WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of Dayton women's soccer team earned nine total honors from the 2026 Atlantic 10 postseason honors, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon, highlighted by junior
Liv Grenda's second consecutive Midfielder of the Year award.
Grenda, as well as fellow juniors
Bre Mendoza and
Laney Smith, were All-Atlantic 10 first team honorees, while junior
Lauryn Contini also earned a spot on the A10 second team.
Grenda started all 18 matches she played in for the Flyers in the 2026 campaign, registering eight points thanks to a pair of goals and four assists. Her Midfielder of the Year honor is the second in a row for the Perkasi, Pa. native, and makes Grenda the second Flyer midfielder to earn the year-end honor twice. Grenda joins UD Hall of Famer Nicole Waters, who earned the nod in both 2014 and 2015.
Smith currently leads Dayton in total points (11) and goals scored (5) on the season. Four of her goals this season came during league play, as did her lone assist. The Fort Thomas, Ky. native led the team in shots (71) and shots on goal (23) while averaging over 82 minutes per game.
The junior joins elite company in UD women's soccer laurels with her third consecutive A10 First Team honor, as Smith is one of just 10 Flyers to earn first team distinction three times. That list includes Dayton Hall of Famers Ashley Campbell, Nicole Waters and Colleen Williams, as well as Itala Gemelli, Alexis Kiehl, Kathleen Beljan, Mandi Back, Tesia Kozlowski and Erin Showalter.
Mendoza helped provide a steady presence to a defense that lost two All-Conference players from a season ago, starting all 19 games at defender. The Knoxville, Tenn. native registered 12 matches playing all 90 minutes, tallying three assists on the campaign and buoying a defensive unit that finished the season with eight shutouts, including six in Atlantic 10 play. Mendoza was an A10 second team member last season.
Contini, Dayton's lone second team honoree in the midfield, was tied for second on the team in total points (10) thanks to three goals and four assists. Two of her three goals were game-winners, while the All-Conference nod is the first of her career.
The freshman duo of
Reese Gallagher and
Delaney Rollins were each named to the A-10 All-Rookie team. Gallagher registered 10 points (3 goals, 4 assists) for the season, good for a tie for second on the team, while Rollins had one point from the defensive midfield position where she made 13 starts and had nine full 90s.
Rounding out the honors was the duo of Grenda and Smith being named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic team. It marks the second time for Grenda to get the All-Academic nod, while Smith is a first time honorees. To be named to the All-Academic team, a student-athlete must hold a GPA over 3.0 while also being a starter or major contributor.
2026 ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP – HOSTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON
The University of Dayton hosts No. 3 seed La Salle in the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at Baujan Field.
