Dykema Earns Spot on USWNT For FIH Women’s World Cup
7/14/2026 1:26:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Former Liberty field hockey player Bethany Dykema has earned a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2026 FIH Women's World Cup.
Dykema will be the first Liberty field hockey player in program history to represent the United States in the FIH Women's World Cup.
The prestigious event, which will be held Aug. 15-30 and features 16 teams, is co-hosted by Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands. Dykema is one of 20 players named to the squad. A defender who played at Liberty from 2019-23, she has seven international caps to her credit so far in her professional career with the USWNT.
Dykema and the USWNT are in Pool B, which includes the United States, Argentina and Scotland. USA's first game of pool play will be versus Argentina on Aug. 15 at 11:30 a.m. The USWNT will then play Scotland on Aug. 17 (5 a.m.) and Germany on Aug. 19 (8 a.m.) to conclude pool play. All three pool play games for the USA will be in Belgium.
The U.S. Women's National Team is led by head coach David Passmore. Former Liberty Field Hockey Associate Head Coach Alan Good (2020-25) is on staff with the USWNT as a performance analyst and coach. This will be the 16th edition of the FIH Women's World Cup and the USWNT's first appearance in the event since 2018.
Dykema was tabbed to the U.S. Women's National Team back in February 2025 and competed in the 2025 FIH Nations Cup. This past January (2026), she competed with the USWNT at the New Zealand Summer of Hockey 3 Nations Tournament. Dykema just finished playing in the Nations Cup in New Zealand in June. Last October (2025), she played in exhibition matches against Argentina.
In November 2023, Dykema became the first player in program history to be selected to Team USA. She played in a two-match series against New Zealand in Charlotte, N.C. in December 2023. In January 2024, Dykema competed in the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Muscat, Oman with the U.S. Women's National Team, one of 10 players selected to compete in the event.
After a strong performance at the Senior Nexus Championship in July 2023, Dykema was invited to train with the U.S. Women's National Team and joined the centralized group after that.
Dykema wrapped up her five-year Liberty career in fall 2023. Her list of collegiate accomplishments included:
Dykema will be the first Liberty field hockey player in program history to represent the United States in the FIH Women's World Cup.
The prestigious event, which will be held Aug. 15-30 and features 16 teams, is co-hosted by Wavre, Belgium and Amstelveen, Netherlands. Dykema is one of 20 players named to the squad. A defender who played at Liberty from 2019-23, she has seven international caps to her credit so far in her professional career with the USWNT.
Dykema and the USWNT are in Pool B, which includes the United States, Argentina and Scotland. USA's first game of pool play will be versus Argentina on Aug. 15 at 11:30 a.m. The USWNT will then play Scotland on Aug. 17 (5 a.m.) and Germany on Aug. 19 (8 a.m.) to conclude pool play. All three pool play games for the USA will be in Belgium.
The U.S. Women's National Team is led by head coach David Passmore. Former Liberty Field Hockey Associate Head Coach Alan Good (2020-25) is on staff with the USWNT as a performance analyst and coach. This will be the 16th edition of the FIH Women's World Cup and the USWNT's first appearance in the event since 2018.
Dykema was tabbed to the U.S. Women's National Team back in February 2025 and competed in the 2025 FIH Nations Cup. This past January (2026), she competed with the USWNT at the New Zealand Summer of Hockey 3 Nations Tournament. Dykema just finished playing in the Nations Cup in New Zealand in June. Last October (2025), she played in exhibition matches against Argentina.
In November 2023, Dykema became the first player in program history to be selected to Team USA. She played in a two-match series against New Zealand in Charlotte, N.C. in December 2023. In January 2024, Dykema competed in the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Muscat, Oman with the U.S. Women's National Team, one of 10 players selected to compete in the event.
After a strong performance at the Senior Nexus Championship in July 2023, Dykema was invited to train with the U.S. Women's National Team and joined the centralized group after that.
Dykema wrapped up her five-year Liberty career in fall 2023. Her list of collegiate accomplishments included:
- NFHCA All-America second team (2022)
- Three-time NFHCA All-South Region (first team 2021 and 2022, second team 2020)
- Four-time All-BIG EAST team (first team 2021, 2022 and 2023, second team 2020)
- Two-time BIG EAST champion, three-time BIG EAST regular season champion, NCAA Field Hockey Championship title game qualifier
- Three-time VaSID All-State team (first team 2021 and 2022, second team 2020)
- Three-time BIG EAST All-Tournament team (2021-23)
- Program's all-time leader in career assists (47) and second in games played (97)
- Tallied a career-best 13 assists in 2023, ranks sixth in program history for career points (101) and 10th in career goals (27)
- BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week (2020)
- BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week (2023)
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