Chambana Sun

Illinois soccer has qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years and will face Memphis on Saturday, November 15, at 7 p.m. Central Time in Memphis, Tennessee.

This marks the 13th appearance in program history for Illinois in the NCAA Tournament. The team's last participation was in 2013, when it advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

Head coach Katie Hultin has achieved a milestone by becoming the first head coach in Illinois program history to reach the NCAA Tournament during her debut season. She led Illinois to its first Big Ten Tournament win since 2018.

Throughout this season, Illinois recorded several achievements. The team had its best start ever with a record of seven wins and one draw through eight matches, eventually extending that run to nine wins, one loss, and one draw through eleven games. Hultin is also the only coach in program history to win her first seven matches and not concede a loss in her initial nine outings.

Goalkeeper Izzy Lee played a key role throughout the season and was named Second Team All-Big Ten. She set a new single-season saves record for Illinois with 118 saves so far this year. Lee became just the fifth goalkeeper from Illinois to surpass 100 saves in a single season and broke Steph Panozzo's previous record of 111 saves set in 2012.

Six players scored goals for Illinois this season. Sarah Foley (Second Team All-Big Ten) and Cayla Jackson (Third Team All-Big Ten) each scored seven goals to lead the team. Emma Yee scored six goals—her career high—while Lia Howard added four, Sydney Stephens contributed three, and Ellen Persson netted two goals, which is also a career best for her.