CONWAY, Ark. – The Atlantic Sun Conference has released its Preseason All-ASUN Team ahead of the start of the 2025 women's soccer season, and senior defender Nina Mazzola was included on the conference's list of 12 players.
 
Mazzola, a senior from Flower Mound, Texas, enters her fourth year as a key piece of the Bears' roster this season. A true end-to-end defender, Mazzola was a mainstay on the pitch for last year's No. 2 seeded Bears, helping guide the team to an 8-1-2 ASUN record.
 
"Nina has a huge impact on our team! She has the ability to cover so much ground in the midfield, and that allows her to pick up loose balls, win challenges, and help in the attack," Head coach Derek Nichols said of Mazzola. "She's always one of the hardest workers on the field every time we play, and not only is she a tremendous player, but a great leader on and off the field as well. She's very respected by her teammates, and she's very deserving of this honor."
 
The senior contributed on both sides of the ball last year, helping a defense that logged three shutouts as part of a ten-match unbeaten streak, and added two assists on offense. Behind Mazzola's play, the Bears have been a top-three seed in the ASUN in each of her previous three seasons, and will look to make it four-straight for the senior this year.
 
The Bears open the 2025 campaign at home against Tulsa on August 14^th. The match against the Golden Hurricane will kick off at 7 p.m. at the Bill Stephens Track and Soccer Complex.