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HICKORY, N.C. – The United Soccer Coaches (USC) Preseason Poll has Lenoir-Rhyne\u00a0ranked eighth to kick off the 2026 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bears are no stranger to being ranked, as they have spent 75 weeks in the top-25 since the 2010 season. This includes a year-end ranking of fourth in 2021 and eighth in 2010, 2023, and 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coming off of a 13-5-3 season with an appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals, second-year head coach Justin Maullin<\/a> returns\u00a0Second Team All-Region selections Ava Hartman<\/a> and last year’s team leader in goals, assists, and total points, Katie Durham<\/a>. The Bears also retain five 2025 All-SAC honorees, including Hartman, Durham, Mya Rivera<\/a>, Ingrid Krakhellen<\/a>, and Rosa Gonzalez<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Bears start the 2026 campaign on Thursday, August 27th, at home in a key early-season clash with Tampa. Lenoir-Rhyne will host Concord on Sunday, August 30th, before a trip to Florence, S.C., to face the Patriots of Francis Marion on Wednesday, September 2nd. The Bears begin conference play on Saturday, September 5th, at home against Carson-Newman.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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