Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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72 PRESEASON 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED MEN'S SOCCER Season Opener: at Indiana Aug. 20 in Bloom- ington, Ind. ACC Predicted Finish: A top-three contender in the nation's toughest league. NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Qualify for a spot in the College Cup Final Four. Coach's Expectations: Playing in the nation's best conference every year makes nonconference sched- uling an interesting endeavor for head coach Chad Riley. So what did the ninth-year Irish skipper do? He added standout programs Harvard and North- western to his already rigorous regular-season slate. Riley's Irish made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team last season. They beat Michigan in Round 1, and then lost to Akron 1-0 in the second round to cap a solid but not spectacular 9-7-4 sea- son. The preseason No. 9 Irish lost some firepower from last year's team. But there is plenty of return- ing talent to survive in a conference that has five teams ranked in the preseason top 10. "You will see a much more battle-hardened ma- ture team that has sort of seen it all," Riley said of his scheduling philosophy, "which should help us." Top Player: Senior midfielder Nolan Spicer was named one of three 2026 team captains for his leadership skills and after tying for the team lead last season with 11 points on 2 goals and 7 assists. Athlete To Watch: Junior goalkeeper Blake Kelly is back after finishing third in the ACC last season with 3.55 saves per game. Riley has called Kelly one of the best netminders in the nation. Don't Miss: An annual in-state rivalry game be- tween preseason No. 9 Notre Dame and No. 15 Indiana to open the regular season Aug. 20 in Bloomington will be a must-see match between two of the best teams in the country. WOMEN'S SOCCER Season Opener: vs. Samford Aug. 12 in South Bend. ACC Predicted Finish: Top two in a loaded league, that includes national title contenders Florida State, North Carolina and Duke. NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Win a national title. Coach's Expectations: To think that rising to No. 1 in the country, winning 12 consecutive games and earning the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Championship would be a "disappointing" season profile doesn't seem to fit. But that's how Irish head coach Nate Norman and his returning cast of terrific players feel heading into the 2026 season. Notre Dame brings back its top-four point scor- ers from a team that finished 15-2-3 overall last season, and was considered one of the favorites to claim the national title before getting knocked out in a heartbreaking 1-0, double-overtime loss to Ohio State in a second-round game. "We got upset in an early NCAA Tournament game that we wish we had back, but we're still here," Norman said. "… This is a second chance." Top Player: The 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American, rising junior midfielder Izzy Engle returns as one of the best players in the country after leading Notre Dame with 19 goals and 44 points last season. Athlete To Watch: A perfect offensive comple- ment to Engle, junior forward Annabelle Chukwu returns after finishing second on Notre Dame last season with 12 goals and 27 points to earn first- team All-ACC honors. Don't Miss: A matchup between No. 13 Notre Dame and top-ranked Florida State is scheduled Oct. 24. It's a game that could decide the ACC regular-season title. VOLLEYBALL Season Opener: vs. Ball State Aug. 28 in South Bend. ACC Predicted Finish: Somewhere in the sixth through 10th range of this talented 18-team league. NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Just making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020 would pro- vide a needed momentum boost for the program. Coach's Expectations: In no way trying to dimin- ish the efforts of the first four teams led by Irish head coach Salima Rockwell from 2022-25, but Rockwell believes there is something different and more special within this 2026 group. Rockwell's Irish improved to 9-11 in ACC play last season after finishing only 5-15 in 2024, with some opportuni- ties left behind. The Irish lost five five-set matches in 2025, one of those coming against ACC champion and NCAA Final Four participant Pitt. So, finding a way to bet- ter close out winnable matches in the toughest vol- leyball conference in the country is priority No. 1 heading into Rockwell's fifth season. "When you taste it, like we did at times last year, it just makes you more hungry. And they are excited to get back after it," Rockwell said. "We've been on a mission to grow this program, and we felt like we were turning a corner last year." Top Player: Senior outside hitter Sydney Helmers returns as the team's vocal and statistical leader after recording 229 kills, 157 digs, 36 blocks and 25 service aces last season. Athlete To Watch: Reliable junior middle blocker Anna Bjork is back after pacing the Irish with 125 blocks last season to go along with 106 kills. Don't Miss: Notre Dame plays a home-and-home series with perennial national power Louisville Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, a quick two-match test for the Irish. ✦ Rising junior midfielder Izzy Engle, the 2025 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All- American, led Notre Dame with 19 goals and 44 points last season. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Senior outside hitter Sydney Helmers returns as the team's leader after recording 229 kills, 157 digs, 36 blocks and 25 service aces last season. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS