Freshman midfielder Fiona McCormick battles the University of California, Berkeley at Tari Frahm Rokus Field on Aug. 20. The Waves picked up a 1-0 win over the Golden Bears to improve to 2-0-1 on the season. Photos by Guinevere Hesse
The tide is rising at Tari Frahm Rokus Field — and the Waves are rising with it. This year’s Pepperdine Women’s Soccer team is building off the victories of their past seasons, and they have all the pieces to pave their own path to similar success.
After winning back-to-back West Coast Conference (WCC) championships and clinching NCAA Tournament berths in both 2024 and 2025, the Waves are looking to keep climbing the competition ladder. This year’s squad, known as Team 34, are stepping up to the challenge and filling in some big holes left by key alumni.
“All things are possible with this group,” Head Coach Tim Ward said. “We’re young, talented and hungry. I’m really proud of the girls’ work so far, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
Following the 2025 championship season, Pepperdine lost eight graduating players — one of whom went on to sign a professional contract with the NWSL’s San Diego Wave FC. With the loss of many veteran Waves, three seniors are stepping up as core leaders this season.
Defender Peyton Leonard, midfielder Kyra Murphy and forward Julia Quinonez make up this year’s senior class. The trio may be small in number, but they bring loads of experience, strength and consistency to the program.
“You’re not going to be the same as any other leader but we are taking what we’ve learned from our three years here and playing the role that the team needs us to be,” Quinonez said. “Every year we’ve been here, there’s always been a great group of girls to look up to. I just want to be that leader that people were to me.”
The senior trio aren’t the only returners that will make an impact on the field. Ward said his junior class will see a lot of minutes on the pitch, proving to be dangerous against all opponents.
“That junior class has done a remarkable job of rising up,” Ward said. “Those women have been the unsung heroes of our program the last few years because they would probably not play the minutes they wanted, but they’re hungry. They are hungry for more, and so far, they’re doing a wonderful job.”
One of the strongest areas for Pepperdine this year will be on the defensive side. Leonard is entering her senior year as the No. 60 ranked player in the nation as well as being named to the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy watch list — the top individual honor in collegiate soccer, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“It’s for sure a confidence boost, but at the same time, it’s a great reminder that we have everything we need to be successful and to achieve our goals,” Leonard said. “These awards aren’t possible if you don’t have a team like this behind you supporting you.”
Senior defender Peyton Leonard maintains possession against Cal on Aug. 20 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Leonard is one of three players in this year’s senior class for Pepperdine Women’s Soccer.
Leonard will help lead a talented backline supported by juniors Chloe Brown and Lily Stewart, with junior goalkeeper Jillian Medvecky holding things down in the net.
Sophomore Ariana Markey will also be a key part of the Waves’ defense. Ward said Markey has shown tremendous growth through her first year, bringing valuable experience into the 2026 season after qualifying for the World Cup with the Philippines Women’s National Team over the summer.
In the midfield, Murphy will be joined by junior Alex Pendleton and a trio of redshirt sophomores with Sarah Spears, Victoria Alessandrini and Ava Schall. Junior Ariana Salvador will also support the midfield, slotting in as a forward to be a threat on offense too.
At the top, Quinonez will join forces with some fresh faces. The senior forward brings years of experience and has already begun making waves this year, being named to the Hermann Trophy watch list as well as earning the first WCC Offensive Player of the Week award after scoring three goals through Pepperdine’s first two games, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
With Leonard and Quinonez already earning national recognition, Ward said his senior leaders are staying humble about their accolades and focusing on the rest of their team.
“We don’t have our last names on our jersey for a reason because it’s not about the individual, it’s about the program. It’s about Pepperdine Soccer,” Ward said. “It’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than our other coaches. Our first core value is humility, and that’s not thinking less of yourself, it’s just thinking of yourself less.”
The 2026 Pepperdine Women’s Soccer team lines up to sing U2’s “Street of Dreams” to their fans following a 1-0 win over Cal on Aug. 20 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Head Coach Tim Ward said he wants to connect with fans more this season through this new tradition.
As the Waves dive into the 2026 season, the expectations are high. Coming in as reigning two-time WCC champs, this team knows what they need to do to achieve the success they’re hunting for.
“The goal is to try to three-peat — no team in Pepperdine history has ever done it,” Ward said. “It’s not an easy thing to do, but that’s a stated goal — it’s just understood. We try to focus on the process and what we are doing every day to get a little bit better.”
These returners have a strong group of newcomers that join the Waves with the same hungry mindset, Ward said. The veterans are learning how to play with these young players, while also teaching them the recipe for success.
“Our leadership at the top, one of the strengths would have to be that they’ve been there before as back-to-back WCC champions, and they know the difference between good and great,” Ward said. “The margins are thin; they’re small. To get it done requires focus, concentration and not taking your eye off the ball. You can’t fall asleep at the wheel at all.”
As part of the freshmen class, midfielders Fiona McCormick, Sahaana Potti and goalkeeper Addi Bartell all join Pepperdine’s squad from the same De Anza Force club team in Northern California. McCormick was ranked the No. 71 player in the nation for the class of 2026, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“Three incredibly strong players, personalities, quality human beings and quality soccer players,” Ward said.
Emjae Soriano is another young Wave that will look to make an impact on the field. Coming from a highly competitive San Diego Surf club team, Soriano will play as both a defender and forward. Erin Ha is another freshman defender coming from Slammers HB Køge, one of the best clubs in the country, Ward said.
“These girls have these pedigrees where they’ve had experience competing at the highest level and on the biggest stages,” Ward said.
On the offensive side of things, Quinonez will team up with freshmen Kate Ryan, Eva Awoyinka and Sam Hosford. With these young Waves being able to play all positions, Ward said the class of 2030 is a remarkable one.
“There’s not a single freshman that can’t contribute in a significant way in the present and future of this team,” Ward said. “ I always say seasons come down to games, and games come down to moments, and moments come down to character and preparation. We spend the majority of our time recruiting women of character, developing women of character and preparing the best we can so that when our moment arrives, we are ready for it.”
After competing at the highest level in the club competition, these new Waves are ready to make their mark on the field. While joining a team that is hunting for a third consecutive conference championship can seem daunting, McCormick said the team’s tight-knit dynamic has made the transition easier.
“The team culture has been really good. All the girls have been so welcoming and very inclusive, making us feel part of the team,” McCormick said. “I was really drawn to the team culture when I came on my visit just because I could feel the energy and the vibes.”
Above all, Ward said the team’s greatest strength is their depth.
“Our motivation, our grit, our energy on and off the field has really helped play a big role into this culture,” Leonard said. “This is a great group of girls. We have the same motivation, the same goal and that we ultimately want to reach at the end.”
Pepperdine has already seen success in their first games of the season. Off to a 2-0-1 start, the Waves picked up a 3-1 win over Colgate University, fought hard in a 1-1 tie against the University of Southern California Trojans and most recently secured a tough 1-0 win over University of California, Berkeley.
“Our schedule is designed to test our girls at the highest level,” Ward said. “Especially in our non-conference section, we schedule those teams because we feel like they’re going to be NCAA tournament teams, most of them if not all of them. The hope is to obviously get a great result, but nonetheless, we’re going to get better by playing this soccer game.”
Even with a strong start, Leonard and Quinonez are rooting their game in the program’s values. Rather than expecting winning results, the captains are expecting their team to leave everything they have out on the field.
“Obviously winning is the goal, but it’s not our purpose,” Leonard and Quinonez said. “How we do anything is how we do everything.”
Sophomore defender Ariana Markey high fives fans after Pepperdine beat Cal 1-0 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field on Aug. 20. Following any quality result, the Waves will run by fans after they sing U2’s “Street of Dreams.”
As the Waves take the field, they are starting a new tradition within their program. Inspired by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the players will line up to sing U2’s “Street of Dreams” after any result the team is content with, Ward said.
“When players honor their fans, it’s really a beautiful thing because we cannot do it without our fans,” Ward said. “It’s really important to me, and more importantly, it’s important to the program. It’s a song of hope, and it’s a song that brings people together. That’s why we want people to sing it with us.”
Fans wanting to join in on the new tradition will have to wait two weeks before the Waves come back to the ‘Bu. Pepperdine Women’s Soccer will be on the road for four games before returning home Sept. 13 to host the University of Arizona.
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