Aug. 4, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Three-time defending and 19-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina has been selected first in the 2008 ACC women's soccer season poll, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.

The Tar Heels were chosen as the first-place team on seven ballots. Florida State (two first-place votes) placed second in the voting, while Virginia (one first-place vote) placed third. Wake Forest, which was picked to finish fifth overall, received the remaining first-place vote.

It marks the third year in a row that UNC, Florida State and Virginia have been predicted to finish as the top three teams in the league, respectively.

The Tar Heels, who captured their third straight ACC Championship in 2007, totaled 117 points (11 points for each first-place vote, 10 points for each second-place vote, etc.) North Carolina returns 24 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's squad that finished 19-4-1 overall, posted a 9-1 mark in regular-season ACC play and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels' key returnees include All-American Yael Averbuch, All-American and U.S. Olympian Tobin Heath and ACC Championship Most Valuable Player Nikki Washington.

Florida State, which advanced to the finals of the 2007 Women's College Cup, totaled 102 points. The Seminoles, who went 18-6-4 overall and 6-2-2 in league action in 2007, return a strong nucleus that includes sophomores Amanda DaCosta and Sanna Talonen, who were both consensus Freshmen All-Americans in 2007 and were named to the College Cup All-Tournament Team. Last season saw Florida State return to the College Cup for the third year in a row and the fourth time in the last five years. That streak is currently the second-best in the nation, trailing only UCLA, which made its fifth consecutive trip in 2007.

Virginia, which accumulated 98 points, returns 18 letterwinners and nine starters, including All-America midfielder Nikki Krzysik and 2007 Freshman All-American Sinead Farrelly. The Cavaliers made their 14th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and completed the season with a record of 13-4-6 overall and 5-2-3 in conference play.

Completing the preseason poll in order of projected finish are Boston College (87 points), Wake Forest (76), Duke (68), Miami (55), Maryland and Virginia Tech (37), Clemson (28) and NC State (21). Below is a listing of the 2008 preseason coaches' poll with 2007 records for each team.

2008 Preseason ACC Women's Soccer Poll
	School	Points	2007 Record
1.	North Carolina (7)	117	19-4-1 (9-1-0)
2.	Florida State (2)	102	18-6-3 (6-2-2)
3.	Virginia (1)	98	13-4-6 (5-2-3)
4.	Boston College	87	11-5-4 (4-4-2)
5.	Wake Forest (1)	76	13-7-3 (6-2-2)
6.	Duke	68	10-6-7 (3-3-4)
7.	Miami	55	9-7-5 (4-4-2)
8.	Maryland	37	6-9-3 (1-8-1)
	Virginia Tech	37	8-7-3 (3-5-2)
10.	Clemson	28	10-6-5 (2-3-5)
11.	NC State	21	6-10-3 (0-9-1)
First place votes in parentheses