Kansas Wesleyan women’s soccer coach Joe Schwartz is quite happy to have his freshman year behind him.

Schwartz was hired in March of 2023 but it left him little time to recruit and build the type of program he wanted.

Nonetheless his first KWU team performed admirably and improved as the season progressed. The Coyotes earned a berth in the Kansas Conference postseason tournament and upset third-seeded Saint Mary before losing in the semifinals to second-seeded Friends in double overtime.

Nine months later Schwartz and the program are in a different place.

“We know what to expect in terms of not just the soccer stuff but just how the whole institution runs and where we need to go for different things so I feel a lot more prepared this year,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll ever be easy but definitely a lot less to think about and prepare for. Really excited to get started.”

2023 was a necessary process Schwartz said.

“It was disappointing but I think that speaks volumes to what we expect as a program and Kansas Wesleyan in general,” he said. “I think we saw progression through the season. You could see the players buying into the style more and what we’re trying to do and we really grew into that. We had a great spring of development individually and as a team and culture wise as well.”

Schwartz has asked his athletes to be more involved in all aspects of the program in what he calls “Year One.”

“We’ve delegated tasks a lot more and kind of diversified in that,” he said. “I think it’s a lot simpler and our leaders have really taken on a pretty good leadership roles as well as taken some of that away from the coaches. That’s the kind of environment we want to create – more player centered because that’s the game of soccer.

“We want people here that want to buy in and be all in with what we’re doing. We want to be like many of the sports here at Kansas Wesleyan, to be around that NAIA top 25 and do those things.”

Schwartz has a core of returning veterans and a group of promising newcomers to work with.

“We have a great leadership in our senior class,” he said. “All three of our captains are seniors and that whole group has the senior mentality that determines the success of the team a lot of times – their attitudes, their energy, things like that.

“That’s something that we’ve been addressing with these this group since last fall when they were juniors. Don’t wait to be a senior until it’s your senior year, start developing that now as we enter our spring development season.”

Leading the way are captains Valeria Hernandez, a defender, and midfielders Maleia Jackson and Caitlyn Carlos. Hernandez and Jackson were named Honorable Mention All-KCAC along with senior midfielder Yissel Navarro who is sidelined with an injury but expected to return for conference play.

“They’ve been performing really well individually but also have been instrumental in keeping the energy high especially during two-a-days which is never easy for anyone,” Schwartz said. “Honestly, all of our seniors have been doing a really great job.”

Midfielders Leslie Serrato and Carstyn Anderson were in the program last fall but didn’t compete because of injuries and transfer rules. Schwartz has high hopes for both. Three Coyotes are battling for the goalkeeping job – returners Isabella Galvan and Bailey Mann along with new arrival Lauren Schwien.

“(Galvan and Mann) have been duking it out but our freshman Lauren Schwien has been pushing them as well,” Schwartz said. “It’s been really good to see that because that’s a very important position for us.”

Three transfers of note are midfielder Abigail Jensen from Iowa Central and forwards Emma Gervey from Kansas City Kansas and Talia Walsh from Harding. Walsh’s parents are KWU alums; her father J.C. played and coached for the Coyotes in the late 1990s.

Three other freshmen have played well in the early going – defender Jamie Orzel from Canada and midfielders Minaya Winchester from Colorado and Sofia Velasco from Mexico.

“Overall, it’s been a really solid group,” Schwartz said. “We told the players in a meeting the other day ‘you guys are making our lives really difficult because it’s hard to pick starters let alone separate into our top squad and our bottom squad.’ ”

KWU was picked fourth in the KCAC coaches’ preseason poll, but Schwartz disagrees.

“We finished sixth last year and being picked fourth I think shows the respect that we have in the conference,” he said, “but also maybe not enough respect. I think that we’re definitely higher than that. We have the depth and the players in the style, but you have to go out there and do it.”

The Coyotes open the season against Central Methodist on August 24 in Fayette, Missouri. They play Hastings in their home opener September 4 at JRI Stadium and Graves Family Sports Complex.