Royals Voted to Finish 11th in Preseason Polls

KNOXVILLE, Tn.- The Royals have been voted to finish 11th in the 2023 Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Women's Soccer season, according to the AAC Coaches' Preseason Poll released on Friday.

The poll was voted on by the women's soccer coaches of the AAC.

Truett McConnell received 13 of the 15 first-place votes to land the top spot with 223 points. The Lady Bears won the regular-season championship last season with a 13-0 league mark before going on and winning the tournament crown, outscoring their opponents 9-0 in three games.

Reinhardt sits second with one first-place vote and 210 points. Tennessee Wesleyan (192), Montreat (174), and Brenau (158) round out the top five.

The Royals will look to exceed their poll prediction, as they push for a postseason berth. 

The 2023 AAC Tournament is set to begin with the opening round games on Oct. 31 with the championship match set for Nov. 10. Ten teams advance to the league tournament.

Here is the complete poll:

2023 AAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Votes) - Total Voting Points
1. Truett McConnell (13) - 223
2. Reinhardt (1) - 210
3. Tennessee Wesleyan - 192
4. Montreat - 174
5. Brenau - 158
6. Columbia - 140
7. Columbia International - 133
8. Milligan - 123
9. Bryan - 106
10. Pikeville (1) - 94
11. Johnson - 78
12. St. Andrews - 65
13. Union - 55
14. Bluefield - 32
15. Kentucky Christian - 17