ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum University women's soccer team has been picked to finish ninth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll prior to the start of the 2022 season, the SAC announced Tuesday.

Tusculum placed two players on the preseason All-Conference team, as senior Brianna Garcia was a second-team selection at forward and senior Bailey Bylotas was a third-team honoree at midfield.

Voting on the preseason poll was conducted by the league's 12 head coaches, while the media relations offices for each school voted on the All-Conference team.

Garcia started all 18 matches last season and tied for the team lead with four goals. Garcia scored all four of her goals in conference matches, and was second on the team in both shot attempts (28) and shots on goal (14). A native of Acworth, Georgia, Garcia has appeared in 44 career games (38 starts) and has seven goals and six assists for 20 points.

Bylotas also started all 18 contests for the Pioneers last fall and had three goals and an assist for seven points. Each of Bylotas' goals came in Tusculum victories, including back-to-back wins over Mars Hill and Coker in September and the game-winner in a 4-0 victory over Asbury on Oct. 12. Bylotas, who hails from Fort Worth, Texas, is entering her fourth year as a starter with four goals and an assist in 40 career matches (35 starts).

Defending SAC regular-season champion Catawba received 11 first-place votes and earned the top spot in the preseason poll with 121 points, with Lenoir-Rhyne taking the other first-place vote and earning 111 points after advancing to the NCAA Division II semifinals last season.

Carson-Newman grabbed 98 points in the poll and took third place, followed by Wingate (92 points) in fourth and Limestone (82) in fifth. Lincoln Memorial (69 points) is sixth, with Newberry (61) in seventh and Anderson (51) taking eighth.

Tusculum had 44 points for its ninth-place standing in the preseason poll, with Coker (27 points), Mars Hill (25) and league newcomer Emory & Henry (11) rounding out the survey.

The Pioneers will begin the 26th season under head coach Mike Joy on Thursday, August 25 at King, beginning at 4 p.m. Tusculum's home opener will be Friday, September 2 against West Alabama at 3:30 p.m., and the SAC schedule will begin with a home game against Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. at Pioneer Field.

2022 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer
Preseason Coaches Poll

2022 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer
Preseason All-Conference Team
First Team
F – Hannah Dunn, Catawba
F – Helen Summerell, Catawba
F – Leonie Proessl, Lenoir-Rhyne
F – Alicia Rubio Garcia, Wingate
MF – Sydney Jimmo, Catawba
MF – Kasey Hahn, Catawba
MF – Sharon Mayes, Catawba
MF – Evan O'Leary, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Katie Beck, Catawba
D – Ria Acton, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Sascha Larsen, Wingate
D – Vivien Becker Peralta, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Sierra Davis, Catawba

Second Team
F – Nellie Bryneus, Carson-Newman
F – Addie Henry, Carson-Newman
F – Brianna Garcia, Tusculum
F – Kyara Vanheuverswijn, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Sydnee Duncan, Carson-Newman
MF – Caroline Peters, Wingate
MF – Tabea Schutt, Limestone
MF – Stephanie Figueiredo, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Katie Webb, Catawba
D – Amanda Chimbima, Limestone
D – Jente Kuper, Carson-Newman
D – Courtney Velazquez, Newberry
GK – Jeanette Campbell, Anderson

Third Team
F – Camilla Dobraniecki, Emory & Henry
MF – Neve Duston, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Bailey Bylotas, Tusculum
MF – Merel Houweling, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Jess Lafrancis, Wingate
D – Nicole Cristy, Wingate
D – Sarah Miller, Anderson
D – Sydney Wolfenbarger, Lincoln Memorial
D - Megan Snider, Lincoln Memorial
GK – Bente Latenstein, Lincoln Memorial