Midfielder Annika Farley has been a stellar and consistent player for the Idaho Vandals throughout her first three seasons in the Black and Gold and is adding some preseason honors to her resume before beginning her senior campaign.
Farley has been selected by the United Soccer Coaches for the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch – Midfielders list, making her the only player in the Big Sky and one of just 16 mid-major athletes among the 47 total players nationally to receive this honor.
“I feel honored. I’m excited about the season and hopefully proving that they were right to nominate me,” Farley said. “I’m also proud of myself from how I did last season to be able to be nominated, and thankful for all the support that I’ve gotten from my teammates and my coaches and my family, because I would not be able to do anything like this without all of them.”
The United Soccer Coaches organization, which represents soccer coaches at all levels, releases preseason watch lists throughout August to highlight top players entering the season.
The senior midfielder is a box-to-box player who demonstrates great poise on the ball and works relentlessly both on and off the ball. She has been a cornerstone for the Vandals during her three years in a Vandal uniform.
Farley was also nominated for Big Sky preseason all-conference alongside Vandal outside back Izzy Thoma.
Farley joined the Vandals in 2022 and began as a spark off the bench but quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an anchor in the Vandals’ midfield. She helped guide them to three Big Sky championship appearances and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2023.
In her Vandal career, Farley has appeared in 57 games, starting 54 of those while logging 3,856 minutes, scoring 10 goals and recording four assists. Last season alone, the First-Team All-Big Sky honoree led Idaho with five goals and 13 points while starting every game and helping the defense record eight shutouts.
Farley’s impact on the field has now transitioned into leadership off the field, with Farley being named one of three team captains alongside forwards Naomi Alvarez and Karli Yoshida-Williams, a role that Farley has embraced while leading her team into the season.
“It’s been enjoyable with my other captains, Naomi and Carly. I’ve loved having this leadership role with them,” Farley said. “The team has been awesome. I love being with a team I want to lead. It makes my job enjoyable.”
The Vandals, who have many new faces, were picked to finish third in the Big Sky preseason poll behind Montana and Eastern Washington. Farley and the Vandals are determined to prove they remain the championship-caliber team they have been over the last three years.
“I don’t agree with that. I don’t think that we should be third,” Farley said. “That’ll definitely fuel our fire going into this season. I think that we have something to prove for sure, and that people think that we have a rebuilding year. Hopefully people do think that, and then we can go and prove them wrong.”
Farley will look to continue serving as the engine for the Vandals as she leads them toward another Big Sky championship appearance. Idaho opens the regular season hosting the University of California, Riverside on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. After a long offseason, Farley is excited to return to competition.
“I’m excited to play soccer. I mean, as stupid as that sounds, I just, I really, really enjoy playing games. Like, in practice, when we get to scrimmage I just, I love it,” Farley said. “It’s just so much fun to me, all parts of it. When there’s a good play, good passing sequence; obviously, when we score goals; or, a good one-v-one defending, whether it be myself or my teammates. It’s so exciting.”
“I hope that we’re able to work together and play the best to our ability and get a win out of it. I’m excited to see what we can do and go out and show everyone else that, even though we have so many new people, that we’re still the same Idaho.”
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected].