OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University will go through the fire of a challenging women's wrestling schedule this season, but the Stars have some firepower of their own for the 2025-26 season.
 
From the jump, OCU faces some of the fiercest competition in the NAIA by design. Head Coach William McKinney's preparations for the national stage includes sharpening his team's skills against great opponents.
 
"Our schedule is tough every year," said McKinney. "We open the season at Friends, where we'll see a lot of our conference opponents right away. Missouri Valley is another huge early test. It's one of the toughest tournaments in the country, with over 900 entries expected. We'll also be competing at the NWCA National Duals, which brings together the top 16 teams in the nation. In January, we travel to Indiana Tech for a tournament that will feature the majority of the top 25 NAIA programs. On top of that, we're hosting the KCAC vs. SAC Duals, where we'll wrestle each team from the KCAC, and of course, our national qualifier is always one of the toughest in the country. Every week presents a challenge, but this schedule is designed to prepare us for the national tournament."
 
Returning Wrestlers
 
McKinney saw markers last year of how good the 2025-26 edition could be.
 
"Some big positives we can build on from last season are the individual and team successes we had at the national level," he said. "We had three wrestlers earn All-American honors — Alexis Miller reaching the national finals as the No. 3 seed, Sofia Abramson showing toughness and resilience to fight back after a first-round loss, and Natalia Posada's incredible underdog run from unseeded to All-American. Those performances prove that our athletes can compete with the best in the country when they trust the process and wrestle with confidence. On top of that, we had four athletes recognized as NAIA Scholar Athletes, which shows the program's commitment to excellence both on the mat and in the classroom. Finishing 14th in the nation with eight of nine national qualifiers returning gives us strong momentum, depth, and experience to build from as we enter this season."
 
As if the team's returning qualifiers weren't enough, OCU has some All-Americans ready to get back into action.
 
"We have a strong core of returning wrestlers who will play a huge role in our success this season," McKinney said. "Alexis Miller, a national finalist last year, has already proven she can compete at the highest level, and we expect her to be right back in the mix. Sofia Abramson, who earned All-American honors as a sophomore, is only going to get stronger with more experience. Avery Ashley is one of the top wrestlers in the country, a two-time All-American, and she's coming off a redshirt season hungry to get back on the mat. Bryce White has been a three-time national qualifier and has consistently been ranked in the top 17, giving us leadership and stability at her weight. We also have Natalia Posada, who had a breakout run to All-American status last year, along with Makayla Munoz, a two-time national qualifier who's been consistently ranked in the top 17. On top of that, Corin Lowe and Ella Murphey, both national qualifiers who have been ranked in the top 10, bring great depth and the ability to score big points for us at nationals."
 
Newcomers
 
If it feels like that's plenty of talent, you're not wrong. But the Stars added more with a strong recruiting class.
 
"Two newcomers who we expect to make an immediate impact this season are Anna Vogt and Coty Sessions," McKinney said. "Anna comes to us from The Woodlands College Park High School in Texas, where she was a two-time UIL state champion and three-time finalist. She's also a USA Wrestling 16U and Junior National All-American, which shows she can compete at a national level. Coty Sessions is another big addition, joining us from Norman North High School. She was an Oklahoma state champion, a two-time state finalist, and a three-time state placer. Both Anna and Coty bring proven success and competitiveness that will strengthen our lineup right away."
 
Team Goals
 
The experience and talent are always important but the special sauce is how the team comes together.
 
"Our goals this season are to continue raising the standard of our program both on and off the mat," said McKinney. More importantly, we want to compete with full effort and continue to support each other through this journey. By focusing on doing the little things right every day, the bigger results will take care of themselves. Our fans are going to see a team that is driven, determined, and tough every time we step on the mat. This group carries itself like professionals, with a clear focus on competing at a high level and pushing each other to be their best."
 
The Sooner Athletic Conference and Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference have combined for its automatic qualifying group, bringing two powerful leagues together.
 
"Our conference is going to be one of the toughest in the country this season," said McKinney. "Between the Sooner teams and the KCAC programs, four of the nine teams in our combined conference finished in the top 14 at nationals last year. Wayland Baptist and Texas Wesleyan are traditional powers that always bring in tough talent, and Ottawa won the KCAC. It's a deep field, and we know every match is going to be a battle."
 
The coaches of the KCAC and SAC have the Stars ranked fifth, with Miller as the only top-ranked wrestler from OCU.
 
The Stars launch their season at the Falcon Open on Oct. 31. OCU wrestles at home for the first time on Jan. 18 when the Stars host Carl Albert State at 4 p.m.