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UNIVERSITY PARK - Penn State junior defender Bella Ayscue garnered national acclaim on Monday morning, with the third-year Nittany Lion appearing as a United Soccer Coaches Defender to Watch following that organization's release.
PSU's stalwart center back picked up United Soccer Coaches Defender to Watch laurels for the second year in a row, picking that accolade up alongside now-senior teammate Kaelyn Wolfe in last year's preseason awards cycle. The honor marks the first official preseason accolade received by a Nittany Lion in the 2026 preseason. Ayscue is fresh off a productive campaign in the Blue & White and yet another decorated offseason of work with the United States Women's Youth National Team system ahead of her third season with Penn State this year.
Ayscue, a native of Apex, North Carolina, emerged as one of Penn State’s most dependable two-way defenders during the 2025 campaign, appearing in all 21 matches while providing a consistent presence along the Nittany Lion back line. In addition to helping anchor a defense that surrendered just 25 goals in 21 matches while recording six shutouts, Ayscue also made an impact in the attacking third with two goals and one assist for five points. Her two goals ranked among the highest totals by a Penn State defender, and she converted one penalty kick while placing four of her seven shot attempts on target for a team-best .571 shots-on-goal percentage among players with multiple attempts.
The third-year Nittany Lion logged significant minutes throughout the season, earning starts in every match while helping Penn State limit opponents to a .096 shooting percentage and just 1.19 goals allowed per match. Her reliability on the back line allowed the Nittany Lions to maintain one of the Big Ten’s strongest defensive units while also providing attacking contributions on set pieces and in the run of play. Entering the 2026 season, Ayscue returns as one of the most experienced members of Penn State’s defensive corps and one of the team’s top returning point producers.
Penn State is fresh off another trip to the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament, with PSU reaching the big dance in each of the last 32 seasons in addition to booking a second round-or-better finish in each of the last 17 years. The Nittany Lions reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago and cracked the 10-win threshold for the 32nd year in a row, a stretch of consistent success that runs concurrently with PSU's entire varsity history since 1994. The Blue & White return team captains Mackenzie Gress and Molly Martin, as well as the program's leading scorer from the 2025 season in rising-junior Aubrey Kulpa, who totaled 22 points in just 15 appearances a season ago.