Wednesday, August 12
JACKSONVILLE
5 PM
Jacksonville State University
vs
West Georgia
Photo by: Emily Kish / Jax State
Soccer Opens Season on Wednesday Against West Georgia
8/11/2026 3:44:00 PM | Soccer
Gamecocks open up the 2026 athletic calendar with season opener
JACKSONVILLE – The Jax State soccer team opens the 2026 season with a home match against the West Georgia Wolves. Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. from the Jax State Soccer Complex.
The Gamecocks come into the season with 16 returners from last year's squad, as well as 13 newcomers. Of those 13, seven of them are transfers from other Division I institutions, while six are true freshman.
Of the returners, Jax State returns seven starters from last season, including top goal scorer Amelia Jacobs, two players with multiple assists in Emma Reeder and Raegan Whitaker, and another multi-goal scorer in Lara Aitken.
Another noteworthy returner for the Gamecocks is junior goalkeeper Ella Holmberg makes her return in 2026. Last season, she put up the most saves in a single game in Conference USA with 14 against FIU.
The Gamecocks wrapped up last year's non-conference slate with a 6-2-2 record, with wins coming against UWG, Alcorn State, and Alabama State, who the Gamecocks will face again this year. Jax State concluded the 2025 season with a 5-1-1 record when scoring first and 5-2-1 when taking more shots.
This will be the third meeting all-time between the Gamecocks and the Wolves. The first meeting came in 2024, where the Gamecocks blanked UWG, 1-0, to open the season with a 1-0 record. 2025's meeting saw the Gamecocks win 3-2, with three combined goals scored in the final 122 seconds of action. Jax State's 2-0 lead was cut in half in the 88', but a 89' goal from Emma Reeder made it a two-goal lead again. Every match in the series has been the season opener of that respective season.
UWG comes into the match after putting together a 4-13-2 record in 2025 under second-year head coach Mallory Sayre. The Wolves finished the year with a 1-2-2 record in their final five matches, which included a victory at Stetson, two losses to FGCU and Jacksonville, and two ties against Queens and North Florida.
Like Jax State, UWG also returns a seasoned goalkeeper in Emily Sanabria, who finished with 116 saves and a .768 save percentage behind the net. Like Holmberg, she also put up 14 saves in a single match during a match against Georgia State.
Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. from the Jax State Soccer Complex. Admission is free, and fans can keep up with the action on StatBroadcast and ESPN+.
The Gamecocks come into the season with 16 returners from last year's squad, as well as 13 newcomers. Of those 13, seven of them are transfers from other Division I institutions, while six are true freshman.
Of the returners, Jax State returns seven starters from last season, including top goal scorer Amelia Jacobs, two players with multiple assists in Emma Reeder and Raegan Whitaker, and another multi-goal scorer in Lara Aitken.
Another noteworthy returner for the Gamecocks is junior goalkeeper Ella Holmberg makes her return in 2026. Last season, she put up the most saves in a single game in Conference USA with 14 against FIU.
The Gamecocks wrapped up last year's non-conference slate with a 6-2-2 record, with wins coming against UWG, Alcorn State, and Alabama State, who the Gamecocks will face again this year. Jax State concluded the 2025 season with a 5-1-1 record when scoring first and 5-2-1 when taking more shots.
This will be the third meeting all-time between the Gamecocks and the Wolves. The first meeting came in 2024, where the Gamecocks blanked UWG, 1-0, to open the season with a 1-0 record. 2025's meeting saw the Gamecocks win 3-2, with three combined goals scored in the final 122 seconds of action. Jax State's 2-0 lead was cut in half in the 88', but a 89' goal from Emma Reeder made it a two-goal lead again. Every match in the series has been the season opener of that respective season.
UWG comes into the match after putting together a 4-13-2 record in 2025 under second-year head coach Mallory Sayre. The Wolves finished the year with a 1-2-2 record in their final five matches, which included a victory at Stetson, two losses to FGCU and Jacksonville, and two ties against Queens and North Florida.
Like Jax State, UWG also returns a seasoned goalkeeper in Emily Sanabria, who finished with 116 saves and a .768 save percentage behind the net. Like Holmberg, she also put up 14 saves in a single match during a match against Georgia State.
Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. from the Jax State Soccer Complex. Admission is free, and fans can keep up with the action on StatBroadcast and ESPN+.
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