MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 11-ranked West Virginia University women's soccer team opens its 2019 season with a matchup against Duquesne on Friday, Aug. 23. at 7:00 p.m. Kickoff at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET.

Friday also marks the 2019 season opener for the Dukes, who concluded the 2018 season with a 6-9-2 overall record. The match marks the 11th time the two schools have met, with West Virginia holding an 8-0-2 overall record against the Dukes. The Mountaineers have earned wins in four straight contests against Duquesne, including a 3-0 victory on August 27, 2017.

The Mountaineers open the season in Morgantown for the first time since 2012 on Friday. WVU holds a 10-10-3 all-time mark in season openers.

"From my perspective, I'm never ready (for the start of the season), Duquesne is a very dangerous team," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. " Coaches always want more opportunities to coach up young teams. This game is going to be exciting, but I always want more training opportunities. Duquesne brings in really high-quality kids, they have players that can finish and they also have some players that move the ball well and that can always cause some problems."

In her 25th season as a head coach, Izzo-Brown returns to lead the program into its 24th season. She boasts a 353-116-53 (.727) overall record and a 340-111-53 (.713) mark with the Mountaineers.

Thirteen letterwinners return from a 2018 campaign which saw the Mountaineers advance to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the fourth time in as many seasons. WVU finished the year at 15-4-4 and captured the 2018 Big 12 Tournament Title after recording a 7-2-1 mark in the league.

Senior Rylee Foster, a 2019 Preseason All-Big 12 selection, returns for her fourth season in net. A native of Cambridge, Ontario, Foster has started all 63 career matches she has been available, while recording a career goals-against average (GAA) of 0.55, which ranks No. 1 in program history. She also ranks No. 3 in program history with 31 career shutouts and No. 4 with 5,765:49 minutes played. As a junior, she garnered United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors, while being named a finalist for the CONCACAF Female Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Sophomore Jordan Brewster, who was also named to the 2019 Preseason All-Big 12 Team, is the lone returner on defense. She enters her sophomore campaign after helping WVU to 12 shutouts in 2018, while earning All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors.

Junior forward Lauren Segalla is WVU's top offensive returner, as she finished the 2018 season ranked No. 2 on the team with 14 points (5 G, 4 A) in 23 starts.

Twelve newcomers join WVU this season, including senior midfielder transfer Jessica Lisi (Memphis). Lisi, who helped Memphis win the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship Crown in 2018, joins four Mountaineers who arrived on campus in January: Enzi Broussard, Juliana Lynch, Gabby Robinson and Jillian Smalls. Six freshmen will don the old gold and blue for the first time and round out the 2019 roster: Stephanie Chmiel, Gabby Hollar, Kayza Massey, Nicole Payne, Aaliyah Scott, Courtney Smith and Julianne Vallerand.

The Mountaineers enter the season at ranked No. 11 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll. WVU was selected No. 14 by Soccer America and No. 18 by TopDrawerSoccer.com.