STEPHENVILLE, Texas - Tarleton State Women's Soccer and head coach Pete Cuadrado have announced their 2025 National Signing Day recruiting class, a group that features five elite student-athletes taking their talents to Stephenville.  

Tarleton State will welcome Chloe Smith, Ava D'Costa, Avery Mendez, Naomi Langille and Lily Bella next fall.  

This year's signing class consists of two international athletes and three who played their prep careers within the United States. Among the international signees, one hails from Australia, and the other is from Canada. Two future Texans will graduate high school in the spring from California along with Smith, the first student-athlete to sign from Kansas. 

"We are really excited about this 2026 class," Cuadrado said. "They will not only contribute on the field, but they are also great additions off the field. We can't wait to get started." 

The complete National Signing Day class of 2026 consists of the following standouts: 

Chloe Smith 

Chloe Smith is a 5'5 defender from Wichita, Kansas. She attended Eisenhower High School, where she played two varsity seasons and served as team captain during her junior year. As a sophomore, Smith was awarded All-Conference Second Team. As a junior, she posted 16 goals and three assists to earn the honors of All-Conference First Team and All-State First Team. She also earned Player of the Year, All-Conference Most Valuable Player, and All-Metro Player. Her team was named conference champions and went on to become regional champs during the 2025 season. Aside from high school, Smith is involved with the Ultimate Soccer Academy where she participates in youth volunteer training. Chloe is the daughter of William and Lori Smith and has three sisters, Alexis, Bella, and Daniella. She is following in her big sister Bella's footsteps, who is currently playing soccer at the Tennessee. Smith intends to major in business and aspires to own her own business. 

Ava D'Costa 

Ava D'Costa is a 5'7 midfielder/defender from Sydney, Australia. She attended St. Paul's Grammar School for six years, where she served as captain of her high school team and was named girls Footballer of the Year in 2024. She also won the 'Duffy Medal' award, a major athletic award at her school. In 2020, she was captain for the ISA, CIS, and Representing All Schools Australia. D'Costa also competed in track and field and cross country, and was age champion from 2019-25. Off the field, she won the Australian Defense Force Service Award and earned numerous Meritorious Achievement Subject awards. She was also involved in youth group at her local church. D'Costa is the daughter of Daniel and Althea, and she has one brother, Isaac. She intends to major in psychology in hopes of becoming a sports psychologist. 

Avery Mendez 

Avery Mendez is a 5'7 midfielder from Ontario, California. She played three varsity seasons at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, where her team won the California State Championships in 2023-24. During high school, she earned Junior Varsity Most Valuable Player, Varsity Newcomer of the Year, and Second Team All-League. She also earned All-Academic Team and High Honor Roll for three consecutive years. Mendez was part of the Elite Club National League U13 National Championship team in 2021 and the U17 Conference Championship team in 2025. Mendez is the daughter of Brian and Natalie, and she has one brother, Dominic. 

Naomi Langille 

Naomi Langille is a 5'6 forward/midfielder from London, Ontario, Canada. She attended high school at Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School where she played multiple sports, including varsity soccer for two seasons. As a freshman, she qualified for the 2023 Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association Cross Country Championships and won the Junior Girls AAA Championship in basketball. As a junior, she was a part of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations AAA Girls basketball finalist team. In the classroom, she earned the Principal's Honor Roll for three consecutive years. Langille also spent time as a youth soccer coach and helped with the Gateway Church Kids Camp and Earth Day Clean Up. Langille is the daughter of Robert and Melanie and has two siblings, Taevan and Kyan. Langille intends to major in kinesiology and aspires to become a physiotherapist or a chiropractor. 

Lily Bella 

Lily Bella is a forward/midfielder from Fremont, California. She attended John F. Kennedy High School, playing varsity soccer for all four seasons. As a freshman, Bella notched seven goals and three assists to earn Best Offensive Player. During her sophomore year, she scored 21 goals and seven assists and was named Most Valuable Player, Best Offensive Player, and Second Team All-League. As a junior, she recorded 27 goals and 17 assists, earning her Most Valuable Player, Best Offensive Player, and First Team All-League. Bella was also a part of the Titans football team, playing three seasons as a varsity kicker. In the classroom, she earned honor roll all four years of high school. She has grown up in the deaf community, not letting that stop her from shining on the pitch and academically. Bella is the daughter of Kevin and Julie and has two siblings, Luke and Lola. She intends to major in nursing and plans on becoming a physician assistant.