GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – The 2022 ACC women’s soccer season gets underway Thursday, with all 14 league programs in action. The Thursday matches mark the first contests of the ACC’s 2022-23 regular-season athletics calendar.
Six ACC programs are ranked in the preseason United Soccer Coaches preseason top 25, the most of any conference. After capturing its third national title in the last 10 years in 2021, Florida State is ranked No. 1 nationally and leads four ACC teams in the women’s top 10 for 2022. Duke is ranked No. 2 and is followed by Virginia at No. 4 and North Carolina at No. 10. ACC programs earned every first-place vote, with FSU claiming five, Duke two and Virginia one.
Notre Dame is ranked No. 16, while Clemson is No. 25. Wake Forest is the first team outside the top 25 in the receiving votes category.
In the ACC preseason coaches poll, Duke was narrowly selected as the preseason favorite. The top four teams in the poll each earned multiple first-place votes and were separated by just 13 total points. Duke collected three first-place votes and 156 total points, just ahead of second-place Virginia, which received four first-place votes and 153 points. North Carolina also notched four first-place votes and totaled 150 points for third place, while Florida State picked up the remaining three first-place votes, finishing with 143 points to claim fourth place.
The Preseason All-ACC Team features 12 student-athletes, all of whom have previously earned All-ACC honors, with four returning First-Team All-ACC honorees, including 2021 ACC Freshman of the Year Michelle Cooper of Duke, as well as Megan Bornkamp (Clemson), Maycee Bell (North Carolina) and Lia Godfrey (Virginia).
The preseason team also includes six players who earned Second-Team All-ACC honors last season: Sophie Jones (Duke), Clara Robbins (Florida State), Sam Meza (North Carolina), Jameese Joseph (NC State), Korbin Albert (Notre Dame) and Alexa Spaanstra (Virginia). Florida State’s Cristina Roque (second team) and Jenna Nighswonger (third team) were All-ACC selections in 2020.
Upcoming Schedule
Thursday, August 18
Pitt vs. Gonzaga (Missoula, Montana) | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Villanova at Boston College | 5:30 p.m. | ACCNX
Virginia Tech at William & Mary | 6 p.m. | FloSports
No. 1 Florida State at No. 12 South Carolina | 7…
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