ARLINGTON, Texas – The reigning regular season champion Utah Valley was selected as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) preseason favorite in the 2024 WAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll that was released on Thursday.
 
Utah Valley received five first-place votes and 46 points as the league’s head coaches tabbed the Wolverines as the top team entering the year for the second straight season. Seattle U and Grand Canyon tied for the runner-up spot in the poll with 39 points each as Seattle U received two first-place votes and Grand Canyon received one first-place vote.
 
Utah Valley senior forward Faith Webber was selected as the 2024 WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Webber started in all 19 games for Utah Valley last year and led the Wolverines to its second straight WAC regular season championship. She broke the UVU single season goals and points record with 16 goals and 36 points in 2023, both ranking second best in the conference on the year. Webber’s 0.84 goals per game and 1.89 points per game placed her in the top six in the NCAA in both categories. Webber has earned two consecutive First Team All-WAC honors and now goes back-to-back years making the Preseason All-WAC Team.
 
Seattle U senior Kait Raffensperger and California Baptist redshirt senior Taylor Summit were voted as the 2024 WAC Preseason Defensive Players of the Year. Raffensperger helped the Redhawks to seven shutout wins and led the team to the conference championship match in 2023. Last year she was awarded the WAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, WAC All-Tournament Team, First Team All-WAC, and Preseason All-WAC.
 
Summit started in all 19 games for the Lancers, seven of those matches ending in shutout victories. Summit has earned postseason honors in each of the last two years, 2023 All-WAC First Team and 2022 All-WAC Second Team.
 
Grand Canyon senior DeAira Jackson was chosen as the 2024 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Jackson started all 23 games in net for the Lopes and accumulated 67 saves with a 0.770 save percentage. Jackson totaled seven shutouts in 2023, second most in the conference. Last year she was awarded All-WAC Second Team and made the WAC All-Tournament Team after winning the WAC women’s soccer championship title with the Lopes.
 
Seattle U, Grand Canyon, and California Baptist each had three selections on the 2024 Preseason All-Conference Team. Abilene Christian and Utah Valley are also represented on the All-WAC Team.
 
2024 WAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
 

Rank	Team (1st-Place Votes)	Points
1.	Utah Valley (5)	46
T2.	Seattle U (2)	39
T2.	Grand Canyon (1)	39
4.	California Baptist	36
5.	Utah Tech	24
6.	Southern Utah	17
7.	Abilene Christian	13
8.	Tarleton State	10

 
2024 WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Faith Webber, Utah Valley
2024 WAC Preseason Defensive Players of the Year: Kait Raffensperger, SU; Taylor Summit, CBU
2024 WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year: DeAira Jackson, Grand Canyon
 
2024 Preseason All-WAC Team 
Chayse Thorn, Abilene Christian, Sr., F
Kaylee Hauck, California Baptist, Jr., F
Jayden Ramirez, California Baptist, R-Sr., M/F
Taylor Summit, California Baptist, R-Sr., M/F
Aleisha Ganief, Grand Canyon, Sr., D
DeAira Jackson, Grand Canyon, Sr., GK
AJ Loera, Grand Canyon, Jr., MF
U’I Kaaihue, Seattle U, Jr., MF
Caroline Penner, Seattle U, Jr., MF
Kait Raffensperger, Seattle U, Sr., D
Faith Webber, Utah Valley, Sr., F