KANSAS CITY, Mo. - With the South Atlantic Conference Championship in full swing, Anderson University women's soccer jumped up one position to seventh in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America Southeast Region Poll before the NCAA Tournament, announced by the NSCAA on Tuesday.
The Trojans grabbed a 2-1 victory over Mars Hill in their only match last week, finalizing their regular season with a 14-3 overall record, marking the most wins in the program's history. With a 7-3 record in SAC play, Anderson earned the fifth seed in the annual conference tournament and was forced to play a road match in the opening round.
Five teams from the SAC were ranked in the top 10, including Queens, who landed in the No. 9 spot after not being ranked in last week's poll. Carson-Newman earned the No. 2 spot to lead the SAC contingent, while Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne, which plays AU on Tuesday in the SAC Tournament, finished fourth and sixth, respectively. The SAC carried the most teams in this week's poll.
Columbus State continues to lead the way, earning the No. 1 spot for the third consecutive week after sweeping Montevallo (5-0) and UNC Pembroke (4-0) last week. Peach Belt Conference rivals North Georgia (#3), Armstrong State (#5) and Georgia College (#10) rounded out the league's representation, as GC makes its first appearance in the poll since Oct. 6.
Belmont Abbey is the lone member of Conference Carolinas to crack the top 10, landing a spot behind Anderson at No. 8. Conference foe Limestone dropped out of the poll following its 2-1 setback to BAC on Halloween.
AU opens its postseason tonight at fourth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne in a rematch of last season's SAC Tournament quarterfinals in which the Bears ended the Trojans' season with a 3-1 victory. Kick-off at the Moretz Sports - Athletic Complex is scheduled for 7 p.m.
