Weekly Release

NCAA Championship First Round
Friday, November 12
Alabama at Clemson | 4 p.m. | ACCNX
High Point at No. 1 Virginia | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Old Dominion at No. 1 Duke | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
South Alabama at No. 1 Florida State | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
ACC, Big Ten & Pac-12 Alliance Matchup
Ohio State at Virginia Tech | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
 
Saturday, November 13
South Carolina at No. 2 North Carolina | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
 
Sunday, November 14
SIUE at No. 3 Notre Dame | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
Harvard at Wake Forest | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
NC State at South Florida | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
 
Conference-Leading Nine ACC Teams Selected to NCAA Championship
- Headlined by three of the tournament’s No. 1 seeds, nine Atlantic Coast Conference women’s soccer teams were selected to the 2021 NCAA Championship.
- The ACC’s nine teams are the most of any league and two more than the next-closest conference.
- After winning its second consecutive ACC Championship on Sunday, Florida State is the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, while regular-season champion Virginia and Duke also earned a No. 1 seed. North Carolina was selected as a No. 2 seed and Notre Dame is a No. 3 seed.
- Clemson, NC State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest round out the conference’s nine teams selected to the tournament.
- Eight of the league’s teams open NCAA Tournament action on their home field.
- The Seminoles (16-1-2), making their 22nd overall and consecutive NCAA appearance, host South Alabama (12-4-3).
- The Cavaliers (16-2-2) are in the field for the 34th time and welcome High Point (10-7-2) to Charlottesville in their first-round matchup.
- Duke (13-3-1) is the ACC’s third No. 1 seed and hosts Old Dominion (13-4-1). The Blue Devils are making their 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
- North Carolina (12-2-3) - the only team that has appeared in all 40 NCAA Tournaments - opens play at home against South Carolina (11-6-1).
- The Fighting Irish (13-5-1) face SIUE (11-6-0) in the first round at home, as Notre Dame is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time.
- Making its 22nd appearance, Clemson (12-6-1) will take on Alabama (10-9-1) at home and NC State (8-8-2) will travel to USF (12-3-3) for its 16th NCAA appearance.
- Virginia Tech (11-5-2) hosts Ohio State (9-8-2) and Wake Forest (15-5-0) welcomes Harvard (12-2-1). The Hokies are in the field for the 11th time and the Demon Deacons are making their 21st appearance.
 
ACC & the NCAA Championship
- The ACC has 54 appearances in the College Cup - the most of any conference (the next closest conference is the Pac-12 with 27 appearances). Current membership combines for 66 appearances.
- The ACC’s five teams in the Elite 8 of the 2020 NCAA Tournament were the most of any conference and no other conference had more than one representative. The five ACC teams were the second most in the history of the league behind an NCAA-record six teams in the quarterfinals in 2013.
- Additionally, three of the four teams in the 2020 NCAA Women's Soccer College Cup were from the ACC, including top-seeded Florida State, second-seeded North Carolina and Virginia.
- It marked the third time that three ACC teams have been in the College Cup, matching the total from 2013 and 2011.
- Florida State defeated Virginia on penalty kicks to advance to the national championship for the fifth time in program history. Additionally, it marked the 44th appearance in the national championship by a current ACC team.
- The ACC has had a team in the Women’s College Cup in 38 of the past 39 NCAA Tournaments and in each of the past 15 years.
- Current ACC membership combines for 26 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championships. North
Carolina owns 21 NCAA titles and Florida State owns two, while Notre Dame won three prior to joining the league in 2013.
- Eight different ACC institutions have represented the league at the College Cup (Boston College, Duke, Florida State, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest) since 1982.
- The ACC tournament champion has gone on to win the NCAA Women’s College Cup 16 times, most
recently Florida State in 2018.
 
Four ACC Teams Ranked in United Soccer Coaches Poll
- Headlined by the nation's top-two teams, four ACC teams are ranked among the top 25 of this week's United Soccer Coaches Poll, with each among the top 10.
- Florida State is the No. 1 team this week, as an ACC team has occupied the top spot in every poll this season. Virginia checks in at No. 2, followed by No. 4 Duke and No. 10 North Carolina.
- Clemson, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest are receiving votes.
 
Stellar Non-Conference for ACC Women's Soccer
- ACC women's soccer teams have enjoyed a stellar non-conference portion of the 2021 season, as the league's 14 teams have combined to compile an 80-16-5 record - the most wins and best winning percentage of any conference.
- ACC teams have combined to compile 44 shutouts, including 16 on the opening weekend, and 12 wins against ranked opponents.
- ACC teams are also outscoring their non-conference opponents, 278-73.
 
ACC in the NCAA Rankings
- Seven of the conference’s teams rank among the nation’s top 45 in goals scored this season, headlined by three among the top 15 - both are the most of any conference. Florida State leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally with 55, while Clemson has scored 52 to rank 12th and Virginia is 14th with 50. Notre Dame is 22nd with 45, while Pitt is 34th with 41. Wake Forest has tallied 40 and North Carolina has scored 39 to rank 39th and 44th, respectively.
- Clemson, Florida State, Pitt, Virginia and Virginia Tech all rank among the top 25 of the NCAA in total team assists - the most of any conference. The Tigers and Seminoles are second and 11th, respectively, with 65 and 51 assists, while the Panthers are No. 14 with 47. The Cavaliers own 45 to rank 17th and the Hokies are 24th with 43. The ACC’s three teams among the top 15 are also the most of any conference.
- Clemson’s Renee Guion is fifth nationally with 13 assists, while Virginia's Lia Godfrey is ninth with 12. Clemson's Megan Bornkamp and Florida State's Jody Brown are tied for 21st in the nation with 10 assists.
- Virginia's Diana Ordoñez leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally with 15 goals, while Notre Dame's Sammi Fisher is second in the league and 26th in the nation with 12. Florida State's Beata Olsson and Virginia Tech's Emily Gray are tied for 41st with 11 goals apiece.
 
ACC, Big Ten & Pac-12 Announce Alliance
- On Aug. 24, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced an historic alliance that will bring 41 world-class
institutions together on a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling. The alliance – which was unanimously supported by the presidents, chancellors and athletics directors at all 41 institutions – will be guided in all cases by a commitment to, and prioritization of, supporting student-athlete well-being, academic and athletic opportunities, experiences and diverse educational programming. The three conferences are grounded in their support of broad-based athletic programs, the collegiate model and opportunities for student-athletes as part of the educational missions of the institutions.
- ACC women's soccer teams have played 15 matches against teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences.
- The ACC owns a 6-2-2 record against the Big Ten and a 5-0 mark versus Pac-12 opponents this season.
- Virginia Tech welcomes Big Ten foe Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
ACC Championship Recap
- The second-seeded Florida State Seminoles won their second consecutive ACC Women’s Soccer Championship with a 1-0 victory against top-seeded Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 7 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
- The Seminoles claimed their eight title and their third in the last four years.
- For the second consecutive year, Clara Robbins was tabbed the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP) after scoring the game-winning goal in the first half for the Seminoles.
- Florida State defeated sixth-seeded Wake Forest, 2-1 in overtime to advance to the final and Virginia edged fifth-seeded Clemson, 1-0, to claim a spot in the final.
- The Tigers opened the ACC Championship first-round slate with a 3-2 victory at fourth-seeded Notre Dame and Wake Forest defeated third-seeded Duke, 2-1.
- All five games in the championship were decided by one goal.
 
Florida State, Virginia Headline 2021 All-ACC Women's Soccer Teams
- Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season champion Virginia and Florida State each earned two end of season awards, while Duke claimed another to headline the 2021 All-ACC Women’s Soccer honors announced Thursday, Nov. 4.
- Virginia junior forward Diana Ordoñez earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year, while Florida State graduate defender Emily Madril was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
- FSU’s Jaelin Howell was tabbed the ACC Midfielder of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Howell becomes the first two-time winner since the award was established in 2014. Duke’s Michelle Cooper was voted the ACC Freshman of the Year.
- Florida State led all schools with nine student-athletes on the All-ACC Teams, while Virginia had seven selections. Eleven of the league’s 14 teams are represented on one of the league’s all-conference teams.
 
Inside ACC Action
- Of the 70 regular-season conference games, the home team won 32 times and the visiting team earned 32 wins. There were six matches end in a tie.
- Thirty-eight matches were won via shutout, while 15 matches were decided by a 1-0 score.
- Thirty-four matches were decided by a one-goal margin.
 
ACC Coaching Milestones
- A pair of ACC women's soccer coaches hit milestones this season, as North Carolina's Anson Dorrance earned his 900th career win with a 2-1 double overtime win against No. 15 Notre Dame on Oct. 24.
- Dorrance, the only head coach in the program's 43-year history, is the NCAA recordholder in wins with 901 to his credit. He is 331 ahead of former Connecticut head coach Len Tsantiris, who is second with 570. The 331-win margin is the second largest in NCAA records.
- Duke's Robbie Church recorded his 100th ACC victory in the win over Pitt on Oct. 10 and Florida State's Mark Krikorian earned his 300th win as head coach of the Seminoles on Oct. 1 against Clemson.
 
ACC Goalkeepers Among Nation's Elite
- Several ACC goalkeepers are ranked among the nation's best in the NCAA's career statistics.
- Virginia's Laurel Ivory is tied for the NCAA Division I lead in career shutouts with 41 and is second in minutes played at the position with 8,765.15.
- North Carolina's Claudia Dickey is second in the country in goals against average (0.53).
- Louisville's Gabby Kouzelos is fourth in goalkeeper minutes with 7,609.35. Kouzelos is also tied for eighth in career shutouts along with Dickey with 29. The ACC's three among the top 10 in career shutouts are the most of any conference.
 
Winningest Active Head Coaches
- Four ACC head coaches are among the top 10 in NCAA Division I for most victories by an active head coach.
- Longtime UNC skipper Anson Dorrance leads the way with 901 wins, while Florida State's Mark Krikorian is fifth on the list with 473.
- Virginia's Steve Swanson is sixth with 449, while Pitt's Randy Waldrum is eighth with 431 career victories.
- The ACC's four coaches among the top 10 are the most of any conference.
 
ACC Places 10 on Mac Hermann Trophy Watch List
- The ACC leads all conferences with 10 women’s soccer student-athletes on the 2021 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.
- The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is the nation’s highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year as determined by the voting of Division I coaches, who are members of United Soccer Coaches.
- Last season, Florida State’s Jaelin Howell became the 15th student-athlete from a current ACC school and second from the FSU program to win the prestigious honor. All three 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy finalists were from the ACC, as the Seminoles’ Malia Berkely and North Carolina’s Brianna Pinto were the other two finalists.