Women’s Soccer Announces 2026 Schedule

MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women's soccer unveiled the schedule for the 2026 season, head coach Tim Ward announced Thursday.

"Another amazing season of Pepperdine Soccer with another incredibly exciting and challenging schedule," Ward said. "We're looking forward to playing some of the best programs in the country again and allowing our girls to play, compete and ultimately shine on the biggest stages of NCAA division I women's soccer."

Putting together one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Waves, coming off back-to-back conference titles, will be tested throughout nonconference play before diving into WCC matches. The schedule features six opponents from power-four conferences and three NCAA tournament teams from last season. The 2026 slate is full of exciting opportunities according to Ward.

The Waves will have an exhibition match at Cal Poly Aug. 6 as the final tune-up before kicking off the season.

Pepperdine officially opens the 2026 campaign against Colgate at home Aug. 13. Remaining home, the Waves welcome crosstown opponent USC to Tari Frahm Rokus Field Aug. 16 before closing the opening week of play against the bears of Cal, Berkeley Aug, 20.

The Waves will then hit the road for the longest trip of the season, as Pepperdine will visit the Red Raiders of Texas Tech Aug. 27 before swinging over to Baylor to play Aug, 30.

To open the month of September, the Waves head to Westwood for a rematch of last year's opening round of the NCAA tournament against UCLA Sept. 4 before taking a short trip north to Fresno State to play the Bulldogs Sept. 10. The final two matches of nonconference play will feature a matchup against Arizona at home for the second time in three years Sept. 13 before wrapping up the first half of the season at San Diego State Sept. 17.

Although the Waves are reigning back-to-back conference champions, the path to a third consecutive title will look different this year. For the first time in WCC history, the conference will be sponsoring a four-team postseason tournament. With nine WCC match-ups, including the addition of newest foe Denver, each match will hold postseason implications.

The conference slate opens on the road at Portland Sept. 26, as the Waves will then welcome Seattle to Malibu the following Saturday, Oct. 3. The first WCC matchup with Denver will be on the road for the Waves, traveling to the Pioneers on Oct. 7.

Pepperdine will then have two weeks at home, hosting San Francisco (Oct. 10) and LMU (Oct. 17) on consecutive Saturdays. The Waves will travel to Pacific (Oct. 24) before returning home for matchups with Santa Clara (Oct. 28) and San Diego (Oct. 31).

The regular season will conclude Nov. 7, with a road contest at Saint Mary's. The WCC Semifinals will then take place on Nov. 11 with the top two seeds hosting, with the Championship match then slated for Nov. 14.

Bringing back the conference's second-leading goal-scorer in senior Julia Quinonez, the Waves were first in the conference in shots on goal. On the other side of the field, junior Jillian Medvecky returns in goal as one of the conference's top-defensive players. All-WCC First Team selections returning include Quinonez and Peyton Leonard while second team All-WCC Kyra Murphy returns for her fifth year with the squad. Layla Simon, just named Pepperdine's breakout player to watch by TopDrawerSoccer, is entering the 2026 season off an all-freshman team selection, joining Ariana Markey who most recently qualified for the World Cup next summer with the Philippine Women's National Team.

As the conference makes history with a new postseason look, Pepperdine will look to make history as the first team to claim a conference title for three years in a row.

Season tickets start as low as $85 with early-bird pricing. This deal is available through July 11 before increasing to the regular price of $109. Fans can secure a seat for every home match at just $9 per game for a limited time, available for purchase here.

Season-ticket packages offer the best value for fans, as season-ticket holders are integral to the gameday atmosphere that makes Tari Frahm Rokus Field one of the most electrifying venues in college soccer.

Season tickets remain the only method to lock in the same cost and seats for every home game as single-game tickets will be dynamically priced with adjustments made for each game in real-time based on market demand, opponent or weather.

Kickoff times and match promotions will be announced at a later date. The full schedule can be found below.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S SOCCER
Pepperdine women's soccer has been competitive since season one in 1993. As just the third head coach in the program's history, Tim Ward has led the Waves to 15 NCAA tournament appearances, winning the West Coast Conference six separate times and taking his squad to the round of 16 four times, most recently in 2021. With 24 winning seasons, Ward has proven he can lead consistently with excellence, garnering an overall record of 320-158-78.

FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's soccer news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWSOC.

Players Mentioned

Peyton Leonard

Ariana Markey

Jillian Medvecky

Kyra Murphy

Julia Quinonez

Layla Simon

Footer