SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women's soccer continues to build its roster for the 2026 campaign, as head coach Kirk Nelson announced Monday that three Division I transfers have committed to Missouri State.

Arriving in Springfield are:

Anisten Cabantac • M • 5-4 • Olathe, Kan. • Purdue / St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Sporting Blue Valley ECNL)
Lily Dibernardo • F • 5-6 • Kansas City, Mo. • Cincinnati / Kansas City Athletics
Kate Lewis • GK • 5-7 • St. Louis, Mo. • Saint Louis / Visitation Academy (Lou Fusz GA)

Anisten Cabantac
Cabantac joins Missouri State after beginning her collegiate career at Purdue, where she appeared during the nonconference slate as a freshman in 2025. A 5-4 midfielder from Olathe, Kan., arrives with an elite prep résumé headlined by being named the 2025 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year.

At St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Cabantac was a four-year contributor to one of Kansas' premier programs, helping the Saints capture three consecutive Class 5A state championships from 2021–24. She finished her high school career with 27 goals and 55 assists while earning distinction as a Magna Cum Laude graduate, National Honor Society member, and multi-year Principal's Honor Roll recipient.

Cabantac first rose to national prominence with Kansas City Athletics, where she was part of the club's 2020 through 2021 ECNL under 15 national championship team. Competing with KC Athletics, she earned the ECNL under 15 National Player of the Year award, All America recognition, Midwest Conference Player of the Year, and First Team Midwest All Conference honors. She won the national championship alongside fellow incoming transfer Lily Dibernardo, giving the Bears transfer class pre existing on field chemistry. She later transitioned her club career to Sporting Blue Valley ECNL, where she earned Midwest All Conference honors.

Associate Head Coach Cory Herchenroeder on Cabantac:
"Anisten is a player that will come in and impact our midfield right away. Anisten is extremely creative, athletic and she has the ability to change a game at any point. She is someone that we believe can contribute with goals right away, but also, she is someone that will immediately make her teammates better. She is a very high IQ player that we believe will come in and help facilitate and evolve our midfield. We are very excited to add Anisten to our Bears family."

Lily Dibernardo
Dibernardo transfers to Missouri State following her freshman season at Cincinnati, where she made her collegiate debut on Aug. 17 against Toledo. A dynamic 5-6 forward from Kansas City, Mo., she brings a high-upside attacking profile shaped by top-tier development environments.

At the club level, Dibernardo starred for Kansas City Athletics, earning multiple ECNL First Team All-Conference honors and helping her squad secure the 2021 ECNL National Championship. She also trained within the KC Current development pathway and participated in the USYNT Identification Center in Kansas City.

Coach Herchenroeder on Dibernardo:
"Lily is a player that is going to come in and impact our front line right away. She is someone that will impact us in the attack with her creativity on the ball and athleticism to go at people in 1v1 situations. She will also be someone that will immediately help us in our press with her tenacious work rate and ability to get in to tackles.  We are extremely excited to add Lily to the Bears Family!"

Kate Lewis
Lewis arrives from Saint Louis University after a standout career anchored by high-level competitive experience and consistent postseason recognition. The St. Louis native was a first-team All-State and first-team All-Conference goalkeeper at Visitation Academy, where she also served as a two-time team captain and earned MAC All-Star honors.

She was a multi-year all-region selection, including Girls Independent Schools League co-Goalkeeper of the Year as a junior, and competed nationally with Lou Fusz GA, helping the program reach the 2024 Girls Academy National Final. Lewis also represented the 2023 ODP National Team, which advanced to the Dallas Cup final, and was a Girls Academy National ID participant and GA Advisory Panel representative from 2020–24.

Coach Herchenroeder on Lewis:
"Kate is a goalkeeper that we believe can come in and compete right away. We believe our goalkeeper group we currently have is very strong, and adding Kate in that mix will only increase the compete level within that group. Kate is a very technical goalkeeper that also has the ability to use her athleticism to make saves that a lot of goalkeepers wouldn't be able to. She also is someone that truly embodies our core values and will bring leadership qualities right away. We are very excited to add Kate to our Bears family."