The 2024 ACC Field Hockey season is shaping up to be an exciting one, with three Tar Heels earning Preseason All-ACC honors and UNC being picked second in the league. Juniors Ryleigh Heck and Sietske Brüning, along with senior Katie Dixon, were named to the 15-player squad in a vote by the coaches. Heck and Brüning were honored for the second year in a row, while Dixon made her first appearance on the squad.
In team balloting, North Carolina and Virginia received four first-place votes each, with UVA picking up one more point in overall voting. The addition of California and Stanford has brought the total number of field hockey programs in the ACC to nine this season, adding a new dynamic to the competition.
The 2024 ACC Field Hockey season is set to kick off on Friday, August 30, with Stanford, Syracuse, and Wake Forest sharing the opening timeslot of 3 p.m. ET. Duke and Virginia will take the pitch at 4:00 p.m. ET, followed by Boston College at 5 p.m. Louisville and North Carolina will play in the evening slots, with both contests starting at 6 p.m. Cal will begin its first season as an ACC member on September 1, at 4 p.m. ET against Michigan State.
The ACC Field Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll has Virginia in the top spot with 76 points, followed closely by North Carolina with 75 points. Duke comes in at third with 63 points, while Louisville and Syracuse are tied for fourth with 46 points each. Boston College, Wake Forest, California, and Stanford round out the poll.
The Preseason All-ACC Team features standout players from each program, including Eva Kluskens and Peyton Hale from Boston College, Alaina McVeigh, Charlie van Oirschot, and Paige Bitting from Duke, Aimee Plumb from Louisville, Willemijn Boogert from Syracuse, Daniela Mendez Trendler, Jans Croon, Noa Boterman, and Tyler Kennedy from Virginia, and Mia Schoenbeck from Wake Forest.
With the talent and competitiveness in the ACC Field Hockey conference this season, fans can expect thrilling matchups and fierce competition on the field. The full ACC field hockey schedule can be found on the ACC website, providing fans with all the information they need to follow their favorite teams throughout the season.