Season Preview: Women’s Soccer

RIO GRANDE VALLEY – A new season brings a new wave of energy for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros women’s soccer team as they set to begin the 2024 season.

UTRGV Head Coach Mark Foster is going into his third season and is finally settling into the role and the Rio Grande Valley and that brings a different kind of excitement this season.

“The start of every season is the most exciting time of the year,” UTRGV Head Coach Mark Foster said. “But since my time here at UTRGV, there has been a lot of transition getting used to the area, getting used to the school, the environment and then trying to recruit players. It has been a lot going on but it’s the most I have felt at home since I got here. We have a good group that is ready for a new season. Normally, it’s an exciting time of the year but this year feels a little more special for me. I feel like we have a really good group.”

The team first came together two weeks ago and worked on their team chemistry from the get-go. It’s been a point of emphasis, and the Vaqueros have spent time bowling and watching U.S soccer matches together.

The team comradery has not only been noticed by the coaching staff but also by those that have interacted with the team in the past few weeks.

“The group is really coming together,” Foster said. “We have administrators that come out to practices, and we do events with supporters and different things like that and that is the most common thing that I have heard that this group looks together and enjoying each other. That’s what my hunch has been but it’s good to hear it from other people. The girls look excited and look together. It’s good those around campus and in the community are seeing that too. We have a good group, and we are building something here.”

The Vaqueros bring back 14 returners from last season led by captains Linnea Eld, Abbie Bailey, Rosie Train, and Libby Beilfuss.

While there will be plenty of experience from the returners, the team remains quite young with just seven upperclassmen. Coach Foster doesn’t want to use the youthfulness as an excuse but hopes they can learn to believe in their ability.

“I want them to believe in themselves,” Foster said. “We only have a few seniors who are good girls and good leaders, but the reality is that the core of the group is going to be freshmen and sophomores. Sometimes you can use that as an excuse. Yeah, they are young, but they are talented. I want them to believe in themselves. I don’t want them to wait until they are a junior or senior to feel like they can play. I want them to know that they can play now, we need them to know they can play now. I want it to sink in that they will only get to do this four times so a lot of our messages to the team is that this is their time.”

UTRGV has a group of newcomers that is a mixture of freshmen and transfers that Coach Foster and his staff hope will build on to the program’s foundation. Just has he hopes that the returners find their confidence, he hopes the same for his new group.

The newcomers will be looking to make their impact this season and if they can find their confidence then this group could help make the Vaqueros even better.

“As a coach, you can look at your roster and say we are really young,” Foster said. “That was one of the reasons why we brought in a couple of transfers in to try and balance that a bit. That was part of the planning. Whether it’s the whole group or the newcomers, it’s hitting home that message that this is our time to make the most of our opportunity.”

Over the last couple of weeks, the Vaqueros have shown Coach Foster and his staff some good stuff on the pitch, including a strong performance against the University of Houston on Saturday.

The thing that has really stood out for Coach Foster has been the team’s unity, both on and off the pitch. He knows how important the team’s togetherness is and how it can take this team a long way.

The team’s togetherness could be the difference in making something great happen this season. There is talent on this season’s squad and that alone brings ton of excitement this year but the team’s togetherness could make all the difference.

“Togetherness has to be one of our strengths,” Foster said. “We also have some talent. I have been coaching a while and I had played a long time. I have been around teams that have talent but if we don’t have that togetherness, teams like that never achieve their potential. Togetherness and team chemistry is massive. Seasons are long. Seasons are hard. There are a lot of two-game weekends. Sometimes what gets you over the line to win a game on Sunday is just who is together the most, who wants it the most, and who has that sort of mentality. I think when you have that combined with talent, that sets you up for a good season. Throughout my career, no matter what players we had or what systems we tried, we always try to get the off the field stuff right and chemistry right and some of our hard work is paying off. We have a good solid group that are together and bought in and we have some talent. It makes me quietly confident for the season.”

The Vaqueros open the season on Aug. 15 at home against Texas Southern, which is the first of eight non-conference matches that includes five out of the eight at home.

This is the first season for the Vaqueros in the Southland Conference, with the first SLC match coming against Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 22 at home.

The Vaqueros are no strangers to some of the SLC foes. They know the SLC slate will be a challenge, a challenge the Vaqueros are looking forward to.

“We want to compete,” Foster said. “Southland soccer is something I have always respected. When I was in the Sun Belt, we played a lot of the Southland schools. I know it’s some top soccer. I know it’s challenging. Lamar, who won the league last year, was ranked in the top-50 up until the end of the season. We are going to play some tough teams at some tough sites. That’s what we want. We want to play against good teams and if you win a game, you want it to be against a good opponent. We are really excited to be in the Southland. We know it will be good soccer but tough soccer.”

There’s a new conference. A new group of student-athletes. A new sense of excitement. A new sense of confidence.

The 2024 season is here.