Women's Soccer | 6/23/2026 4:19:00 PM

June 23, 2026 - Ten home matches, the most home games since 2010, highlight the 2026 Emporia State soccer schedule. The Hornets will play matches on six of the seven days of the week.
 
The Hornets will open the season with a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from last season. The season opener will be on Thursday, August 27 against Drury in Springfield, Mo. The Panthers were 10-3-8 last season with an 8-1-5 mark in GLVC play. They won the GLVC Tournament with back-to-back wins on penalties to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The home opener will be on Saturday, August 29 against Maryville on the ESU Pitch. The Saints were 13-3-6, 9-1-4 in the GLVC last season and advanced to the Midwest Region Championship match.
 
Emporia State will remain at home to take on Rockhurst on Wednesday, September 2 on the ESU Pitch before heading to Weatherford, Okla. for a road match at Southwestern Oklahoma on Saturday, September 5.
 
A four-match home stand will start on Friday, September 11 against Colorado State-Pueblo before wrapping up non-conference play on Monday, September 14 against Oklahoma Baptist on the ESU Pitch.
 
The MIAA season begins on Friday, September 18 against Neb.-Kearney with the four-match home stand ending on Sunday, September 20 when Fort Hays State comes to Emporia.
 
The Hornets will have a full week to prepare for the longest MIAA road trip of the season when they head to Tahlequah, Okla. on Sunday, September 27 for a match against Northeastern State.
 
Emporia State will open October with a match at Pittsburg State on Friday, October 2. The Gorillas were 14-4-2 last season with a 9-1-2 record in MIAA play. They fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. From Pittsburg, the Hornets will travel to Edmond, Okla. on Sunday, October 4 to take on Central Oklahoma.
 
Another three match home stretch starts on Friday, October 9 against Newman. The Turnpike Tussle takes place on Sunday, October 11 on the ESU Pitch. The Hornets eliminated the Ichabods, who went 14-4-6, 8-0-4 in the MIAA, from the conference tournament last season before WU went on to advance to the NCAA National Semifinals.
 
Emporia State will then have a split home/road weekend when they play host to Missouri Southern on Friday, October 16 before heading to Warrensburg, Mo. to take on Central Missouri on Sunday, October 18. The Jennies were 11-6-4, 7-2-3 in the MIAA and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Central Regional last year.
 
The final road trip of the regular season will see the Hornets go to Northwest Missouri in Maryville, Mo. on Friday, October 23 before playing at Missouri Western on Sunday, October 25 in St. Joseph, Mo. The Griffons were 12-3-7, 6-2-4 in the MIAA and the MIAA Tournament champions. They are the sixth NCAA Tournament team from last year on Emporia State's schedule.
 
The Hornets will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday, October 28 against Rogers State on the ESU Pitch.
 
The MIAA Tournament is scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 1 on the campus of the top four seeds in the tournament. The Semifinals will be held at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita on Friday, November 6 with the Championship Match set for Sunday, November 8 at Stryker.
 
The first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be held on campus sites before the national semifinals and championship matches take place in Kansas City, Mo. at CPKC Stadium - the world's first stadium specifically built for a women's professional soccer team.
 
This fall will be year three for head coach Jane Grimley-Gunn. Emporia State went 9-6-5 in the 2025 season and advanced to the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament after a quarterfinal comeback win over #16 Washburn on the road.