GREENVILLE, S.C. – Three-time defending tournament champion UNC Pembroke has been picked to first in the Conference Carolinas 2024 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
The conference office officially unveiled the preseason poll on August 26. The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches.
 
UNC Pembroke won the East Division crown a season ago with a record of 5-0-3 in divisional play. The Braves earned the top seed in the Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer Championship with an 8-1-3 record in conference play while going 12-4-3 overall. UNC Pembroke, who was the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Women's Soccer Southeast Regional last season, collected 195 points and 13-of-15 first-place votes in the poll. Belmont Abbey College, the 2023 tournament runners-up and Northwest Division champions, is picked second with 176 points. Francis Marion University earned the final two first place votes and is picked to finish third with 168 points. 2023 Southwest Division champion North Greenville University checked in fourth with 146 points while the University of Mount Olive rounded out the top five with 142 points.

Barton College is picked to finish sixth with 139 points as they are followed by Lees-McRae College, 111 points, and Chowan University, 100 points, in sixth and seventh. The top 10 is rounded out by Young Harris College with 100 points and King University with 78 points.

Converse University follows in 11th with 75 points while Emmanuel University follows in 12th with 60 points. Southern Wesleyan University collected 36 points while Erskine College, 27 points, and new member Shorter University rounded out the poll with 21 points.
 
The 2024 season gets underway on Thursday, September 5 with conference play beginning on September 14. The first two rounds of the conference tournament will take place on campus sites at the higher seeds on November 7 and 10. The semifinals and championship, November 15 and 17, will be played at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, North Carolina.
 
2024 Conference Carolinas
Women's Soccer Preseason Poll 
 

	School	Total (First Place)
1	UNC Pembroke	195 (13)
2	Belmont Abbey	176
3	Francis Marion	168 (2)
4	North Greenville	146
5	Mount Olive	142
6	Barton	139
7	Lees-McRae	111
8	Chowan	101
9	Young Harris	100
10	King	78
11	Converse	75
12	Emmanuel	60
13	Southern Wesleyan	36
14	Erskine	27
15	Shorter	21

 

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2024 Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer
Players to Watch
 
Barton

• Cambria Oldham, Sr., M, Southport, North Carolina
• Lilly Moss, So., M, Prairieville, Louisiana
• Gianna Ferigne, Sr., M/D, Brick Township, New Jersey (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team

 Belmont Abbey

• Mia Muckenthaler, Sr., D, Mooresville, North Carolina, (2023 CSC Academic All-American second team, two-time CSC Academic All-District, 2023 Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Conference Carolinas selection, 2023 D2CCA All-Southeast Region second team, 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection)
• Brianna Sroka, Sr., GK, Raleigh, North Carolina (2023 CSC Academic All-District, 2023 first team All-Conference Carolinas selection)
• Reagan Cullen, Sr., M, Concord, North Carolina (D2CCA All-Southeast Region second team, 2023 first team All-Conference Carolinas, 2022 CSC Academic All-District, 2023 D2CCA All-Southeast Region second team)

Chowan

• Destiny Makanjoula, Jr., D, Peterborough, England (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team, CSC Academic All-District)
• Natasha Bailey, Jr., F, Dudley, England (2023 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Laura Hulme, So., M,  Huddersfield, England (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)

Converse

• Savannah Mellon, Jr., D, York, South Carolina, (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
• Elsa Jové, Sr., M, Barcelona, Spain,
• Ellie Gore, Sr., F, Bakersfield, California

Emmanuel

• Janya Gonzalez, So., M, Dacula, Georgia (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
• Shania Wegesend, So., F, Commerce, Georgia
• Reagan Hill, So., D, Anderson, South Carolina

Erskine

• Rebekah Wiles, So, M, Saint Cloud, Florida

Francis Marion

• Kristina Syragakis, Jr., F, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada (2023 All-Conference Carolinas selection, 2023 United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection)
• Ashley Jordan, Sr., F, Marshall, Victoria, Australia
• J.G. Garon, Sr., M, Fort Mill, South Carolina

King

• Ella Froehlich So., F, Sunbury, Ohio (2023 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
• Mackenzie Winters Sr., F, Watauga, Texas

Lees-McRae

• Averee Andrews, r-Sr., D, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Chiara Coppin, r-Sr., GK, Monroe, North Carolina
• Haley Lowman, Sr., F, Connelly Springs, North Carolina

Mount Olive

• Manny Duran, So., M, George Town, Cayman Islands
• Axel Engren, Sr., GK, Sundsvall, Sweden (2022 All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Jacques Sousa, Jr., D, Cary, North Carolina

North Greenville

• Haleigh Holland, Sr., GK, Vestavia Hills, Alabama (All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Kylie Mcilravy, Jr., D, Lexington, South Carolina
• Valerie Hernandez, So., D, Greenville, South Carolina

UNC Pembroke

• Mercy Bell, Jr., F, Jacksonville, North Carolina (2023 Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year, 2023 second team D2CCA All-America selection)
• Anna Grossheim, Sr., M, Garner, North Carolina (Three-time All-Conference Carolinas first team selection, three-time D2CCA All-America selection)
• Eugenie Amidou, Jr., M, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Shorter

• Tatiana Ferriera, So., W, Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil 
• Danilyn Sheats, So., M, Bremen, Georgia (2023 GSC Honor Roll)

Southern Wesleyan

• Karina Pashkovets, So., D, Dacula, Georgia (2023 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
• Fianna Steves, Jr., M, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Bailey Meyer, Fr., D/M, New Port Richey, Florida

Young Harris

• Shania Harris, Sr., M, Portmore, Jamaica (All-Conference Carolinas second team)
• Justice Colburn, Sr., D, Kailua, Hawaii
• Morgan Kasel, Sr., D, Canton, Georgia