FARMVILLE, Va. – The Longwood women's soccer team opens its 33rd season — all under the direction of Todd Dyer — on Thursday hosting former Big South foe Campbell in a 6 p.m., kickoff at Longwood Athletics Complex on ESPN+.
LANCERS IN SEASON OPENERS
- Longwood is 15-14-3 in season openers since the inception of the program for the 1994 season.
- Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Lancers are 7-12-3 in their first match of the season.
- Longwood won its lid lifter last season, blanking Alabama A&M, 4-0, on Aug. 14 on goals by Emma Jones (23rd minute), Sam Fischer (45th), Meghan Piazza (63rd) and Claire Schultz (77th).
SERIES HISTORY
- Campbell leads the all-time series with Longwood, 10-5-3, with all 18 meetings coming when the sides in the Big South.
- The teams last met on Oct. 26, 2022 in Buies Creek, N.C., an 8-0 Campbell victory.
- The Lancers' last win in the series came on Oct. 6, 2021 in Farmville, a 1-0 victory. Danielle Toone, sister of current Longwood defender/midfielder Summer, scored the only goal of the match in the 51st minute and Jordan Horacek made six saves in goal for the clean sheet.
SCOUTING CAMPBELL
- Campbell played to a 4-7-5 overall record and was 2-4-3 in the CAA in 2025.
- The Camels were picked to finish fifth in the CAA south division with 27 total points.
- The Camels return 10 starters and 20 letterwinners in 2026.
- Junior forward Ava Kanaar led Campbell with four goals and 10 points last season and is back to pace the attack.
- Senior midfielder Zahra Fepessi (third team All-CAA) and sophomore forward Samantha Witte was (CAA All-Rookie Team) also return for Campbell.
A LOOK BACK
- Longwood went 9-7-3 overall and 5-3-0 in the Big South, posting its best record since going 13-5-3 overall and 6-1-2 in the league in 2017.
- The Lancers advanced to at least the Big South semifinals a season ago for the fifth time in program history.
- Forward Sam Fischer was named Big South Freshman of the Year and first team all-league. She was joined on the all-conference team by first-team defender Sydney Robertson, second-team midfielder Meghan Piazza and second-team goalkeeper Sara Curtis.
FRESH FACES
- Longwood has added eight newcomers to its 2026 roster, including four transfers and four freshmen.
- Among the transfers are junior Maddy Howells (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) and sophomores Bailey Altizer (Eastern Kentucky) Brooke Owens (VCU) and Farmville native McKenna Vogel, who spent her freshman season at Campbell.
- Vogel, coached by Stuart Carilli at Prince Edward County High School, appeared in 10 matches, making two starts, for the Camels in 2025.
LANCERS PICKED THIRD IN BIG SOUTH POLL
- Longwood was selected to finish third in the Big South preseason coaches poll, announced on Aug. 6.
- The Lancers earned 63 points in the poll to finish ahead of USC Upstate in fourth with 58 points and the remaining first-place nod. Charleston Southern (43 points) was fifth, followed by Winthrop (32) in sixth, UNC Asheville (29) in seventh and Gardner-Webb (22) in eighth. Presbyterian rounded out the voting in ninth place with 13 points.
- High Point (76 points, seven first-pace votes and 76 points) is the preseason favorite in the league. Radford was chosen second with 69 points and one first-place nod.
- It marks just the third time in history the Lancers were picked in that position. Longwood was also third in 2019 and 2014, respectively.
FISCHER BIG SOUTH PRESEASON FORWARD OF THE YEAR
- Sophomore Sam Fischer was named Big South Preseason Forward of the Year in the Big South.
- Fischer is just the second Longwood player to earn a major preseason award since the Lancers joined the conference for the 2012 season. Sydney Wallace was Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.
- Fischer, the Big South Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-league pick last season, led the Lancers in goals (seven) and points (16). She was named Freshman of the Week two times and Player of the Week once while playing in all 19 matches with seven starts.
- Fischer opened her Longwood career with nine points in her first three matches on four goals and one assist.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Five Longwood players were named to the Big South Top Returners Watch List, the league announced on Aug. 5.
- On the watch list — which includes selections from each of the league's head coaches and returning all-conference honorees — were forwards Peyton Curney and Sam Fischer, midfielders Meghan Piazza and Coryn Silberstein and defender Berni Wayland.
O CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
NEXT UP
- Longwood is back in action on Sunday when it travels to Norfolk to take on Old Dominion at 6 p.m., on ESPN+.
- The Monarchs lead the all-time series with the Lancers 4-0-0. The team's last met Sept. 8, 2024, a 2-0 ODU win.
