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The Furman women’s soccer team will add 11 newcomers to its roster for the 2026 season; it was announced recently by Paladin head coach Andrew Burr.
Hayden Barnett (Snellville, Ga./Troy), Kylie Brookfield (Highlands Ranch, Colo./George Mason), Sierra Davis (Simpsonville, S.C.), Natalie Gullo (Virginia Beach, Va.), Jayden Irby (Greenville, S.C.), Kate Kuzemka (Clifton, Va.), Marlie Nagle (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), Riley O’Bryan (Louisville, Ky./USC Upstate), Emmy Rikard (Greenville, S.C.), Katie Villiger (Simpsonville, S.C.), and Camryn Zimmerman (Raleigh, N.C.) will join the Paladins for the 2026 season.
.@FurmanWSoccer's Places Six On CSC Academic All-District Squad https://t.co/qCilIvLZuy
— Furman Paladins (@FurmanPaladins) November 25, 2025
“This year’s class features 11 outstanding young ladies who will fill needs for us at a variety of positions on the field and add solid depth to our team,” said Burr. “We look forward to this group making an immediate impact in our program and believe they are each a great fit within our team and at Furman University.”
GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! Ellie Herrmann ties the match with a free kick into the right-hand corner! 2-2! pic.twitter.com/vfDS0wd9ba
— Furman Women's Soccer (@FurmanWSoccer) November 2, 2025
Barnett joins the Paladin program after playing her freshman season at Troy University in 2025. The midfielder played in 16 matches and made 15 starts as a rookie for the Trojans and netted her first collegiate goal in a 5-3 loss at Old Dominion. Barnett played her prep soccer at Brookwood High School where she was a two-time Georgia All-State selection. She tallied 91 goals and 67 assists over four seasons for the Broncos.
Roller Sparks Quarterfinal Round Comeback To Rally @FurmanWSoccer Past Chattanooga, 2-1 https://t.co/HV7rJtA5yf
— Furman Paladins (@FurmanPaladins) November 1, 2025
Brookfield, a goalkeeper, spent the 2025 season as a member of the women’s soccer team at George Mason. She did not see game action during her freshman year with the Patriots. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native was a prep standout in soccer, lacrosse and basketball at Mountain Vista High School. She led her club team, Real Colorado Soccer Club, to the ECNL playoffs.
GOALLLLLLLL!!! Furman halves the Samford lead on a Katelyn Nixon goal in the 56th minute!
Paladins 1-2 Bulldogs pic.twitter.com/5mxBAwrIlG
— Furman Women's Soccer (@FurmanWSoccer) November 2, 2025
Davis is one of six members of the CESA Liberty 08 ECNL team to join the Paladins for 2026. A midfielder, she earned team MVP honors with the Homeschool High School team three times. Davis is a two-time Elite Club National League (ECNL) All-Southeast Conference First Team choice and guided her team to the playoffs is 2022 and 2023. The Simpsonville, S.C., native was chosen for the Continental Tire ECNL National Selection Game.
Also a member of the CESA Liberty 08 ECNL club, Gullo is set to begin her senior season at Wando High School. She helped the Warriors claim the 2023 South Carolina AAAAA Division 2 State Championship title and reach the championship match once again in 2025. A wing and outside back for Wando, Gullo was named AAAAA all-state, region player of the year, and garnered All-Lowcountry honors as a junior.
Irby played her prep soccer at Eastside High School. The center back enters her senior season having led the Eagles to three consecutive state titles, including AAAA crowns as a freshman and sophomore and the state AAAAA championship this past season as a junior. A two-time all-region and all-state choice, she played her club soccer with CESA Liberty 08 ECNL and captured second team ECNL All-Southeast Conference honors.
Kuzemka is a native of Clifton, Va., and senior at Centreville High School. Capable of playing along the back line or as a holding midfielder, she plays her club soccer at Virginia Development Academy and helped her squad to an undefeated record, second consecutive ECNL U19 Mid-Atlantic Conference championship, and an ECNL U19 Mid-Atlantic Cup Final this past season. At the ECNL Nationals she guided her team to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Legends FC to earn an Elite Eight spot and top 10 national ranking. Kuzemka is the younger sister of former Furman football linebacker Nicky Kuzemka.
A teammate of Gullo’s at Wando High School, Nagle has tallied 30 goals and added 59 assists over the past two season for the Warriors. After helping Wando to a AAAAA state title as a freshman, the forward scored 15 goals and added 24 assists as a sophomore in 2024. Last season, Nagle, who served as team captain, netted 15 goals and contributed 35 assists en route to earning all-region accolades as the Warriors advanced to the AAAAA state finals once again. She also plays her club soccer with CESA Liberty 08 ECNL.
O’Bryan arrives at Furman as one of the most decorated performers in the incoming class. The Louisville, Ky., native earned Big South Conference Forward of the Year and first team All-Big South honors as a sophomore last season at USC Upstate. She scored seven goals, including five in league play, to tie for the team lead and added two assists. O’Bryan, a Big South All-Freshman choice in 2024, Prior to her time with the Spartans, O’Bryan scored 60 goals and added 35 assists in four seasons at Assumption High School. The forward captured all-state honors and was a two-time district MVP.
Rikard joins the Paladin roster after helping Eastside High School to three consecutive state championships. The goalkeeper earned all-region accolades as a junior after propelling the Eagles to the AAAAA state crown for the second straight year. She recently joined CESA Liberty 08 ECNL. Rikard, a native of Greenville, is the younger sister of former Furman men’s basketball manager Caleb Rikard.
Villiger played her prep soccer at J.L. Mann High School in Greenville. The defender/midfielder helped lead the Patriots to the South Carolina 5A Division 1 State Championship as a junior last season while earning all-state and All-Region 1-AAAAA honors. As a sophomore, she received All-Region 1-AAAAA accolades after leading J.L. Mann to the upper state finals. She is a three-time ECNL All-Southeast Conference selection playing club soccer for CESA Liberty 08. Villiger also played this past year with the Greenville Liberty USL U20 team.
A defender from Wakefield High School, Zimmerman is a three-time academic all-conference choice and three-time defender of the year. She played her club soccer for NCFC and led them to the ECNL Super Cup this past season. The high school all-conference selection also played for the Fusion U23 USL W League squad.
The 2026 Paladins are set to return eight starters from a 2025 squad that posted a 10-4-5 overall record and 3-2-4 Southern Conference mark. Among the returnees are top goal scorers Norah Roller, Maddie Massie, and Katelyn Nixon, along with defensive stalwarts Ava King, Ellie Herrmann, and goalkeeper Reese DeJong.
Furman Women’s Soccer Newcomers
Name Pos. Hometown High School Last Team
Hayden Barnett MF Snellville, Ga. Brookwood H.S. Troy
Kylie Brookfield GK Highlands Ranch, Colo. Mountain Vista H.S. George Mason
Sierra Davis MF Simpsonville, S.C. Homeschool CESA Liberty 08 ECNL
Natalie Gullo F Virginia Beach, Va. Wando H.S. CESA Liberty 08 ECNL
Jayden Irby D Greenville, S.C. Eastside H.S. CESA Liberty 08 ECNL
Kate Kuzemka MF/D Clifton, Va. Centreville H.S. VDA
Marlie Nagle D/F Mount Pleasant, S.C. Wando H.S. CESA Liberty 08 ECNL
Riley O’Bryan F/MF Louisville, Ky. Assumption H.S. USC Upstate
Emmy Rikard GK Greenville, S.C. Eastside H.S. CESA Liberty 08 ECNL
Katie Villiger MF/D Simpsonville, S.C. J.L. Mann H.S. CESA Liberty 08 ECNL
Camryn Zimmerman D Raleigh, N.C. Wakefield H.S. NCFC ECNL
Courtesy: furmanpaladins.com
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