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Photo by: Duke Athletics
Five Blue Devils Receive TopDrawerSoccer Honors
8/11/2026 7:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DURHAM, N.C. – Ahead of the season-opening match Wednesday, TopDrawerSoccer.com released its annual preseason Best XI teams with five Blue Devils – Mia Minestrella, Cameron Roller, Sam Courtwright, Daya King and Rylee McLanahan – earning honors.
Minestrella was listed as a forward on the first team, while Roller earned second-team accolades on the defensive side. Courtwright and King were on the third team as a midfielder and defender, respectively, while McLanahan was on the All-Freshman Team as a midfielder.
Over the past two seasons, Minestrella has collected 30 goals, 12 assists and 72 points. She is coming off a season in which she notched 18 goals, five assists and 41 points in 2025. Minestrella, who hails from Redondo Beach, California, earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors and was a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America selection in 2025.
Roller, who is from Sherman, Texas, has started 53 matches in a row for Duke on the defensive end, while helping the Blue Devils collect 29 shutouts over her career. A 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-American and CSC Academic All-American, Roller has been one of the top defenders nationally since stepping foot on campus.
A 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-American and 2025 First Team All-Midwest Region honoree, Courtwright has established herself as one of the top midfielders in collegiate soccer over the last three years. She collected nine goals, 15 assists and 33 points over 43 matches at Texas Tech before transferring to Durham in the spring. A native of Dallas, Texas, Courtwright started all 20 matches in 2025, while notching four goals and seven assists.
King, a product of Moreno Valley, California, started all 22 matches as a rookie in 2025 on the defensive end and established herself as one of the top defenders nationally. Her 1,911 minutes played led all ACC players and were the fifth-most by a Duke freshman in program history. King helped Duke's defensive unit to 12 shutouts and allowed only one goal in five NCAA Tournament contests.
Rated as the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2026 class by TopDrawerSoccer.com, McLanahan is coming off a high school career in which she tallied 107 goals, 42 assists and 256 points in 45 matches over three seasons. She is a two-time Oklahoma Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year and set the Oklahoma 6A single-season scoring record with 43 tallies as a junior. McLanahan, a native of Edmond, Oklahoma, has been training with the U.S. U-19 Women's National Team over the last two years.
Duke, ranked No. 3 nationally in the preseason, opens the season in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. (ET) against Southern California.
#GoDuke
Minestrella was listed as a forward on the first team, while Roller earned second-team accolades on the defensive side. Courtwright and King were on the third team as a midfielder and defender, respectively, while McLanahan was on the All-Freshman Team as a midfielder.
Over the past two seasons, Minestrella has collected 30 goals, 12 assists and 72 points. She is coming off a season in which she notched 18 goals, five assists and 41 points in 2025. Minestrella, who hails from Redondo Beach, California, earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors and was a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America selection in 2025.
Roller, who is from Sherman, Texas, has started 53 matches in a row for Duke on the defensive end, while helping the Blue Devils collect 29 shutouts over her career. A 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-American and CSC Academic All-American, Roller has been one of the top defenders nationally since stepping foot on campus.
A 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-American and 2025 First Team All-Midwest Region honoree, Courtwright has established herself as one of the top midfielders in collegiate soccer over the last three years. She collected nine goals, 15 assists and 33 points over 43 matches at Texas Tech before transferring to Durham in the spring. A native of Dallas, Texas, Courtwright started all 20 matches in 2025, while notching four goals and seven assists.
King, a product of Moreno Valley, California, started all 22 matches as a rookie in 2025 on the defensive end and established herself as one of the top defenders nationally. Her 1,911 minutes played led all ACC players and were the fifth-most by a Duke freshman in program history. King helped Duke's defensive unit to 12 shutouts and allowed only one goal in five NCAA Tournament contests.
Rated as the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2026 class by TopDrawerSoccer.com, McLanahan is coming off a high school career in which she tallied 107 goals, 42 assists and 256 points in 45 matches over three seasons. She is a two-time Oklahoma Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year and set the Oklahoma 6A single-season scoring record with 43 tallies as a junior. McLanahan, a native of Edmond, Oklahoma, has been training with the U.S. U-19 Women's National Team over the last two years.
Duke, ranked No. 3 nationally in the preseason, opens the season in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. (ET) against Southern California.
#GoDuke
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