As Alyssa Ustby returns to play her fifth season at Carolina, she’s once again being recognized among the ACC’s best.

The graduate student forward earned a spot on the preseason All-ACC Team announced Tuesday night, marking Ustby’s second consecutive year earning the honor. She is coming off a senior season where she averaged 12.5 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game, which was enough to earn her All-ACC Second Team in the spring.

“The ACC is the premier women’s basketball conference and Alyssa being recognized on the first team, is a testament to her skill, development, effectiveness, and relentlessness over her career,” UNC head coach Courtney Banghart said in a release. “She has expanded her game from a year ago and I look forward to her having her best year yet.”

In a season where the conference is once again expected to be among the most competitive in the country, Banghart’s Tar Heels were picked to finish sixth in the ACC by participating media. It represents a skid compared to last season’s high expectations, which saw UNC predicted to place third before Carolina ultimately finished seventh in the conference with a 11-7 record in ACC play and 20-13 overall. The poll comes after the preseason Associated Press rankings were released Tuesday, which rank UNC as No. 15 in the country.

At the top of the predicted ACC standings is Notre Dame, who has star sophomore and preseason ACC Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo returning. Two other Fighting Irish — Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron — picked up preseason All-ACC spots to lead the conference. N.C. State, who is coming off a Final Four appearance, was picked second. Duke, Louisville and Florida State round out the predicted top five ahead of Carolina.

UNC women’s basketball will begin its regular season on Monday, Nov. 4, as it hosts Charleston Southern at 11 a.m. The full schedule can be found on the Carolina Athletics website.

 

Featured photo via AP Photo/Ben McKeown.

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