UVA Women’s Soccer third in ACC poll: Ordoñez, Spaanstra named to preseason All-ACC team

Sophomore forward Diana Ordoñez (Prosper, Texas) and forward junior Alexa Spaanstra (Brighton, Mich.) have been named preseason All-ACC selections and the Cavaliers were picked to finish third in a preseason vote of the league’s coaches, the conference office announced on Tuesday.

Virginia totaled 113 points in the preseason poll of the league’s coaches and received two first-place votes.

Both Ordoñez and Spaanstra were named All-ACC selections last year after helping lead the Cavaliers through an undefeated regular season and both were named to the ACC Championships All-Tournament team after helping the Cavaliers advance to the finals of the tournament.

Ordoñez finished the season tied for the ACC lead in goals scored with 15 and tallied a total of 34 points for the second most by a player in the ACC. Her 15 goals scored tied for most goals scored nationally by a freshman last year. Spaanstra tied for the ACC lead in assists last season with 12 and assisted on four game-winning goals on the year. She was also named an All-Region selection by the United Soccer Coaches.

Virginia returns 17 letter winners from last year’s squad that went 17-2-3 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 26th consecutive season.  The team ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense with 2.86 goals per game and fifth nationally with 63 goals scored. Virginia also welcomes 10 newcomers to Grounds with the second-ranked recruiting class nationally according to Top Drawer Soccer. Among that class were eight players ranked among the top 170 players in the nation and four among the top 36 – including two in the top 10.

Virginia opens the 2020 season on Saturday (Sept. 12), hosting Virginia Tech in a non-conference game at 6 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.

2020 ACC Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

1. North Carolina, 129 (8)
2. Florida State, 123 (3)
3. Virginia, 113 (2)
4. Duke, 98
5. Clemson, 86
6. Notre Dame, 79
7. Louisville, 77
8. Virginia Tech, 64
9. Wake Forest, 50
10. Pittsburgh, 42
11. Boston College, 35
12. Miami, 27
13. Syracuse, 13

() denotes first-place votes

2020 Women’s Soccer Preseason All-ACC Team

• Delaney Graham, Duke, Jr., D
• Malia Berkely, Florida State, Sr., D
• Jaelin Howell, Florida State, Jr., M
• Yujie Zhao, Florida State, Jr., M
• Emina Ekic, Louisville, Sr., M
• Gabby Kouzelos, Louisville, Jr., GK
• Maycee Bell, North Carolina, So., D
• Emily Fox, North Carolina, Sr., D
• Brianna Pinto, North Carolina, Jr., M
• Diana Ordoñez, Virginia, So., F
• Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia, Jr., F

Information from Virginia Athletics