
| 2 |
Nova Southeastern |
20 (1) |
| 3 |
Eckerd |
32 |
| 4 |
Embry-Riddle |
39 |
| 5 |
Rollins |
47 |
| 6 |
Florida Southern |
55 |
| 7 |
Tampa |
62 |
| 8 |
Lynn |
80 |
| 9 |
Palm Beach Atlantic |
82 |
| 10 |
Barry |
83 |
| 11 |
Saint Leo |
95 |
The Nova Southeastern Sharks begin their 2026 season on Thursday, August 27th, at the NSU Soccer Stadium, where they will host Georgian Court. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m.
To stay up-to-date with the Sharks this season, visit NSUSharks.com or follow them on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_WSoccer.
