Duke’s women’s soccer team will head into 2026 with two familiar names leading the way on the preseason All-ACC team.
Mia Minestrella and Cameron Roller were both named to the league’s preseason all-conference squad for the second straight year, the ACC announced. The 13-player team was selected by the league’s head coaches.
Minestrella has built herself into one of the conference’s most dangerous finishers over the last two seasons. Across the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, the Redondo Beach, California, native piled up 30 goals, 12 assists and 72 points. She closed 2025 with 18 goals, five assists and 41 points, and also picked up United Soccer Coaches All-America recognition along with College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors.
Roller has been just as important on the other end of the field. The Sherman, Texas, defender has started 53 straight matches for Duke and has helped the Blue Devils record 29 shutouts during her career. Like Minestrella, she was a 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-American and CSC Academic All-American.
That individual recognition comes with Duke also landing near the top of the league’s preseason pecking order. The Blue Devils were slotted No. 3 in the ACC Preseason Coaches Poll with 224 points and three first-place votes.
Notre Dame claimed the top spot with 239 points, followed by Stanford at 233. Florida State was fourth with 213, North Carolina fifth with 207, and Virginia sixth with 191.
The rest of the poll listed Wake Forest, Clemson, Louisville, California, NC State, Virginia Tech, Pitt, SMU, Boston College, Miami and Syracuse.
Duke enters the year under head coach Kieran Hall, who is heading into his second season and brings back eight starters from last season’s NCAA College Cup team.
The Blue Devils will begin exhibition play Aug. 5 against Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m., then host the Carolina Ascent of the Gainbridge Super League on Aug. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Both matches will be played at Freeman Field at Koskinen Stadium and will be open to the public with free admission.
Duke’s 2026 season opener is set for Aug. 12 at Southern California, with kickoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
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