CLEVELAND, Ga. – Truett McConnell women's soccer will start the 2026 season as the top ranked team in the Appalachian Athletic Conference per the 2026 AAC Preseason Poll.
 
The Lady Bears finished last season with the regular season conference championship following a perfect 13-0 AAC record. They were eliminated in the AAC Championship game in the postseason tournament. The team rebounded with a quarterfinals trip in the NAIA National Tournament, the first in program history.
 
TMU was named the first-place team with 180 total points and 11 out of 13 first place votes. Tennessee Wesleyan came in second with 170 points and two first place votes. Rounding out the top three was Milligan with 141 total points in the poll.
 
The team looks for its fifth consecutive AAC regular season championship in 2026 and fourth AAC tournament win in five years. The season starts next Thursday at the TMU Soccer Complex with a 1 p.m. match vs. SCAD-Savannah on Aug. 20.
 
2026 AAC Preseason Poll
1. Truett McConnell (11) – 180
2. Tennessee Wesleyan (2) – 170
3. Milligan – 141
4. Columbia International – 134
5. Reinhardt – 130
6. Pikeville – 124
7. Montreat – 103
8. Brenau – 86
9. Spartanburg Methodist – 69
10. Johnson – 65
11. Columbia – 59
12. Union Commonwealth – 55
13. Bryan – 36
14. Bluefield - 13