Demon Deacons Primed for Sunday Afternoon Clash Against Old Dominion

Demon Deacons Primed for Sunday Afternoon Clash Against Old Dominion

8/22/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

The Deacs are coming off of a 2-0 victory over Big Ten opponent Iowa this past Thursday.

By: Kaitlyn Stocum

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - No. 11 Wake Forest women's soccer continues its homestretch this Sunday as they welcome Old Dominion to Spry Stadium on Aug. 23.

The contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and will be streamed live on ACCNX with live stats available here.

Need to Know - Game 4
No. 11 Wake Forest (3-0) vs. Old Dominion (1-2)
Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026 - 1 PM - ACCNX
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Spry Stadium

Fan Information
Sunday will serve as the program's We Are Wake match, as Demon Deacon student-athletes will wear special green warm-up shirts and staff will wear green ribbons for the contest.

We Are Wake empowers the Wake Forest community to recognize distress, respond effectively and connect to support. Through this initiative, We Are Wake elevates a culture of care, promotes healthy practices, equips peers with skills to help and links our community to essential resources for well-being. More information about We Are Wake can be found here.

Parking is encouraged in lots A, B, Q, W1 & W2. A complete parking map of campus is here.

Gates open one hour prior to kickoff for all home matches.

Ticket Information
Non-conference games are $15 for reserved seating in Section 3, and general admission in any of the bleachered sections is priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 4-18). Meanwhile, ACC games are $20 for reserved seating with general admission set at $15 for adults and $10 for youth.

Attendance on Walt Chyzowych Alumni Hill will remain free during all preseason and regular season action for both programs.

Ticket prices will increase by $5 on match days at the box office.

To secure your spot at Spry Stadium, visit godeacs.com/tickets (fees will be added for online purchases) or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336.758.3322.

Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at games, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all people. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at tomorrow's game, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.

Wake Forest Athletics is always open to learning about new ideas and ways we can improve. Please report accessibility challenges, identify content you find inaccessible, or give us general feedback at maddenr@wfu.edu

Last Time Out

Wake Forest took the lead less than a minute into the game.
- Junior midfielder Lola Ressler netted her second goal of the season 46 seconds into the match to kick off the contest.
  - Ressler's goal marked the third fastest goal program in Wake Forest women's soccer history.
The Hawkeyes forced goalkeeper Valentina Amaral into action in the seventh and 16th minutes.
Sophomore Kylie Maxwell got into the action in the 23rd minute, throwing an attempt on the Iowa keeper who was there for the save.
- The forward put another shot on the keeper in the 29th minute.
At the break, the Hawkeyes led the Deacs by 8 shots to 7, with Wake Forest holding 54 percent possession over Iowa's 46.
Ressler doubled the lead in the 52nd minute.
- The strike marked her second career brace.
Sophomore forward Kylie Maxwell and senior midfielder Dempsey Brown notched assists on the goal.
Iowa picked up pace quickly after Ressler's goal, forcing Amaral far right to make a save in the 52nd minute.
The Hawkeyes continued to apply pressure on the Demon Deacons, pressing hard into their attacking zone.
Amaral was once again called into action in the 76th and 77th minutes, but stood tall between the posts.
Wake Forest defeated Iowa, 2-0.

Quick Hitters

Wake Forest earned the No. 11 spot on United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll and No. 13 on TopDrawerSoccer.
- Additionally, they were named No. 7 on the ACC Preseason Poll, with sophomore Kylie Maxwell named to the Preseason All-ACC team.
- Goalkeeper Valentina Amaral and defender Sierra Sythe garnered ACC Weekly Nods.
  - Amaral was named Co-Goalkeeper of the Week while Sythe was named Defensive Player of the Week.
- Senior midfielder Dempsey Brown earned TopDrawerSoccer's National Player of the Week, while they named Wake Forest their team of the week.
The Deacs returned 14 players from 2025 and over 60 percent of starters. Meanwhile, Wake Forest added five transfers and welcomed six freshmen in the offseason.
Head Coach Tony da Luz enters his 30th season with the program, with a 331-205-67 (.604) record in his time with the Deacs.
- Assistant coach Christine Nairn joined the coaching staff this past January, following a year at the University of Alabama.

Welcome to Wake, Coach Nairn
In the offseason, the Deacs saw an addition to the coaching staff, with assistant coach Christine Nairn joining the team. Nairn boasts a varied resume of experience, earning multiple accolades in her collegiate career at Penn State. In 2013, she was part of the very first NWSL draft, and spent over 10 years in the professional soccer world, dedicating her offseason playing in leagues in Australia. Eventually, Nairn retired from the professional world, but returned to soccer as a coach with the University of Houston. After a year with the Cougars, followed by a year at the University of Alabama, Nairn arrived in Winston-Salem.

Returning Production
The Demon Deacons bring back 14 players from the 2025 season, including over 60 percent of starters. Additionally, Wake Forest returns its top-four point scorers of Kylie Maxwell, Sierra Sythe, Allie Flanagan and Lola Ressler.

Valentina Amaral, Goalkeeper
- In her third season with the Deacs, goalkeeper Valentina Amaral provided stellar performances in net. She wrapped the 2025 season with six shutouts and 81 saves, bringing her career save percentage to .796, tied third best in program history. With her combined 2024 and 2025 GAA of 0.84, she ranks first in program history prior to 2026. This past July, Amaral was one of 20 keepers in the NCAA named to the United Soccer Coaches Goalkeepers to Watch List.
Kylie Maxwell, Forward
- Returning to the Wake Forest frontline for her sophomore season, the ACC Freshman of the Year has already put herself on the collegiate soccer map in just one season. In 2025, the Langhorne, Pa.-native led the Deacs with six goals and 17 points, earning nods on the All-ACC Freshman and Third Teams. Additionally, this past Monday, Maxwell landed herself on the United Soccer Coaches Forwards the Watch List.
Allie Flanagan, Forward
- Opposite of Maxwell, Flanagan proved an important piece of the Deacs' offense in her debut season. The forward tallied 11 points with five goals and an assist in 2025. The Round Hill, Va.-native earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team, as well as Top 100 nods from TopDrawerSoccer.
Sierra Sythe, Defender
- Redshirt-junior Sierra Sythe brought veteran experience to a fresh backline following the departures of multiple Deacs headed into the 2025 season. Starting all 20 games, Sythe tallied 1,746 minutes, more than any other outfield player on the team while leading the team with nine assists. Rising sophomore Tahlia Zadeyan gained key experience as a freshman alongside Sythe, playing on a backline that allowed one goal or fewer in 11 of her 15 appearances.

Meet The Newcomers
The Demon Deacons bring a number of new talents to the 2026-27 season, with 11 total players: five transfers and six freshmen.

Freshmen
- Eva Forster (NC Courage Academy)
  - A native of Raleigh, N.C., Forster was a member of the NC Courage Academy, and trained with its pro team. Her father Paul hails from Newcastle, England, giving Forster the opportunity to represent her English-heritage with the WU16, 17 and 19 teams.
- Avery Fisher (Wilmington Hammerheads FC)
  - Fisher attended Hoggard High School in Wilmington, where she was a three-time All-Region First Team member, while also earning All-State and All-Conference first team nods. The Wilmington, N.C.-native comes from a long line of soccer talent, as her father Mike Fisher was a two-time Mac Hermann Trophy winner and three-time national champion with the Virginia Cavaliers. Additionally, Fisher's Aunt Katie Friske was a midfielder at Wake from 2000-2004.
- BraqElle Raisey (FC Dallas)
  - Hailing from north of Dallas, Raisey spent her club days with FC Dallas. She attended Lone Star High School in Frisco, and her twin sister will also begin her collegiate soccer career this fall at Colorado State.
- Ava Reddy (Penn Fusion)
  - Hailing from Downingtown, Pa., Reddy attended Downingtown West High School, scoring the opening goal at state championships to help the squad to their first title in 15 years. During her club years with Penn Fusion, she was a 2024 ECNL National Champion.
- Simone Basey (SoCal Blues)
  - Hailing from Southern California, the freshman was named to the 2025 ECNL U-17 Girls Southwest All-Conference First Team. In 2022, the defender was part of the USYNT Talent ID Roster and prior to Wake Forest played club soccer for So Cal Blues.
- Kenslee Ward (Florida Kraze Krush)
  - Ward spent multiple years with Team Boca as they won 2 USYS National Championships and earning her the Golden Glove Award in 2021 and 2024. Eventually, she joined Florida Kraze Krush and helped lead the team to multiple conference finals. In 2026, she made seven starts for Ft. Lauderdale United USL W.
Transfers
- Sofia Atehortua, UCLA
  - Transferring in after a year at UCLA, the sophomore adds international experience to the Deacs' midfield. The Trumbull, Conn.-native has been a member of the U.S. Youth National Teams from U-15 through U-19 levels and was most recently selected to the U.S. U-19/U-18 training camp in March of 2025. Atehortua also attended several training camps with the U-17 Colombian National Team.
- Henley Tippins, Georgetown
  - The lone graduate of the team, Tippins comes to Wake Forest after an undergraduate career at Georgetown. The Atlanta, Ga.-native wrapped up her time in DC with 20 goals, eight assists, and 48 points in 72 appearances.
- Riley Cross, Penn State
  - Entering her sophomore season, the transfer from Penn State has already made a name for herself with multiple call ups to the U-19 USYNT, alongside teammates Kylie Maxwell and Lizzie Thornton. A native of Chatham, N.J., Cross played in all 21 matches for the Nittany Lions, with three assists and a little over 900 minutes in the midfield.
- Taylor Maxwell, Miami
  - Maxwell joins the Wake Forest backline with her freshman season at the Miami Hurricanes under her belt. While her twin sister Kylie Maxwell began her career with the Demon Deacons, Taylor tallied over 700 minutes on the backline with the Hurricanes, making eight starts in 13 appearances.
- Kaitlyn Sasadeusz, San Francisco
  - The Deacs round out the transfer group with forward Kaitlyn Sasadeusz, who will join the Deacs for her senior year following a three-year stint at University of San Francisco. Across those years, Sasadeusz totaled over 2,000 minutes, eight goals and 22 points. During both her sophomore and junior season, the 2025 All-WCC Honorable Mention led her team in multiple offensive categories. In the 2025-26 season, Sasadeusz accounted for over a third of her team's goals over the entire season, and 30 percent of the squads' total points.

Scouting the Monarchs

The Monarchs are led by Head Coach Will Roberts, who is in his first season with the program. He spent the last three years with the ULM Warhawks, finishing the 2025 season with a 13-3-4 overall record and 6-0-4 conference mark.
So far this season, the team is 1-2-0, falling to Virginia Tech and UNCW on the road but securing a win over Longwood at their first home game of the season.
- Under the previous head coach, ODU finished the 2025 season with an 11-3-4 record and winners of the Sun Belt East Division.
The Monarchs return their top two point leaders in senior Riley Mullen and sophomore Ashley Economopoulos. Additionally, defender Ashlynn Kulha and senior transfer Libby Holmes were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt team.
- As a junior, Mullen tallied 18 points from eight assists and five goals. Economopoulos tallied five goals and five assists for 15 points in her freshman season.
- Kulha played a key role on the Monarch's backline in 2025, becoming the first player in Sun Belt and ODU history to garner back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors.
- Holmes joined ODU after spending the previous year at ULM. She earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors, spending the previous year at ULM under now Monarchs Head Coach Roberts. Appearing in 19 matches, she finished second on the Warhawks with five goals and totaled 14 points.
In goal, Roberts relies on a veteran tandem, with Ellie Goodrich and NC State transfer Emily Earles.
- Earles got the start to open the season, while Goodrich earned the start and eventual shutout in the 3-0 victory over Longwood.

Series History vs. Old Dominion

This Sunday marks the third all-time meeting of the two programs.
- The Deacs hold a 2-0-0 mark overall, and have only played the Monarchs on home turf.
- In the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Wake Forest took a 4-0 victory over Old Dominion in their first ever meeting.
The Deacs last met the Monarchs on Sept. 9, 2016, where Wake Forest secured a 3-1 home win.

Up Next
Wake Forest is back at home for its final match before they hit the road on Sunday, Aug. 29 against Portland with kickoff at 7 p.m. Sunday will also serve as one of three senior nights, honoring senior MJ Osborne and graduate student Henley Tippins. The contest will be streamed on ACCNX with live stats available here.

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