Exactly one week out from the UNC women’s soccer team’s opening game, two Tar Heels have been named to the preseason all-conference team.

Senior forward/midfielder Rachel Jones and junior defender Maycee Bell earned selections to the team.

Jones was named a third-team All-American for the 2020-21 season, as well as first-team All-ACC and Academic All-ACC. Her six goals and six assists both ranked second on the team that season. She also received UNC’s Top 10 Scholar Athlete Award in 2021, which recognizes the top GPA among graduating student-athletes. Jones is using her final year of eligibility this season while beginning her studies at UNC’s School of Law.

Bell earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 2019 and was named first-team All-ACC for the fall portion of the 2020 season. She missed most of the team’s spring schedule with injury, but returned for their NCAA tournament games against Texas A&M and Santa Clara.

As a team, UNC is picked to finish second in the conference. Florida State, who defeated Carolina in the 2018 NCAA title game in Cary, N.C., is predicted to finish atop the conference after receiving 11 first-place votes. UNC received two. The only other program to receive a first place vote is Virginia, who are picked to finish third behind the Tar Heels. You can read the entire poll here.

Jones, Bell and the Tar Heels will open their season at home on Thursday, August 19 at 7 p.m. against Washington.

 

Photo via Carolina Athletics.

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