The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
08.07.2020 | Soccer
The Longhorns return 17 letter winners from last season, including All-American midfielder Julia Grosso
AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Texas women's soccer program has been selected to finish fifth in the annual Big 12 Conference preseason poll. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams during the process.
Texas Tech picked up six first-place votes and 72 total points in topping the listing. Defending Big 12 regular season champion Oklahoma State rated second with three first-place votes and 70 points.
TCU (55 points) was third, while West Virginia (54 points) and Texas (50 points) rounded out the top five. Defending Big 12 Tournament champ Kansas (48 points), Baylor (one first-place vote, 38 points), Oklahoma (31 points), Iowa State (tied - 16 points) and Kansas State (tied - 16 points) completed the preseason poll.
UT is returning 17 letter winners from last fall's 11-8-1 squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season. Those returnees combined to account for 25-of-35 goals (71%), 30-of-38 total assists (79%) and 80-of-108 total points (74%) during the 2019 season as well as all 11 goalkeeping wins and seven shutouts between the pipes (goalkeepers Nicole Curry and Savannah Madden).
Included among the numerous standouts coming back are 2019 United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American midfielder Julia Grosso (eight goals, eight assists), and 2019 All-Big 12 Conference selections midfielder/forward Haley Berg (eight goals, nine assists) and defender Emma Regan (20 starts, two assists, part of seven defensive shutouts).
2020 Big 12 Soccer Preseason Poll
Rank Team (First-place votes) Points
1. Texas Tech (6) 72
2. Oklahoma State (3) 70
3. TCU 55
4. West Virginia 54
5. TEXAS 50
6. Kansas 48
7. Baylor (1) 38
8. Oklahoma 31
9. Iowa State 16
Kansas State 16
*Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
