GREENSBORO, NC (theACC.com) – Duke has been selected as the preseason favorite to capture the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference women’s soccer championship following a vote of the league’s 14 head coaches.
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 reigning ACC and NCAA champion Florida State picked up the remaining three first-place votes, finishing with 143 points to claim fourth place.
Clemson was selected fifth in the poll with 115 points and was closely followed by Notre Dame (108) in sixth. NC State and Wake Forest tied for seventh with 90 points, while Virginia Tech (79) was ninth. Pitt (66), Louisville (47), Boston College (36), Miami (21) and Syracuse (20) completed the poll.
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.
The 2022 ACC women’s soccer regular season kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 18, with all 14 ACC programs in action. League play opens on Thursday, Sept. 8, with North Carolina visiting Duke. The 2022 ACC Women’s Championship begins Sunday, Oct. 30, on campus sites before moving to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, for the semifinals and championship match on Nov. 3 and 6, respectively.
Six ACC teams are among the top 25 in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll, the most of any conference. After capturing its third national title in the last 10 years in 2021, Florida State 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.
2022 ACC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Duke (3), 156
2. Virginia (4), 153
3. North Carolina (4), 150
4. Florida State (3), 143
5. Clemson, 115
6. Notre Dame, 108
T7. NC State, 90
T7. Wake Forest, 90
9. Virginia Tech, 79
10. Pitt, 66
11. Louisville, 47
12. Boston College, 36
13. Miami, 21
14. Syracuse, 20
First-place votes in parentheses
2022 Women’s Soccer Preseason All-ACC Team
Megan Bornkamp, Jr., D, Clemson
Michelle Cooper, So., F, Duke
Sophie Jones, Sr., M, Duke
Jenna Nighswonger, Sr., M, Florida State
Clara Robbins, Gr., M, Florida State
Cristina Roque, Jr., GK, Florida State
Maycee Bell, Sr., D, North Carolina
Sam Meza, Jr., M, North Carolina
Jameese Joseph, Jr., F, NC State
Korbin Albert, So., M, Notre Dame
Lia Godfrey, Jr., M, Virginia
Alexa Spaanstra, Gr., F, Virginia
*Note: one additional honoree due to a tie in the voting