Five goals. A shutout. A program record.
K-State women’s soccer saved one of its best performances for last, closing its 2026 season with a 5-0 road victory over Utah on Nov. 5. It was the Wildcats’ most productive offensive performance in a Big 12 match and a fitting finish to a season filled with historic milestones, individual accomplishments and plenty of adversity.
But even a record-setting season came with disappointment. K-State finished 7-7-5 overall and 2-7-2 in Big 12 play, missing the conference tournament. The Wildcats fell short of their postseason goal, but their accomplishments throughout the year marked another step forward for a program still building under head coach Colleen Corbin.
A statement from the start
The season began with a milestone. K-State opened the year with a 4-0 win over Seattle U on Aug. 13, before earning a 3-1 victory over Hawaii on Aug. 15. The Wildcats continued their winning streak with a 3-0 victory over Missouri State on Aug. 20 and a 2-0 win over South Dakota State on Aug. 23.
K-State then played three consecutive draws, tying Nebraska 0-0 on Aug. 30, Iowa 1-1 on Sept. 3 and Colorado State 2-2 on Sept. 10. The Wildcats capped their nonconference schedule with a 3-2 road win over Colorado College on Sept. 13, finishing 5-0-3 through their first eight matches. For the first time in program history, K-State completed nonconference play undefeated.
The Big 12 gauntlet
The transition to Big 12 play brought a different challenge. After opening conference action with a 3-0 loss to Houston on Sept. 18, the Wildcats went through a difficult stretch that tested the group. K-State dropped six matches and tied one before finally breaking through with a 1-0 road win over Iowa State on Oct. 22.
Part of that challenge came from the conference’s depth. The Big 12 featured six nationally ranked teams in the Nov. 1 United Soccer Coaches poll, including Texas Tech at No. 7, Baylor tied at No. 8, BYU at No. 13, Kansas and Colorado tied at No. 18 and Houston at No. 25. Five of those teams finished conference play with winning records. The league’s depth made an already demanding schedule even more difficult, leaving little room for mistakes.
Even through the tougher stretch, the Wildcats continued to produce at a level the program had not seen before. K-State finished with 31 goals, 24 assists and 133 shots on goal — all single-season program records. Eleven different players found the back of the net, while 10 contributed an assist.
History had plenty of heroes
Sophomore forward Gabby DeMers led the way with seven goals, tying the program’s single-season record. Her 17 points set a new school record, while senior forward Rilyn Rintoul finished with six goals and 15 points. Rintoul also set a new program record with 31 shots on goal.
Forward Allison Marshall continued to climb K-State’s career rankings throughout the season. After scoring against UCF on Oct. 30, Marshall reached 10 career goals, tying her for second in program history. She also moved into second place on the career points list with 24. The junior started all 19 matches this season, scoring four goals and recording eight points. Her production gave K-State another scoring threat alongside DeMers and Rintoul.
Marshall also embraced a bigger role in helping her teammates navigate a season full of highs and lows. As one of the team’s upperclassmen, she said leadership meant finding ways to encourage those around her both on and off the field.
“I think just being an upperclassman this year, growing as a leader, whether that be on or off the field, pushing my teammates around me just to be better in all areas,” Marshall said after K-State’s 1-1 draw against UCF. “I feel like we’ve had so many ups and downs this season, and just trying to be a consistent leader and vocal and lead by example.”
Freshman Lauren Moylan quickly became an important part of K-State’s attack. The defender and midfielder finished with two goals and four assists, tying sophomore Langley Mayers for the team lead in assists. Her four assists ranked second among freshmen in program history.
Moylan also made her mark as a scorer, finding the net in the season opener against Seattle University on Aug. 13 before scoring directly from a corner kick against Colorado College on Sept. 13.
The contributions stretched well beyond the team’s leading scorers. Adelle Francis matched Marshall with four goals, giving the Wildcats another important piece in their attack. Senior defender Reece Walrod reached a career milestone few Wildcats have achieved, becoming just the fourth player in program history to surpass 5,000 career minutes.
McKinnan Braswell also took on a larger role, playing a career-high 1,537 minutes and making her 37th consecutive start at K-State.
A wall between the posts
At the other end of the field, junior goalkeeper Maddie Sibbing put together a historic season of her own. She became the program’s career wins leader with her 12th victory after K-State defeated Colorado College on Sept. 13, adding another milestone to her growing list of accomplishments.
Sibbing quickly drew national attention. After helping K-State open the season with three consecutive shutouts, she earned her third career Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honor and became the first player in program history to receive IWSOC National Player of the Week recognition. Her six-save performance against Nebraska on Aug. 30, which included a penalty-kick stop, helped preserve a 0-0 draw.
Sibbing started all 19 matches and logged 1,692 minutes, setting a single-season program record for minutes played. She also climbed to second in program history for career matches played and goalkeeper starts.
The ‘Cats also made strides away from Buser Family Park. K-State won four road matches, setting a new program record. The Wildcats also tied the school record for most wins in a season with seven.
Corbin, now in her second season in the head coaching position, pointed to the team’s belief and commitment as reasons for the program’s progress.
“We are really proud of the buy-in and belief from the team over these past two seasons,” Corbin said following the Wildcats’ 5-0 season-ending victory over Utah on Nov. 5. “We have seen tremendous growth in so many areas, and the records are just one small, tangible piece of evidence we have to show for it.”
The Wildcats still faced one final test after their win at Iowa State. K-State dropped a 1-0 decision at Cincinnati on Oct. 25 and tied UCF 1-1 on Oct. 30. The ‘Cats entered their Nov. 5 finale at Utah looking to finish the year on a high note.
One last statement
K-State delivered its strongest offensive performance in a Big 12 match, defeating Utah 5-0 at Ute Field. Rintoul opened the scoring in the 30th minute before DeMers converted a penalty kick two minutes later. The Wildcats carried their momentum into the second half, with Lailah Benz, Rintoul and Francis each adding a goal.
The five goals set a program record for a Big 12 match. K-State also established a new conference-match record with 12 points. The victory gave the Wildcats their second Big 12 win of the season and secured the program’s fourth road win.
For Corbin, the performance represented more than a strong finish on the scoreboard. It showed how the team responded when the season did not go as planned.
“This was a challenging season filled with some awesome highs but also some very real adversity,” Corbin said. “The team always had a choice — to continue to show up and compete, or to throw in the towel and feel sorry for themselves — and tonight was a tangible showing of the team’s continued belief and love for one another.”
K-State fell short of its postseason goal, but the Wildcats finished the year with a performance that showed how far the program has come. The season brought new milestones and plenty of challenges, and Corbin believes the group can still accomplish more.
“There is so much to be proud of and still so much left to grow in and strive for,” Corbin said. “I am really grateful to the entire team and the work they put in this year. We are looking forward to what’s next as we head into the offseason.”
