The University of Central Florida and Louisville shared the top spot in the inaugural American Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, each with 85 points.
The Cardinals did receive one more first-place vote than UCF, 5-4[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’].
The Knights picked up two of the three preseason individual honors as senior Marissa Diggs was named preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and senior goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado was the choice for Goalkeeper of the Year.
Rutgers, which finished third in the preseason poll, will be led by senior Jonelle Filigno, who was named the conference preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
South Florida finished fifth in the poll, two points behind the University of Connecticut.
The University of Memphis was sixth in the preseason rankings.
USF was represented on the American Athletic Conference preseason team by Sharla Pass-ariello, while Memphis placed two players, junior midfielder Kylie Davis and sophomore defender/midfielder Diamond Simpson on the team.
The Knights finished 17-5-2 in 2012 and won their first Conference USA championship. They reached the second round of NCAA postseason play.
Louisville was 10-4-4 last fall and finished third in the National Division of the BIG EAST, and returns nine starters and 97% of its scoring. Included are two preseason all-conference selections. Charlyn Corrall, a unanimous choice, and Angelika Uremovich are both seniors.
Corral led Louisville in scoring as a junior with 23 points. Uremovich was second-team All-Big East last fall.
The Cardinals did receive one more first-place vote than UCF, 5-4[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’].
The Knights picked up two of the three preseason individual honors as senior Marissa Diggs was named preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and senior goalkeeper Lianne Maldonado was the choice for Goalkeeper of the Year.
Rutgers, which finished third in the preseason poll, will be led by senior Jonelle Filigno, who was named the conference preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
South Florida finished fifth in the poll, two points behind the University of Connecticut.
The University of Memphis was sixth in the preseason rankings.
USF was represented on the American Athletic Conference preseason team by Sharla Pass-ariello, while Memphis placed two players, junior midfielder Kylie Davis and sophomore defender/midfielder Diamond Simpson on the team.
The Knights finished 17-5-2 in 2012 and won their first Conference USA championship. They reached the second round of NCAA postseason play.
Louisville was 10-4-4 last fall and finished third in the National Division of the BIG EAST, and returns nine starters and 97% of its scoring. Included are two preseason all-conference selections. Charlyn Corrall, a unanimous choice, and Angelika Uremovich are both seniors.
Corral led Louisville in scoring as a junior with 23 points. Uremovich was second-team All-Big East last fall.
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