LAKE WALES, Fla
. – The defending NAIA National Champion Keiser Seahawks have been picked as the favorite to win the 2021 Sun Conference crown, as voted on by the league's 10 coaches.
Royals collected 29 points in the preseason poll. One of the retuners for Warner is
Maddie Manzke, Manzke played in 17 games recorded 7 goals and 5 assists in the season. She had multiple games that she scored 2 goals. The Royals have other returners as well such as
Emma Marshall,
Brooke Boccuzzo,
Sara Machado,
Taylor Boyd,
Kristina Budzban,
Kirstin Campbell,
Lexi Garcia,
Delaney Elder,
Blessing Zim, and etc. Along with those returners there is also a lot of new incoming talent.
Keiser topped the list, receiving 80 points (eight first-place) followed by Southeastern, which finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation in 2020, placed second in the preseason poll with 74 points (two first-place votes). Following the Fire were USCB (58 points) and Thomas (50 points).
St. Thomas (49 points), SCAD Savannah (43 points), Ave Maria (39 points), Warner (29 points), Webber International (18 points), and Florida Memorial (10 points) round out the poll.
The Seahawks are coming off the school's second-consecutive NAIA National Championship in 2020. KU is led by the reigning NAIA Coach of the Year
Mat Dunn, who guided the Seahawks to a 19-2-2 overall record (8-1-0 TSC) last season. Keiser boasted nine all-conference winners and six NAIA All-Americans in 2020.
Southeastern, last year's regular-season and tournament champions, finished the 2020 campaign 17-2-1 (9-0-0 TSC), advancing to the NAIA National Championship Final Site in Foley, Alabama for a fourth-consecutive season. The Fire garnered seven all-conference selections and had four NAIA All-Americans.
USCB (picked third in this year's poll) ended the 2020 season with an 11-8-1 mark (4-5-0 TSC) with an appearance in the SUN Semifinals. Thomas (picked fourth) competed in the spring as an independent (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), sporting a 7-6-2 mark.
The 2021 season kicks off on Thursday, August 12, when SCAD Savannah host Tennessee Wesleyan. Game time is set for noon.
The 2021 Sun Conference Women's Soccer Tournament will take place November 6-13 featuring the top six teams in the regular season. Quarterfinal action will begin on Saturday, November 6 (hosted by higher seed) followed by the semifinals (hosted by the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds) on Tuesday, November 9, and the finals on Friday, November 12 (hosted by the highest remaining seed).
2021 Sun Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Keiser (8) |
80 |
| 2 |
Southeastern (2) |
74 |
| 3 |
USCB |
58 |
| 4 |
Thomas |
50 |
| 5 |
St. Thomas |
49 |
| 6 |
SCAD Savannah |
43 |
| 7 |
Ave Maria |
39 |
| 8 |
Warner |
29 |
| 9 |
Webber International |
18 |
| 10 |
Florida Memorial |
10 |
ABOUT THE SUN CONFERENCE
Now entering its 32nd year, The Sun Conference, a 501c3 organization, continues to be one of the most successful intercollegiate athletic conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Under the guidance of Commissioner Dustin Wilke, the league sponsors championships in 19 NAIA sports: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Flag Football, Men's and Women's Golf, Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field and Women's Volleyball. Learn more @ thesunconference.com
