The Blinn College women’s soccer team enters the 2026 season with something that can be difficult to find at the junior college level: experience.
With 10 returning players, three sophomore transfers and competition throughout the roster, the Buccaneers are looking to build on one of the strongest seasons in program history and take the next step toward their first NJCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship appearance.
Head coach Alexandria Jackson enters her fifth season leading Blinn and eighth season overall with the program. Since taking over as head coach in 2022, she has guided the Buccaneers to a 34-24-5 record.
Blinn finished 9-3-3 in 2025, placed second in the Region 14 South standings and earned its sixth consecutive appearance in the Region 14 Tournament.
Bucs Looking to Build on 2025 Success
The Buccaneers came close to extending their postseason run last season.
Blinn hosted No. 14 Tyler Junior College in the opening round of the Region 14 Tournament and battled the Apaches to a 1-1 draw before falling 4-2 in a penalty-kick shootout.
That finish left the Buccaneers just short of another major step forward for a program that began competition in 2018.
Blinn’s men’s soccer team reached the national tournament for the first time in program history in 2025, and the women now hope to accomplish the same milestone.
The Buccaneers will have an experienced group attempting to make that happen.
Of Blinn’s 25 players, 10 return for their second season with the program. Jackson also added three sophomore transfers in midfielders Lilly Arellano, Maria Barrientos and Kaelynn Pablo.
The returning group gives Blinn a veteran foundation while a talented freshman class adds depth and competition for playing time.
Experience Returns Across the Field
Blinn returns goalkeepers Haidlyn Hawkins and Reese Cauthen.
The midfield features several returning players, including Taylor Bull, Mikaela Juliano, Sophia Pacheco, Saya Shiratsuki and Chloey Mejia.
Defenders Dana Campos and Tristen Smith also return, along with forward Khadeeja Rhoden.
Jackson also has a new addition to the coaching staff in assistant coach Orlando Cervantes. Cervantes brings decades of coaching experience and has taken a leading role in developing Blinn’s defensive structure, allowing Jackson to concentrate more heavily on the attacking side of the game.
Blinn Must Replace Leading Scorers
One of Blinn’s biggest challenges will be replacing the offensive production of Marguerite Funk and Rebecca Madrid, the Buccaneers’ two leading scorers in 2025.
Rhoden enters the season as Blinn’s top returning goal scorer after recording four goals last year.
The Buccaneers also return three of their leading assist producers. Bull led Blinn with six assists in 2025, while Mejia and Juliano recorded four apiece.
With experience in the midfield and several players capable of contributing offensively, Blinn will look to spread its scoring opportunities across the roster rather than rely on one or two players.
Finding the right combinations will be a major focus during the opening portion of the season as the coaching staff determines how best to use the team’s depth.
Competition for Playing Time
Few positions appear settled entering the season, with players competing throughout the roster for starting roles and playing time.
That includes goalkeeper, where Hawkins and Cauthen are battling for the starting position.
Hawkins went 5-3-3 as a freshman and recorded four shutouts. She finished the season with 78 saves on 86 shots for a 90% save percentage while allowing eight goals in 12 matches.
Cauthen redshirted last season after transferring to Blinn from Point Park University.
The competition extends to a defensive unit undergoing significant changes.
Blinn must replace its entire starting back line from 2025, when the Buccaneers limited opponents to 11 goals and recorded six shutouts.
Campos and Smith provide returning experience, but Blinn will use preseason training and the early schedule to establish the combinations that will anchor the defense.
The depth throughout the roster should also give Jackson more flexibility with substitutions and rotations during the season, particularly as the Buccaneers navigate the demanding Region 14 schedule.
Region 14 Provides Tough Road to Nationals
Reaching the national tournament will require Blinn to emerge from one of the strongest junior college soccer regions in the country.
Region 14 sent three men’s teams and three women’s teams to their respective national tournaments last season.
Blinn demonstrated that it could compete at that level in 2025. The Buccaneers tied two teams that ultimately advanced to nationals before their own season ended against nationally ranked Tyler in the Region 14 Tournament.
That experience has given the returning players a clearer picture of how small the margin can be between advancing and seeing a season come to an end.
A preseason matchup against Lamar University provided another opportunity for Blinn to test itself against strong competition and identify areas needing improvement before the regular season.
Bucs Begin 2026 Schedule
Blinn opened the 2026 season with a neutral-site matchup against Butler Community College in Corsicana before returning to Brenham for its home opener against North American University at Hohlt Park.
The Buccaneers begin Region 14 South competition at home against Northeast Texas Community College at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4.
Along with competing for a conference championship and national tournament berth, Blinn will continue emphasizing player development and helping its athletes advance to four-year programs.
But after a second-place regional finish and a postseason run that ended in a penalty shootout last year, the Buccaneers enter 2026 with an opportunity to push the program into new territory.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and has captured 53 national championships since 1987.
