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Duke Picked Fourth in Coaches Poll; Graham and Jones Earn Preseason All-ACC Nods
8/11/2021 8:49:00 PM | Women's Soccer
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Duke women's soccer team was picked to finish fourth in the ACC this season as the 2021 ACC Preseason Coaches Poll was released Thursday.
Additionally, senior Delaney Graham and junior Sophie Jones were tapped to the Preseason All-ACC Team, as Duke was one of five programs represented by multiple players (Clemson – 2, Florida State – 2, North Carolina – 2, Virginia – 2).
The Blue Devils will kick off the 2021 regular season on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m., when they host No. 13 Arkansas at Koskinen Stadium as part of the 2021 Carolina Nike Classic. Duke is predicted to finish fourth by the league's coaches for a second straight year, and looks to build off a 2020-21 campaign that saw the Blue Devils compile a 12-5-4 record and advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Reigning ACC champion Florida State, which enters the season ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll, is the league favorite after receiving 11 first-place votes and 167 total votes. North Carolina garnered 155 votes (two first-place) while Virginia received 148 (one first-place) to round out the top three.
Each of the teams picked to finish in the top five of the ACC were listed among the top seven in the national preseason rankings – Florida State (No. 1 nationally), North Carolina (No. 3), Virginia (No. 4), Duke (No. 6) and Clemson (No. 7).
A native of Atlanta, Ga., Graham earns preseason All-ACC accolades for the second consecutive year. The versatile defender played her way onto an all-conference team in each of the past two seasons, and was chosen by United Soccer Coaches as an All-Atlantic Region performer in 2020-21. Her five assists were tied for seventh in the ACC, while she added two goals and helped the Duke defense record 12 clean sheets with nine shutout wins. Excelling on the pitch and in the classroom, Graham was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team.
Jones picks up her first career preseason All-ACC honor, adding to a growing list of accolades in her two-plus years at Duke. The Menlo Park, Calif., native was a third-team All-America selection by United Soccer Coaches in 2020-21 after recording nine points (three goals, three assists) in 21 starts. She was named to both the All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Tournament Team in the fall campaign, and entered the spring listed on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. After some notable performances that included the game-winner in double-overtime of Duke's NCAA Second Round match against Arizona State, Jones joined Graham on the All-Atlantic Region team and was additionally picked to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI Second Team.
No. 6 Duke wraps up the preseason on Friday, Aug. 13, when it travels to Clemson for a 6 p.m. exhibition match. For more information on Duke women's soccer, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching 'DukeWSOC.'
ACC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
Florida State - 167 (11 First-Place Votes)
North Carolina - 155 (2)
Virginia - 148 (1)
Duke - 129
Clemson - 124
Notre Dame - 104
Virginia Tech - 85
Louisville - 77
Wake Forest - 72
NC State - 71
Pitt - 57
Boston College - 45
Syracuse - 24
Miami – 16
Women's Soccer Preseason All-ACC Team
Megan Bornkamp, Clemson, So., M
Hensley Hancuff, Clemson, Sr., GK
Delaney Graham, Duke, Sr., D
Sophie Jones, Duke, Jr., M
Jaelin Howell, Florida State, Sr., M
Yujie Zhao, Florida State, Sr., M
Maycee Bell, North Carolina, Jr., D
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Sr., F/M
Amanda West, Pitt, So., F
Lia Godfrey, Virginia, So., M
Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia, Sr., F/M
#GoDuke
Additionally, senior Delaney Graham and junior Sophie Jones were tapped to the Preseason All-ACC Team, as Duke was one of five programs represented by multiple players (Clemson – 2, Florida State – 2, North Carolina – 2, Virginia – 2).
The Blue Devils will kick off the 2021 regular season on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m., when they host No. 13 Arkansas at Koskinen Stadium as part of the 2021 Carolina Nike Classic. Duke is predicted to finish fourth by the league's coaches for a second straight year, and looks to build off a 2020-21 campaign that saw the Blue Devils compile a 12-5-4 record and advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Reigning ACC champion Florida State, which enters the season ranked No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches national poll, is the league favorite after receiving 11 first-place votes and 167 total votes. North Carolina garnered 155 votes (two first-place) while Virginia received 148 (one first-place) to round out the top three.
Each of the teams picked to finish in the top five of the ACC were listed among the top seven in the national preseason rankings – Florida State (No. 1 nationally), North Carolina (No. 3), Virginia (No. 4), Duke (No. 6) and Clemson (No. 7).
A native of Atlanta, Ga., Graham earns preseason All-ACC accolades for the second consecutive year. The versatile defender played her way onto an all-conference team in each of the past two seasons, and was chosen by United Soccer Coaches as an All-Atlantic Region performer in 2020-21. Her five assists were tied for seventh in the ACC, while she added two goals and helped the Duke defense record 12 clean sheets with nine shutout wins. Excelling on the pitch and in the classroom, Graham was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team.
Jones picks up her first career preseason All-ACC honor, adding to a growing list of accolades in her two-plus years at Duke. The Menlo Park, Calif., native was a third-team All-America selection by United Soccer Coaches in 2020-21 after recording nine points (three goals, three assists) in 21 starts. She was named to both the All-ACC First Team and ACC All-Tournament Team in the fall campaign, and entered the spring listed on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. After some notable performances that included the game-winner in double-overtime of Duke's NCAA Second Round match against Arizona State, Jones joined Graham on the All-Atlantic Region team and was additionally picked to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI Second Team.
No. 6 Duke wraps up the preseason on Friday, Aug. 13, when it travels to Clemson for a 6 p.m. exhibition match. For more information on Duke women's soccer, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching 'DukeWSOC.'
ACC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
Florida State - 167 (11 First-Place Votes)
North Carolina - 155 (2)
Virginia - 148 (1)
Duke - 129
Clemson - 124
Notre Dame - 104
Virginia Tech - 85
Louisville - 77
Wake Forest - 72
NC State - 71
Pitt - 57
Boston College - 45
Syracuse - 24
Miami – 16
Women's Soccer Preseason All-ACC Team
Megan Bornkamp, Clemson, So., M
Hensley Hancuff, Clemson, Sr., GK
Delaney Graham, Duke, Sr., D
Sophie Jones, Duke, Jr., M
Jaelin Howell, Florida State, Sr., M
Yujie Zhao, Florida State, Sr., M
Maycee Bell, North Carolina, Jr., D
Rachel Jones, North Carolina, Sr., F/M
Amanda West, Pitt, So., F
Lia Godfrey, Virginia, So., M
Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia, Sr., F/M
#GoDuke
Players Mentioned
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