BUENA VISTA, Va. — The USA South Athletic Conference women's soccer coaches have released the 2026 preseason poll, with Southern Virginia University selected to finish second.

The Knights earned the No. 2 spot in the preseason poll for the second consecutive season and have advanced to the USA South Tournament Championship match in each of the last four seasons.

Brevard, the defending USA South regular-season and tournament champion, was selected first with 80 total points and eight of the possible 10 first-place votes. Southern Virginia followed with 73 points and the remaining two first-place votes. Greensboro rounded out the top three with 61 points.

Southern Virginia enters its sixth season in the USA South with a 35-8-2 record in conference play. The Knights will look to return to the conference championship match for the fourth straight season after falling to Brevard in last season's tournament final in a penalty-kick shootout.

The Knights return four All-Conference players from last season in Xoie Warner, McKenna Currey, Estee Schneider, and Tessa Miller. Southern Virginia also welcomes 19 newcomers who will look to make an immediate impact as the Knights pursue another run at the conference championship.

The 2026 USA South Women's Soccer Tournament will once again be conducted exclusively at campus sites. The top eight seeded teams will advance to the tournament, with first-round action beginning Saturday, October 31. The semifinals will take place Wednesday, November 4, followed by the championship match Saturday, November 7. The higher-seeded team in each match up will host.