Wake Forest Athletics
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Wake Forest Ranked No. 23 in Preseason
8/6/2019 6:55:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The Demon Deacon women's soccer team earned its first preseason national ranking since 2014.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Wake Forest women's soccer team is ranked No. 23 nationally heading into the 2019 season, United Soccer Coaches announced on Tuesday evening.
The ranking is Wake Forest's first in the preseason since being picked No. 21 prior to the 2014 season.
"I'm actually kind of surprised, because we're hardly ever held in high regard before the season," head coach Tony da Luz said. "We view ourselves as the underdogs. I don't really pay attention to that stuff either way, but we have a lot to prove."
Wake Forest is coming off an NCAA Sweet 16 run in 2018 after knocking off No. 8 West Virginia in the second round.
The Demon Deacons are one of seven ACC teams in the preseason poll, joined by No. 1 Florida State, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 8 Duke, No. 9 Virginia, No. 21 NC State and No. 25 Virginia Tech.
Wake held its first training sessions of the preseason on Tuesday, as well.
"It was a typical first day," da Luz said. "Everybody was juiced up. The quality of soccer wasn't great, but the quality of the energy and the enthusiasm were really good. This is a team that's going to progress and get better and better as we go along. By ACC play, I think we're going to be a really good team."
The ranking is Wake Forest's first in the preseason since being picked No. 21 prior to the 2014 season.
"I'm actually kind of surprised, because we're hardly ever held in high regard before the season," head coach Tony da Luz said. "We view ourselves as the underdogs. I don't really pay attention to that stuff either way, but we have a lot to prove."
Wake Forest is coming off an NCAA Sweet 16 run in 2018 after knocking off No. 8 West Virginia in the second round.
The Demon Deacons are one of seven ACC teams in the preseason poll, joined by No. 1 Florida State, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 8 Duke, No. 9 Virginia, No. 21 NC State and No. 25 Virginia Tech.
Wake held its first training sessions of the preseason on Tuesday, as well.
"It was a typical first day," da Luz said. "Everybody was juiced up. The quality of soccer wasn't great, but the quality of the energy and the enthusiasm were really good. This is a team that's going to progress and get better and better as we go along. By ACC play, I think we're going to be a really good team."
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