IRVING, Texas – Defending American Athletic Conference women’s soccer champion South Florida has been tabbed the 2021 preseason favorite, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
South Florida was named the favorite after receiving 62 points, including six first-place votes, while Memphis was second with 59 points, including the three remaining first-place votes. SMU was third with 44 points, while fourth-place Cincinnati and fifth-place UCF were separated by a single point, 41-40, respectively. East Carolina was picked sixth with 29 points, followed by Houston (24), Temple (16) and Tulsa (9).
Sydny Nasello of South Florida was named the league’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after being named a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American last season. She was also named The American’s Offensive Player of the Year after recording six goals, five assists and 17 points.
Cincinnati’s Ashley Barron was named The American’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Barron was a first-team all-region selection for the 2020 season and earned one of the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honors.
UCF’s Caroline DeLisle and South Florida’s Sydney Martinez shared the conference’s Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year honor. Martinez was a second-team All-American after posting a 10-1-2 record during the 2020 season, while DeLisle recorded 23 saves in six appearances for the Knights.
Nine members of the 2020 All-Conference First Team were selected to the 2021 Preseason All-Conference Team. South Florida led all programs with four selections on the preseason squad, while Memphis had three.
2021 Preseason Coaches Poll
| 1 |
USF (6) |
62 |
| 2 |
Memphis (3) |
59 |
| 3 |
SMU |
44 |
| 4 |
Cincinnati |
41 |
| 5 |
UCF |
40 |
| 6 |
East Carolina |
29 |
| 7 |
Houston |
24 |
| 8 |
Temple |
16 |
| 9 |
Tulsa |
9 |
First-place votes in parenthesis
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Sydny Nasello, Jr., F, South Florida
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Ashley Barron, Jr., D, Cincinnati
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Caroline DeLisle, Jr., UCF
Sydney Martinez, Jr., South Florida
Preseason All-Conference Team
Caroline DeLisle, Jr., GK, UCF
Ashley Barron, Jr., D, Cincinnati
Kim Sanford, Gr., D, East Carolina
Jazmin Grant, R-Sr., F, Houston
Tanya Boychuk, Sr., M/F, Memphis
Mya Jones, Jr., F/M, Memphis
Grace Stordy, So., M/D, Memphis
Vivianne Bessette, Fr., D, South Florida
Chyanne Dennis, Sr., D, South Florida
Sydney Martinez, Jr., GK, South Florida
Sydny Nasello, Jr., F, South Florida
Wayny Balata, Jr., M, SMU