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UNC Starts Its Title Defense on Top

By IWLCA Admin, 01/30/23, 10:00AM EST

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Photo courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications.

2023 ILWomen/IWLCA Division I Poll – Preseason

 

North Carolina starts its title defense on top. 

The Tar Heels are No. 1 in the preseason ILWomen/IWLCA DI Poll, earning 22 first-place votes. 

There are familiar faces at the top, as the four Championship Weekend teams make up the top four. Maryland, with what is expected to be a top defense in the country, is at No. 2 and amassed two first-place votes. Boston College, which graduates Charlotte North but still returns immense firepower, is in third with three first-place votes. Northwestern brings back Izzy Scane after missing the 2022 season due to injury, and the Wildcats are fourth. 

Syracuse is the lone team returning a Tewaaraton finalist from last year. Meaghan Tyrrell and the Orange come in at fifth.

Six conferences are represented among the Top 10: 

ACC (3 — North Carolina, Boston College, Syracuse) 
Big Ten (3 — Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers) 
CAA (1 — Stony Brook) 
AAC (1 — Florida) 
Big East (1 — Denver) 
Patriot League (1 — Loyola) 

The ILWomen/IWLCA Poll will be unveiled Mondays throughout the season. It is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country and members of the media. 

Rank

Institution

Points (FPV)

1

North Carolina

666 (22)

2

Maryland

634 (2)

3

Boston College

613 (3)

4

Northwestern

599

5

Syracuse

574

6

Stony Brook

536

7

Florida

500

8

Rutgers

439

9

Denver

426

10

Loyola

412

11

Duke

402

12

James Madison

361

13

Virginia

334

14

Stanford

319

15

Princeton

302

16

Notre Dame

300

17

Michigan

249

18

USC

234

19

Jacksonville

198

20

Johns Hopkins

103

21

Yale

98

22

Richmond

88

23

Umass

69

24

Uconn

53

25

Colorado

40

RV

Arizona State, Penn State, Ohio State, Temple, Navy

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