The field for the 2026 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals is officially set following a grueling day of tournament action at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.
According to sunbeltsports.org, James Madison, Old Dominion, App State, and South Alabama navigated Monday’s quarterfinal matches to keep their championship hopes alive in Alabama.
James Madison eyes a repeat under Billy Napier. Marshall and Old Dominion are among the challengers. Coastal starts anew and Georgia State wants to flip the narrative. 2026 Sun Belt East Division preview:https://t.co/T5H43wZ5S2
The day’s most dramatic finish came in the opening match as third-seeded App State moved past No. 6 seed Louisiana with a 1-0 golden goal victory in overtime. The Mountaineers, who hadn’t reached this stage of the tournament since 2016, broke the scoreless deadlock in the 96th minute when fourth-year midfielder Olivia Simon redirected a header from a Maddie Williams free kick into the back of the net.
Old Dominion secured its fifth semifinal appearance with a decisive 5-1 victory over Marshall. Despite conceding an early goal to the Herd in the fourth minute, the Monarchs responded with a relentless offensive surge, scoring four times before halftime.
Riley Mullen led the charge with two goals in less than 90 seconds, followed by contributions from Dylan McEntarfer, Hannah Morgan, and Ashley Economopoulos. The Monarchs dominated the stat sheet, outshooting Marshall 16-6.
This tournament run follows a challenging regular season for Old Dominion, which included a 2-1 loss to James Madison in Harrisonburg on October 11. Reflecting on that earlier defeat, head coach Will Roberts noted, “The next game we play will tell us a lot about the group we have and the reaction we want.” His squad’s performance on Monday suggests a clear response to those earlier setbacks.
Top-seeded James Madison maintained its momentum by defeating No. 8 seed Southern Miss 2-0. The Dukes took control early, with Ellie Farrell scoring in the 26th minute, before Makenna Kirk added a second goal in the 76th minute. James Madison has now reached the semifinals in four of the last five seasons.
The remaining four teams now turn their attention to Wednesday’s semifinals. The following table summarizes the upcoming matchups scheduled in Foley:
| Matchup | Date | Time (CT) |
|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion vs. App State | November 11 | 4 p.m. |
| James Madison vs. South Alabama | November 11 | 7 p.m. |
South Alabama punched its ticket to the semifinals for the second year in a row after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Georgia State. The Jaguars took a 2-0 lead through goals by Zumiyah Hill and Sofia Ferrante, and despite a late surge from the Panthers, the South Alabama defense held firm in the final 10 minutes to secure the victory.
The winners of Wednesday’s semifinals will meet in the championship match on Saturday, November 14, at 7 p.m. CT. For the programs involved, these matches represent the culmination of months of conference play, where every set piece and defensive rotation carries the weight of the entire season.
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