RICHMOND, Va.—The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) announced that the Elon University women's soccer team finished second in the 2021 preseason poll on Thursday, Aug. 12. Sophomore Katie Lowe was also selected to the Preseason All-CAA Team, while senior Carson Jones was named honorable mention. The ranking is the highest the program has received in the CAA preseason poll.

"Massive credit goes out to all of the players over the past few years," said head coach Neil Payne. "The hard work they have all put in has allowed the program to be in this position. It's our collective responsibility to honor that hard work and produce another competitive season."
 
The reigning conference champions tied UNCW with 64 points in addition to earning one first-place vote. Hofstra was named the preseason favorite with 81 points and nine first-place votes, while Northeastern (62), James Madison (48), Drexel (35), William & Mary (31), Delaware (28), Towson (28) and Charleston (9) rounded out the poll.
 
During Elon's historic season, Lowe was a key component of the maroon and gold's defensive unit. Over the course of the season, the Phoenix recorded six shutouts, with five of them coming against conference opponents and two of them being in the CAA championship against No. 23 Hofstra and UNCW. Elon also held the Dukes and Cougars to no shots on goal during the regular season. For her performance during her freshman campaign, Lowe was named to the all-rookie team.  
 
A 2020 second team all-conference honoree, Jones was the leading scorer for the Phoenix with three goals on the season. Two of them came against UNCW, including the game-winning goal in the 82^nd minute of the conference championship match to secure Elon's first CAA Championship crown in program history.

"We're honored to have two players recognized in the all-conference selection process as they're a reflection of the hard work put in by our entire team," added Payne. "Carson is a stalwart of our program and is determined as ever to finish her college career on a strong note. Katie is one of only two sophomores to be selected on the all-conference team. As her game evolves, we look forward to great accomplishments from Katie in the coming years."
 
Elon will host Wofford in its final exhibition match of the season on Friday, August 13 at 6 p.m. prior to its season opener against George Washington at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19 at Rudd Field.

2021 CAA Preseason Poll
 

Team (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Hofstra (9)	81
T-2. Elon (1)	64
T-2. UNCW	64
4. Northeastern	62
5. James Madison	48
6. Drexel	35
7. William & Mary	31
T-8. Delaware	28
T-8. Towson	28
10. Charleston	9

2021 CAA Preseason All-CAA Team
 

Name	School	Class	Position	Hometown / High School
Lauren Curry	Drexel	Sr.	F	Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin
Miri Taylor	Hofstra	Sr.	F	Gillingham, England / Rainham School for Girls
Audrey Harding	UNCW	Sr.	F	Akron, Ohio / Revere
Lucy Porter	Hofstra	Sr.	M	Birmingham, England / King Edward Camp Hill School for Girls
Morgan Nanni	UNCW	Sr.	M	Raleigh, N.C. / Wakefield
Alexis Legowski	Northeastern	Jr.	M	South Hadley, Mass. / MacDuffie School
Katie Lowe	Elon	So.	D	Charlotte, N.C. / South Mecklenburg
Anja Suttner	Hofstra	Jr.	D	Bodenkirchen, Germany / Maximilian-von-Montgelas Gymnasium
Talia Parrous	UNCW	Sr.	D	Fayetteville, N.C. / Terry Sanford
Mikenna McManus	Northeastern	Sr.	D	Lake Forest, Calif. / El Toro
Blair Barefoot	UNCW	So.	GK	Wilmington, N.C. / John T. Hoggard

CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Miri Taylor, Hofstra
CAA Preseason Midfielder Player of the Year: Lucy Porter, Hofstra
CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Anja Suttner, Hofstra
CAA Preseason Goalkeeper Player of the Year: Blair Barefoot, UNCW

Honorable Mention: Sara D'Appolonia, Sr., F, Delaware; Olivia Schuck, Sr., D, Delaware, Carson Jones, Sr., F, Elon; Jordan Littleboy, Sr., M, Hofstra; Lucy Shepherd, Sr., F, Hofstra; Ginger Deel, Sr., F, James Madison; Ebony Wiseman, Sr., M, James Madison; Julianne Ross, Sr., D, Northeastern; Riley Melendez, So., GK, Towson