University of Delaware Athletics
Photo by: Mikey Reeves
11/9/2026 3:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NEWARK, Del. - Junior captain Gabby Riley and the Delaware women's soccer program head into an exciting and pivotal time in its 35-year history. The Fightin' Blue Hens are hosting the 2026 Conference USA Women's Soccer Championship at Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium and will play in the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon. Delaware went 11-3-5 overall with a 5-1-2 record in Conference USA play during the regular season and, on Sunday, won its first conference tournament game since 2011 with a 3-0 win over Middle Tennessee in the CUSA quarterfinals.
Riley, a junior midfielder who hails from Middletown, Delaware, along with her co-captains Willa Pratt and Calista Collins, are looking to lead the program to something it's never done before, winning a conference championship.
But before she became a student-athlete at Delaware, Riley spent time during her childhood attending games at Grant Stadium both as a fan, and had the opportunity to be involved with the game. Riley visited Grant Stadium with her family, along with her club teammates throughout her childhood.
"The other week, I stumbled across some pictures and saw I was a ball girl at a women's soccer game," Riley said. "When I was younger, my club team used to be the walk-out buddies, similar to what we do now. It's cool to see that I once got to do that. I saw the scoreboard in the background, and it's so much different than it is today. It was just a standard scoreboard, no screen. What I recognize the most is that the blue track on the field was the same as it is today."
Earlier this season against Georgetown, the women's soccer program set a new attendance record of 797. Many of the fans in attendance were members of local youth clubs, who were excited to cheer on the Fightin' Blue Hens.
"There's definitely more presence from youth clubs at our games today," Riley said. "I think because we're in a new conference, and how far we have come with the team's development. It puts a lot more eyes on us, and it's cool to see that the community wants to come out to the games."
For Riley, representing the University of Delaware means more than simply wearing the Blue and Gold. As a Delaware native, having the opportunity to represent not only her university but also her community and home state has made Riley's experience as a Blue Hen even more meaningful. She takes pride in playing for a university that embraces its identity as a representative of the entire state.
"Delaware puts a lot of emphasis on their area code. That's been a big tag of ours and it's really cool to say that I'm representing the 302. Not only on the team but being from Delaware makes it special. I think there's a lot of good that comes from Delaware. We're such a small state but we have a lot to offer. So having those roots and saying I'm from Delaware is special."
Riley's ties to the Blue Hens go much deeper than being a native from Delaware. Her dad is a former student-athlete with the men's golf program, while her mother attended graduate school for physical therapy. Her parents travel to her games both in Newark, and on the road. They even play a big role in setting up the pregame parent tailgates.
"My parents always said how much they really liked it here. I didn't really think much about going to Delaware until the recruiting process started," Riley said. "When I looked into it more, I saw that UD has a lot to offer. I didn't want to overlook that, especially since it's in-state. It was cool to see that I have all of these resources right in front of me. Why wouldn't I take this opportunity and play here?"
The midfielder ended up committing to Delaware back in 2023 after Kelly Lawrence was named the third head coach in program history. Riley felt a lot of pride knowing that she was a part of Lawrence's first-ever recruiting class, a group that has helped shaped the program's foundation.
"It was a no-brainer to come here," Riley said. "I was very excited that Kelly and her staff had taken the job. They had really high hopes for the program and that really drew me to this school. I was excited because my class was their first recruiting class. That holds a decent amount of pressure because you're bringing in athletes for a team you want to develop. I was excited that they wanted to give me a chance and see what I could bring to help the program.
"The goals they have set so early on in their time here was really attractive to me. They recognized that we haven't won a conference championship or made any history yet. And that is their goal. Being a part of that was exciting to me, it made it easy for me to want to be a part of this team."
After her freshman season, Riley was voted team captain by her teammates, a role that was daunting for someone just one year into their collegiate journey. She leaned on her older co-captains last season and now, with a year under her belt, it is a role that she feels very comfortable in. The support from her teammates, along with her current and former co-captains, have been instrumental for her success and helped her learn a lot along the way.
"I think, originally, it was very nerve wracking at first because having a leadership position at such a young age with a lot of people who are older than you can be kind of scary," Riley said "But it taught me so much about myself - different leadership qualities, how to address conflict, and how to lead a team. I think I've got the hang of things as time has gone on. I've learned a lot so far and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn. I've been around some great people as captains, like Costanze Viehmann, Wilma Pratt and Calista Collins, who have really shaped my experience so much more than I could have thought. I'm excited I get to continue to lead and be here for my team."
Riley, who is a kinesiology major, has enjoyed her time in the Blue & Gold and being able to lead the women's soccer program into its newest era of success. As a team captain, she has helped shape the foundation and create a positive team culture that has resulted in one of Delaware's most successful seasons on the field.
"I have 25 best friends on the team right now. Even the little things lead to core memories such as running laps on the field or our road trips now that we're in Conference USA. The team culture is great. I think we all celebrate each other and you don't find that anywhere else."
Riley and her teammates look to advance to the conference championship game for the first time since 1996 when the third-seeded Blue Hens take on second-seeded Western Kentucky on Tuesday, November 10 at 4 p.m. at Grant Stadium. The culture that they have built off the field has positioned the Blue Hens a deep postseason run as the program continues to build its strong foundation and make its mark on the collegiate soccer landscape.
TICKETS INFORMATION
Click here to secure your seats for the CUSA semifinals match against Western Kentucky on Tuesday, November 10 at 4 p.m.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Delaware women's soccer, follow the Fightin' Blue Hens on X, Instagram, and like on Facebook.
Riley, a junior midfielder who hails from Middletown, Delaware, along with her co-captains Willa Pratt and Calista Collins, are looking to lead the program to something it's never done before, winning a conference championship.
But before she became a student-athlete at Delaware, Riley spent time during her childhood attending games at Grant Stadium both as a fan, and had the opportunity to be involved with the game. Riley visited Grant Stadium with her family, along with her club teammates throughout her childhood.
"The other week, I stumbled across some pictures and saw I was a ball girl at a women's soccer game," Riley said. "When I was younger, my club team used to be the walk-out buddies, similar to what we do now. It's cool to see that I once got to do that. I saw the scoreboard in the background, and it's so much different than it is today. It was just a standard scoreboard, no screen. What I recognize the most is that the blue track on the field was the same as it is today."
Earlier this season against Georgetown, the women's soccer program set a new attendance record of 797. Many of the fans in attendance were members of local youth clubs, who were excited to cheer on the Fightin' Blue Hens.
"There's definitely more presence from youth clubs at our games today," Riley said. "I think because we're in a new conference, and how far we have come with the team's development. It puts a lot more eyes on us, and it's cool to see that the community wants to come out to the games."
For Riley, representing the University of Delaware means more than simply wearing the Blue and Gold. As a Delaware native, having the opportunity to represent not only her university but also her community and home state has made Riley's experience as a Blue Hen even more meaningful. She takes pride in playing for a university that embraces its identity as a representative of the entire state.
"Delaware puts a lot of emphasis on their area code. That's been a big tag of ours and it's really cool to say that I'm representing the 302. Not only on the team but being from Delaware makes it special. I think there's a lot of good that comes from Delaware. We're such a small state but we have a lot to offer. So having those roots and saying I'm from Delaware is special."
Riley's ties to the Blue Hens go much deeper than being a native from Delaware. Her dad is a former student-athlete with the men's golf program, while her mother attended graduate school for physical therapy. Her parents travel to her games both in Newark, and on the road. They even play a big role in setting up the pregame parent tailgates.
"My parents always said how much they really liked it here. I didn't really think much about going to Delaware until the recruiting process started," Riley said. "When I looked into it more, I saw that UD has a lot to offer. I didn't want to overlook that, especially since it's in-state. It was cool to see that I have all of these resources right in front of me. Why wouldn't I take this opportunity and play here?"
The midfielder ended up committing to Delaware back in 2023 after Kelly Lawrence was named the third head coach in program history. Riley felt a lot of pride knowing that she was a part of Lawrence's first-ever recruiting class, a group that has helped shaped the program's foundation.
"It was a no-brainer to come here," Riley said. "I was very excited that Kelly and her staff had taken the job. They had really high hopes for the program and that really drew me to this school. I was excited because my class was their first recruiting class. That holds a decent amount of pressure because you're bringing in athletes for a team you want to develop. I was excited that they wanted to give me a chance and see what I could bring to help the program.
"The goals they have set so early on in their time here was really attractive to me. They recognized that we haven't won a conference championship or made any history yet. And that is their goal. Being a part of that was exciting to me, it made it easy for me to want to be a part of this team."
After her freshman season, Riley was voted team captain by her teammates, a role that was daunting for someone just one year into their collegiate journey. She leaned on her older co-captains last season and now, with a year under her belt, it is a role that she feels very comfortable in. The support from her teammates, along with her current and former co-captains, have been instrumental for her success and helped her learn a lot along the way.
"I think, originally, it was very nerve wracking at first because having a leadership position at such a young age with a lot of people who are older than you can be kind of scary," Riley said "But it taught me so much about myself - different leadership qualities, how to address conflict, and how to lead a team. I think I've got the hang of things as time has gone on. I've learned a lot so far and I'm looking forward to continuing to learn. I've been around some great people as captains, like Costanze Viehmann, Wilma Pratt and Calista Collins, who have really shaped my experience so much more than I could have thought. I'm excited I get to continue to lead and be here for my team."
Riley, who is a kinesiology major, has enjoyed her time in the Blue & Gold and being able to lead the women's soccer program into its newest era of success. As a team captain, she has helped shape the foundation and create a positive team culture that has resulted in one of Delaware's most successful seasons on the field.
"I have 25 best friends on the team right now. Even the little things lead to core memories such as running laps on the field or our road trips now that we're in Conference USA. The team culture is great. I think we all celebrate each other and you don't find that anywhere else."
Riley and her teammates look to advance to the conference championship game for the first time since 1996 when the third-seeded Blue Hens take on second-seeded Western Kentucky on Tuesday, November 10 at 4 p.m. at Grant Stadium. The culture that they have built off the field has positioned the Blue Hens a deep postseason run as the program continues to build its strong foundation and make its mark on the collegiate soccer landscape.
TICKETS INFORMATION
Click here to secure your seats for the CUSA semifinals match against Western Kentucky on Tuesday, November 10 at 4 p.m.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Delaware women's soccer, follow the Fightin' Blue Hens on X, Instagram, and like on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
Wednesday, September 16
Monday, September 04
Tuesday, February 14
Tuesday, January 10
