INDIANAPOLIS --- The No. 22 Tusculum College women's soccer team, having won 10 of its last 12 matches, jumped to third in this week's NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings announced NCAA officials Wednesday.

Tusculum (12-3-1, 5-1 SAC) vaulted two spots from fifth to third this week, moving ahead of Armstrong Atlantic State University and Catawba College, against which TC posted a 1-0-1 record this past weekend. Columbus State University remains atop the region with a perfect 13-0 in-region record, followed by Carson-Newman College (11-0-1), Tusculum (10-2), Armstrong Atlantic (10-3-2), Newberry College (11-2-1) and Catawba (9-3-2). Lander University (9-2-2) and Wingate University (8-3-2) round out the top eight, while UNC Pembroke (8-5-1) and North Georgia College & State University (7-3-2) complete the 10-team listing.

The Pioneers boast one of the top units in the attacking third this season, entering the week ranked 49th in the nation with a scoring average of 2.38 goals per match. Tusculum's potent offense is led by a trio of young and talented forwards, including South Atlantic Conference Player of the Week Tramicka James, who leads TC with nine goals, seven assists and 25 points.

Fellow freshmen Kayla Durden and Kourtney Kavic have also chipped in offensively this season with six and five goals, respectively, while sophomore defender Claire Duncan has found the back of the net a career-high five times thus far in contribution to a well-balanced Pioneer attack. Meade and junior defender Courtney Turner, a 2007 All-American, have also contributed significantly in the attacking third this season, recording seven and six assists, respectively for the Pioneers.

Tusculum returns to the pitch on Saturday when the Pioneers host Wingate University at Pioneer Field to resume their SAC schedule. The match is slated for 2 p.m.

- NCAA -

NCAA Division II Southeast Region