Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina women's soccer and head coach Chad Miller are reloading for the 2026 season, adding six transfers out of the portal to the roster for the upcoming campaign. The transfer additions join the Catamounts by way of NC State, Western Kentucky, USC Upstate, San Diego State, Louisiana Tech, and South Alabama.
The six transfers join a Catamount roster looking for an infusion of talent, as the team retains 24% of its 2025 scoring production following the graduation of senior standouts Isabella DeMarco, Milla Syska, Ava Robitaille, and goalkeeper Leanne Trudel. The Catamounts also lost nearly 75% of their on-field experience from last season, with Mary Mueth leading the returning core with 1,803 minutes.
Additionally, Coach Miller and staff are set to bring in nine freshmen Catamounts, with a full announcement set for a later date.
Meet the 2026 Catamount women's soccer incoming transfer class:
Mackenzie Howard
Sophomore – Midfielder
Athens, Tenn. (Western Kentucky / McMinn County HS)
Club Team: FC Alliance ECNL
Prior to Western Carolina: Appeared in eight matches at Western Kentucky with one start … Netted her first career goal with the game-winning goal against Sam Houston ... Recorded 159 minutes of game action for the Hilltoppers.
High School: Led her high school team to two District championships and was named the District Offensive MVP ... Was named to the first-team All-District twice and the second-team once ... Was also named to the first-team All-Region and the second-team once ... On the club side, Howard played with Football Club Alliance 2007 ECNL.
Caroline Simpkins
Redshirt Sophomore – Forward
Raleigh, N.C. (USC Upstate / Leesville Road HS)
Club Team: NC Courage Academy ECNL
Prior to Western Carolina: Appeared in 18 matches for the Spartans, starting 11 and totaling 26 shots, including 11 on goal over 877 minutes of game action ... Scored her first goal and game-winning goal in USC Upstate's 3-2 win over Presbyterian ... Recorded a season-high 75 minutes against Radford ... Named to the Big South All-Freshman team.
High School: Scored 12 goals and recorded 9 assists to earn both first-team All-Region and All-Conference honors as a freshman ... Her sophomore year, she recorded six goals and seven assists to once again receive All-Conference honors … Played for NC Courage Academy ECNL.
Eva Vespa
Junior – Forward
St. Leonard, Quebec, Canada (San Diego State / Vanier College / Lester B Pearson HS)
Club Team: FC Saint-Leonard
Prior to Western Carolina: Appeared in 11 matches for San Diego State, starting two ... Notched her first career assist in the Aztecs' 3-2 win at San Jose State ... logged 319 minutes of game action ... Named to the Academic All-Mountain West team ... Also played in five matches for Vanier College in 2024, scoring three goals.
High School: Played at Vincent Massey Collegiate and Lester B. Pearson High, serving as a captain at both schoools... Trained with the U19 teams for FC Barcelona, AS Roma, FC Fleury and FC Dijon... Spent ten seasons with FC Saint-Leonard (Montreal)... Also spent two years each with Repentigny (Montreal) and FC Laval (Laval) as well as a season with Lakeshore (Montreal), guiding all three to a first-place finish.
Personal: Daughter of Giuseppina and Marcello Vespa... Her grandfather, Emedio, was a professional boxer … Is majoring in business with plans to play professional soccer or own a business after graduation… Lists her favorite athlete as Lionel Messi.
Alexe Drolet
Sophomore – Defender
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Louisiana Tech / Cardinal-Roy Secondary School)
Club Team: CS Trident
Prior to Western Carolina: Started all 19 matches for Louisiana Tech in 2025, totaling a team-high 1,671 minutes along the backline ... Went the distance in 16 matches, including the final 11 ... Took two shots, putting both on frame ... Named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and was a C-USA Academic Medalist.
High School: Three-year letterman at Cardinal-Roy Secondary School ... Named the Rookie of the Year in 2022 and league MVP in 2024 ... Was a member of CS Trident, winning the Canadian national championship in 2024 ... Also played for Cégep de Sainte-Foy, winning the bronze medal at the provincial championship in 2022 and the silver medal at both the provincial championship and national championship in 2023.
Personal: Born in Québec City ... Is the daughter of Nadia Merino and Jimmy Drolet ... Has a younger brother, Samuel
Alexandra Grammenopoulos
Redshirt Sophomore – Defender
Brooklin, Ontario, Canada (South Alabama / Donald A. Wilson SS)
Club Team: Markham SC
Prior to Western Carolina: Did not appear in any matches for South Alabama
High School: Named the senior girls soccer team MVP ... 2022 Charity Shield Champion ... Two-time ODPL Cup Champion ... Made it on the Ontario Provincial Team twice.
Personal: Is the daughter to Peter and Tsahai Grammenopoulos ... Has a sister, Magdalena ... Loves the Harry Potter series ... Is bilingual ... Nicknamed "Lexie Loo."
Eliza Rich
Graduate Student – Midfielder
Huntersville, N.C. (NC State / Charlotte Soccer Academy)
Club Team: Charlotte Soccer Academy
Prior to Western Carolina: Spent four seasons on roster at NC State, appearing in four matches with one start for the Wolfpack ... Totaled 132 minutes with the Pack.
