The UNC women’s soccer team received quite the vote of confidence from the ACC on Thursday. The preseason ACC coaches poll picked Carolina to win the league with 10 of 14 first-place votes. Florida State, Virginia and Duke split the remaining four votes. The Seminoles followed up UNC in second place in the poll, followed by Virginia, Notre Dame and Duke. Carolina is ranked No. 2 in the nationwide coaches poll.

In addition, Carolina placed three players on the preseason All-ACC team: defender Maycee Bell, midfielder Sam Meza and forward Ally Sentnor. The three Tar Heels on the team are the most representatives from any one school.

Bell will look to write a comeback story after missing nearly all of the 2022 season with a leg injury. A fifth-year senior, she was named first team All-ACC and second team All-America following her last full season in 2021.

Sentnor dealt with her own season-long injury in 2021, suffering a torn ACL during a preseason scrimmage. She returned to the UNC roster in 2022 and started 22 matches while scoring 10 goals, second most on the team.  Meza began the 2022 season as a starter but had to miss the NCAA Tournament due to an injury. Despite that, she was named first team All-ACC and third team All-America.

The 2023 UNC women’s soccer season will officially begin on August 17 at Penn State. The Tar Heels have one final exhibition match against East Carolina in Chapel Hill on August 12 at 6 p.m.

 

Featured image via The Daily Tar Heel/Samantha Lewis

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