NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s soccer was predicted to repeat as Sun Belt Conference champions in 2025, while Ginny Lackey and Sofia DeCerb earned major preseason awards and four total players earned preseason all-conference status in a vote by the league’s head coaches.
Lackey, a forward, was picked as the SBC Preseason Player of the Year, while DeCerb was honored as Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. The two were joined on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team by midfielder Jamie Swartz and defender Jordan Yang.
The Dukes took the league’s top spot in the preseason coaches’ poll after receiving nine first-place votes and 189 points. Texas State, last year’s top finisher in the west division, clocked in at second, receiving three first-place votes and 178 points. Old Dominion garnered a first-place vote and 169 points for third, while rounding out the top five were South Alabama (145) and Coastal Carolina (117).
Last season, JMU finished with a 12-4-5 overall record and went unbeaten in Sun Belt play, at 8-0-2. The Dukes proceeded to win a shootout, followed by a pair of one-goal wins to claim its first Sun Belt tournament title, its fifth overall tournament crown and advance to the NCAA Championship for the 13th time.
Lackey, the defending Sun Belt Player and Freshman of the Year, led the Sun Belt with 12 goals, despite not debuting until the sixth match of the season. Her nine goals in league play led all players, and she added ten assists, which placed her second in the SBC. Lackey became the first player in Sun Belt history to win Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season. The sophomore finished as a finalist for the 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy award and was named a Third Team All-American by United Soccer Coaches.
DeCerb returns as a 21-game starter for the Dukes last season, producing a conference-leading seven shutouts with 56 saves. The redshirt sophomore keeper managed a 1.41 goals against average, ranking her 10th in the Sun Belt. DeCerb’s 11 saves and three shutouts in the postseason landed her on the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team, as JMU clinched the tournament title last November.
A staple on the Dukes’ defense for three seasons, Yang returns to a backline that forced five shutouts in Sun Belt play. The senior started in 20 matches last season and earned a selection to the All-Sun Belt First Team as well as a placing on the All-Tournament team for her contribution in the postseason.
Swartz appeared in all 21 matches last season with 13 starts. The midfielder played a key role in a defense that allowed only 5.9 shots per game in league play. Offensively, Swartz added a goal and six assists, scoring the game-winning penalty kick against ULM in the SBC Quarterfinals. Swartz was named Second Team All Sun Belt in 2024.
James Madison will open the 2025 season at NC State on Thursday, August 14. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra
2025 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year:
Ginny Lackey, James Madison (So., F, Manchester, England)
Preseason Midfielder of the Year:
Victoria Meza, Texas State (Jr., M, San Salvador, El Salvador)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:
Ashlynn Kulha, Old Dominion (Jr., D, Holly Springs, N.C.)
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year:
Sofia DeCerb, James Madison (R-So., GK, Greensburg, Pa.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Ginny Lackey, James Madison (So., Manchester, England)
F – Aaliyah Faddoul, Georgia State (Jr., Ontario, Canada)
F – Izzi Wood, App State (Gr., Hickory, N.C.)
M – Ellie Garrison, App State (So., Trinity, N.C.)
M – Victoria Meza, Texas State (Jr., San Salvador, El Salvador)
M – Jamie Swartz, James Madison (Sr., Palmyra, Pa.)
D – Eefje Botjer, Coastal Carolina (So., Schiffdorf, Germany)
D – Kennley Bradley, Texas State (Gr., Ogden, Utah)
D – Ashlynn Kulha, Old Dominion (Jr., Holly Springs, N.C.)
D – Jordan Yang, James Madison (Sr., Clifton, Va.)
GK – Sofia DeCerb, James Madison (R-So., Greensburg, Pa.)
2025 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. James Madison (9) – 189
2. Texas State (3) – 178
3. Old Dominion (1) – 169
4. South Alabama – 145
5. Coastal Carolina – 117
6. Georgia State – 115
7. ULM – 114
8. App State – 102
9. Georgia Southern – 84
10. Marshall (1) – 68
11. Louisiana – 64
12. Southern Miss – 52
13. Arkansas State – 40
14. Troy – 33
Parentheses indicate first-place votes.
— JMU Athletics —
