Longwood University Athletics

FARMVILLE, Va. – Bolstered by back-to-back third-place Big South finishes and just two years removed from a trip to the conference title game, Longwood women's soccer was picked third in the 2019 Big South Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference office announced Monday.
 
Coming in behind preseason favorite Radford and No. 2 Gardner-Webb, Longwood drew a pair of first-place votes from the league's coaches. Nine of the Lancers' 11 votes placed them inside the top three, including two second-place notes and five third-place picks.
 
That recognition comes on the strength of last year's finish and a veteran roster that returns seven starters and 19 letterwinners from last year's 6-2-2 Big South squad. Highlighting that group is two-time All-Big South forward Emilie Kupsov, fellow starting forward Kennedy Culbreath, and a staunch backfield fronted by former Big South Freshman of the Year Carrie Reaver and returning senior starters Taylor Alvey and Erica Sieben, and anchored by junior goalkeeper Madison Van Dyke.

"It's an honor to be thought of highly by our Big South peers, but at the same time we have a lot of work to do before we can even think about achieving that kind of success," said Todd Dyer, now entering his 26th season as head coach and found of the Lancer program. "Right now we're focusing on week one of our preseason camp, and when we're done there we'll move on to week two. The results will take care of themselves if we get the process right."

The third-place selection ties the second-highest result in the Big South Preseason Poll for the Lancers, who also appeared in that spot in 2014. Last year the Lancers set a new mark with a second-place preseason prediction, drawing one first-place vote.
 
Including Longwood's third-place finish, the top four of the 2019 Big South Preseason Coaches Poll mirrors the final 2018 standings with first-place Radford leading second-place Gardner-Webb, third-place Longwood and fourth-place Campbell. High Point, USC Upstate, Charleston Southern and Winthrop rounded out the top eight, followed by ninth-place Presbyterian, 10th-place UNC Asheville and 11th-place Hampton.
 
Longwood begins its preseason schedule today, Monday, Aug. 5, and takes the field for the first of two preseason scrimmages on Wednesday, Aug. 14, against former Big South rival Liberty. That matchup will kick off at 7 p.m. at the Longwood Athletics Complex and precedes another preseason exhibition at William & Mary the following Saturday, Aug. 17.
 
The Lancers open the season with back-to-back matchups against a pair of non-conference Commonwealth rivals, starting at Richmond on Aug. 22 before returning home to host VCU on Aug. 25.
 
2019 Big South Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Radford (5)
2. Gardner-Webb (4)
3. Longwood (2)
4. Campbell
5. High Point
6. USC Upstate
7. Charleston Southern
8. Winthrop
9. Presbyterian
10. UNC Asheville
11. Hampton
 
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