What began as a cloudy Friday morning at the Park West Complex gave way to a humid afternoon launched by recent rainfall. The heat was on, and the UTSA women’s soccer team, symbolically at least, might soon feel it.

The Roadrunners have captured two conference championships and two NCAA Division I tournament berths in the past four seasons, and their perception on a national landscape has undergone quite the facelift. A program built on grit and thrived on an underdog tag might have to embrace a role reversal. Instead of aiming for a target, it might be it.

“Instead of doing the hunting, we’re maybe moving into a stage of being the hunted,” said UTSA head women’s soccer coach Derek Pittman, who a year ago guided the Roadrunners to a 10-6-6 record and the American Athletic Conference postseason tournament title before falling to Texas Tech 2-1 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. “Our mentality of our kids is never going to change. Our core values are team, grit and integrity. Those things matter to us. We talk about them every single day. We want to be at the top of the league. We want to be someone that teams are worried about and concerned about.”

Only two days into its preseason camp, UTSA is doing its part to live up to what is expected to be a new existence. On the main field at Park West, assistant coach Colleen Pitts worked through drills with goalkeepers Jasmine Kessler, Jaelyn Bracamonte and Kylie Kissee. Some distance away, junior defender Isabel Peters pushed a sled with plates of weights on it. On an adjourning auxiliary field, Sophia Kennedy, the school’s director of sports performance for Olympic sports, ran the rest of the players through a 30-minute session of
“dynamic activities” that simulated match-like speed, reaction and in-game processing.

A half-field practice followed, serving as an opportunity to put together the pieces. Early next week, the team will have Navy Seals training. With half the roster comprised of either young or new faces — led by transfers Shea Ryan (Texas A&M), Sadie Paul (TCU). Emma Kate Schroll (Louisville) and two-time high school All-American Amelia Clark from Austin Lake Travis — the aspirations are high for an upcoming season. Even some baby skunks made an appearance at the facility on Friday to seemingly get a scent of the lofty anticipation.

“We want to prove it’s not a fluke,” defender Kameron Kloza, a graduate student and LEE High School graduate, said of sustaining last year’s success. “I can tell that, just from the first couple of practices, this bunch is going to be a good one. We have a target on our backs now. But that’s a great place to be. Pressure is a privilege, and we know that. We know we have to keep going and keep progressing to hopefully win another championship.”

Happy homecoming: Eleven months ago, Sabrina Taber watched UTSA’s season opener at Park West Complex from the opposing bench on Aug. 14, 2025. She was a redshirt sophomore midfielder at Big 12 foe Houston returning from an injury.

A Smithson Valley alum, she came away impressed with the Roadrunners’ approach during a scoreless draw. When Taber was looking for a landing spot after entering the transfer portal, the memory served her well.

“I tried Power 4 and coming here — obviously, there’s still that same pressure and competition — so I’m still getting what I want out of soccer,” said Taber, who was integral in Smithson Valley earning its first trip to the UIL Class 5A state tournament in 2023 before signing with Cincinnati. another Big 12 school. She scored a goal 29 seconds into the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime loss in the state semifinals vs. Grapevine. “I’m loving it. It’s super competitive, which I love. The girls like to work hard, for sure. I’m definitely happy with my decision.”

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