Swanson Announces 2025-26 Soccer Newcomers
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s soccer team will welcome 10 newcomers to Grounds as part of the 2025-26 class of newcomers it was announced by head coach Steve Swanson on Friday (June 6).
The group of newcomers includes some of the most highly touted players in the nation and one international signee with national team experience in Netherlands. The group is rated the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer with eight players ranked in the top 200 players, two among the top five rated players and five of the top 50 players nationally.
“There is a little bit of everything in this class, not just positionally but also in terms of their individual qualities which is exciting,” Swanson said. “In addition to their soccer talent, all of them are team oriented, hard-working, disciplined, committed to their development and hungry to win. We cannot wait to officially add this group to our to our team come the end of July and have great confidence all of them will impact our program on the field, in the classroom and within the Charlottesville community in the years to come.”
The incoming class includes: goalkeepers Molly Carlson (Charlotte, N.C.) and Wicki Dunlap (Raleigh, N.C.), forwards Carrie Helfrich (McLean, Va.) and Helen Olszewski (Oklahoma City, Okla.), forward/midfielders Addison Halpern (Middlesex, N.J.) Marin McCormack (Arlington, Va.) and Loretta Talbott (Chevy Chase, Md.), and midfielders/defenders Pearl Cecil (Encinitas, Calif.) and Jordyn Hardeman (Midlothian, Texas). The international addition is defender Liv Rademaker (Amsterdam, Netherlands).
2025 INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS
Molly Carlson • GK • Charlotte, N.C. • Liberty University Online Academy
Club: Charlotte Soccer Academy
• 2x NCISAA Class 4A All-State selection
• 3x NCSCA First Team All-Region selection
• 2x CISAA First Team All-Conference selection
Pearl Cecil • M/D • Encinitas, Calif. • Laurel Springs School
Club: San Diego Surf
• No. 39 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer after reclassifying to the class of 2025
• U15, U16, U17 UWYNT rosters
• U17 Concacaf roster and team captain vs. Honduras
• Named to Best XI at 2025 Women’s U17 Concacaf Qualifiers
• UEFA Friendship Tournament in Riva, Turkey with U16 USWYNT
Wicki Dunlap • GK • Raleigh, N.C. • Broughton HS
Club: NC Courage Academy
• No. 49 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer after reclassifying to the class of 2025
• 2024 USWYNT U17 Women’s World Cup bronze medalist
• 2024 USWYNT U17 Concacaf roster
• USWYNT U17/U18 training camp rosters
• ECNL Mid-Atlantic All-Conference selection (2021-24)
• 2023 USL Academy Cup Tournament – Gold Glove winner and Best XI Team
Addison Halpern • F/M • Middlesex, N.J. • Rutgers Prep
Club: Players Development Academy
• No. 5 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
• 2024 United Soccer Coaches High School Girls Player of the Year
• 2x United Soccer Coaches High School All-American (2023, 2024)
• Second leading scorer in NJ history with 180 goals
• 2x NJ.com Player of the Year
• 2024 USWYNT U20 Women’s World Cup roster
• U16, U17, U18 and U19 USWYNT rosters
Jordyn Hardeman • M/D • Midlothian, Texas • Prosper HS
Club: Solar Soccer Club
• No. 4 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
• No. 3 on the IMG Top 150 for 2025
• U15, U16 and U17 USWYNT rosters
• 2024 USWYNT U17 Concacaf championships roster
• 2x All-American (2023, 2024)
• 2023 ECNL Player of the Year
• 2023 All State second team selection and 2024 All State honorable mention
Carrie Helfrich • F/M • McLean, Va. • Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Club: Fairfax Virginia Union
• No. 43 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
• 2x United Soccer Coaches All-American (2022, 2023)
• U15, U17 USWYNT Concacaf championship rosters
• 2022 ECNL Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year
• 3x ECNL Mid-Atlantic First Team selection
• 4x All-ISL First Team selection
• Also lettered four years in basketball
Marin McCormack • F • Arlington, Va. • Arlington Tech Governor’s STEM Academy
Club: Virginia Union
• No. 127 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
• 2x Mid-Atlantic Conference Champion with Virginia Union (2022, 2023)
• 2022 Mid-Atlantic Conference First Team selection
• Also lettered in golf, lacrosse and track
• Helped Yorktown HS claim program’s first-ever 6A state championship in 2022
• Set Yorktown HS program record in 400m and 800m relay – took fifth at state championship in 2024
Helen Olszewski • F • Oklahoma City, Okla. • Casady HS
Club: OEFC Energy
• No. 190 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
• 2025 All-State selection and Player of the Year finalist
• 2x team captain and team MVP
• Helped lead Casady to three state championships and a 2024 runner-up finish
• Also lettered four years in track and field hockey
• 2x state champion in 100m and 200M
Liv Rademaker • D • Amsterdam, Netherlands • De school van de Toekomst
• 2x U19 National Champion with AFC Ajax (2023, 2025)
• Finalist for U19 UEFA Championship (2024)
• Member of AFC Ajax roster for UEFA Champions League season (2024, 2025)
• Debuted for AFC Ajax first team in Dutch Women’s Super Cup (2024)
• U16, U17 and U19 Dutch National Team roster
Loretta Talbott • F/M • Chevy Chase, Md. • Holton Arms School
Club: Fairfax Virginia Union
• No. 70 overall recruit by Top Drawer Soccer
• 2024 All-American
• 2024 ECNL Mid-Atlantic second team selection
• 4x All-ISL selection (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• 2024 Washington Post All-Met second team
• UWYNT Training Camp (2020, 2021)