CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Five Longwood women's soccer players have been named 2026 Big South Preseason Players to Watch List, the league announced on Wednesday.
On the watch list — which includes selections from each of the league's head coaches as well as returning all-conference honorees — are forwards Peyton Curney and Sam Fischer, midfielders Meghan Piazza and Coryn Silberstein and defender Berni Wayland.
The Preseason Players of the Year honorees at each position will be selected by the head coaches from the lists, and will be announced on Thursday, along with the 2026 preseason predicted order of finish.
An all-Big South first team selection as a freshman in 2023, earning a league-record five Freshman of the Week awards, Curney scored twice in 2025, while appearing in all 19 matches.
In 55 appearances, including 36 starts, Curney has scored career eight goals and three assists for 19 points.
Fischer, the Big South Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-league pick last season, led the Lancers in goals (seven) and points (16). She was named Freshman of the Week two times and Player of the Week once while playing in all 19 matches with seven starts.
Fischer opened her Longwood career with nine points in her first three matches on four goals and one assist.
Piazza, a senior, was a second team all-Big South honoree in 2025. Her five goals tied for seventh in the league and she scored the game winner in Longwood's 2-0 first-round conference tournament victory over Charleston Southern on Nov. 1 at home.
Silberstein started all 19 matches a year ago as a holding midfielder. She came up with one goal and one assist. She played 90 minutes on nine occasions in 2025 and lasted the full 110 minutes in the Lancers' 1-1 draw against USC Upstate in the Big South tournament semifinals.
Wayland appeared in 15 matches with 13 starts on the backline as a sophomore last season. She scored her first career goal in the 62nd minute on Sept. 20, the only marker in a 1-0 win over Gardner-Webb at home.
Longwood went 9-7-3 overall and 5-3-0 in the Big South last season, advancing to the Big South semifinals for the fifth time.
The Lancers open the 2026 season with an exhibition at Liberty on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
