UNC did rank No. 8 in a national preseason poll issued by Top Drawer Soccer but that poll had the Tar Heels the fourth best ACC team, behind Virginia Tech.
Florida State was chosen to repeat as the Atlantic Coast Conference women’s soccer champion.
The Seminoles received eight first-place votes en route to 189 total points, followed by Virginia (five first-place votes, 183 points) and North Carolina (one first-place vote, 166 points).
Virginia Tech placed fourth in the voting, followed by Duke, Notre Dame and Wake Forest. Boston College placed eighth, followed by Clemson, Louisville, Syracuse, Miami, NC State and Pitt.
FSU, Virginia and Virginia Tech were all participants in the 2013 NCAA Women’s College Cup. A total of eight ACC teams were selected for last year’s NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship, including all four number-one seeds. It marked the first time in NCAA history that all four number one seeds had come from the same conference
Virginia leads the 2014 Coaches’ Preseason All-ACC Team with three selections among the 11 members, including 2013 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Morgan Brian. In addition to Brian, the preseason All-ACC teams features three more returning NSCAA All-Americans in Florida State’s Dagny Brynjarsdottir and Virginia’s Makenzy Doniak and Danielle Colaprico. Those four, along with Notre Dame’s Cari Roccaro and North Carolina’s Summer Green, were named to the 2014 MAC Hermann Watch List.
ACC teams are set to open regular-season play this Friday, with the first conference games slated for Friday, Sept. 19. The top four teams in the final league standings will advance to the ACC Championship, scheduled for Nov. 7 and Nov. 9 at the UNC Greensboro Soccer Stadium.
Preseason ACC Coaches Poll
1. Florida State (189 points, 8 first place votes)
2. Virginia (183, 5)
3. North Carolina (166, 1)
4. Virginia Tech (150)
5. Duke (135)
6. Notre Dame (128)
7. Wake Forest (104)
8. Boston College (95)
9. Clemson (79)
10. Louisville (72)
11. Syracuse (56)
12. Miami (44)
13. NC State (42)
14. Pitt (16)
Preseason All-ACC Team
Morgan Brian, Sr., M, Virginia
Dagny Brynjarsdottir, Sr., M, Florida State
Danielle Colaprico, Sr., M, Virginia
Makenzy Doniak, Jr., F, Virginia
Christina Gibbons, So., D, Duke
Summer Green, Jr., F, North Carolina
Kristin Grubka, Sr., D, Florida State
Stephanie McCaffrey, Sr., F, Boston College
Ashley Meier, Jr., M, Virginia Tech
Cari Roccaro, Jr., M/D, Notre Dame
Kailen Sheridan, So, GK, Clemson