Florida State Soccer earns No. 1 seed for seventh straight NCAA Tournament
ACC Release
Headlined by No. 1 seeds Duke and Florida State, nine Atlantic Coast Conference teams earned bids into the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship, as the 64-team bracket was announced on Monday. The postseason action is set to begin Friday, November 15.
The Blue Devils and Seminoles are joined by No. 2 seeds North Carolina and Wake Forest, No. 3 seed Stanford, No. 4 seeds Notre Dame and Virginia, No. 7 seed Virginia Tech and unseeded California.
Duke (14-2-1) returns to the postseason after missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023, making its 21st appearance. The Blue Devils claimed the ACC regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the 2024 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship for the first time since 2017. Seeking its first trip to the Women’s College Cup since 2017, Duke enters the postseason with the conference’s top offense, averaging 3.18 goals per match. The Blue Devils will host Howard in their first-round matchup on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Florida State (14-2-3) comes off its fifth-straight conference title after it defeated North Carolina, 3-2, in Sunday’s final of the 2024 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship. Making their 25th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the Seminoles look to become the first team to repeat as national champions since North Carolina in 2008 and 2009. FSU has won two of the last three national championships and four overall dating back to 2014. The Noles are currently riding an eight-match unbeaten streak and will entertain Samford in the first round on Friday at 5 p.m. ET.
North Carolina (16-5) continues its streak of appearing in every NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship, dating back to 1982. The Tar Heels have won 21 of 42 NCAA women’s soccer titles, the most of any program, as the next closest is Florida State with four. Under interim head coach Damon Nahas, the Tar Heels advanced to the conference final for the seventh time in the last nine seasons. UNC opens its NCAA Tournament campaign at home against Big South champion USC Upstate on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Wake Forest (12-3-3) is back in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship after not qualifying in 2023. The Demon Deacons will make their 23rd appearance in the postseason and look to return to the College Cup for the first time since 2011. Defensively, Wake has shined all season, as it holds a conference-best .659 goals-against average, allowing just 12 goals in 18 matches this season. After beginning the season unranked, the Deacs climbed up the United Soccer Poll all season, peaking at No. 2, the program’s highest ranking ever. After being eliminated by Florida State in the semifinals of the 2024 Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship, Wake looks to bounce back at home against Morehead State in the first round on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Stanford (13-4-1) makes its first appearance in the postseason as ACC members and 33rd overall. The Cardinal was ranked No. 1 nationally for three straight weeks dating back to September 3-17. Finishing as the national runner-up in 2023, Stanford has appeared in 11 College Cups all-time and has won three national championships. The Cardinal will open their postseason at home on Friday against UC Santa Barbara at 9 p.m. ET.
Notre Dame (11-3-4) earned its 30th appearance in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship over the last 32 years. Since the NCAA Tournament started in 1982, Notre Dame has posted 74 wins in the annual event, tying for the third-most among all programs. The Fighting Irish are paced by 2024 ACC Freshman of the Year Izzy Engle, as she leads all freshmen nationally with 16 goals. Notre Dame earned a date with Milwaukee in the first round, as kickoff from South Bend, Indiana, is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Virginia (12-5) is back in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship after missing the tournament in 2023. The Cavaliers will be making their 36th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the second-most among all programs. Three-time All-ACC honoree Maggie Cagle leads the Hoos with six goals and five assists on the season. UVa plays host to Princeton in its first-round match on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
Virginia Tech (11-5-3), which is coming off its best ACC season since 2013, will make its 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Hokies made their first appearance in the Ally ACC Women’s Soccer Championship for the first time since 2020, as they earned the No. 5 seed. Virginia Tech will host a first-round match for the first time since 2021, where it will welcome Tennessee for a Friday kickoff at 7 p.m. ET.
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California (12-5-2) will also make its first appearance in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship as ACC members, as the Golden Bears make their 29th appearance in the tournament. Cal is led by 2024 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Karlie Lema, who is tied for seventh nationally with 16 goals on the season. The Bears will hit the road to seventh-seeded Pepperdine for their first-round matchup. Kickoff is set for Saturday, November 16, at 3 p.m. ET.
Since 2019, 47 ACC teams have earned bids into the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, the most among all conferences. The next closest conference has earned 43 bids. Current ACC membership has played in every College Cup with a combined 85 appearances and 31 national championships.
First round action will be played November 15-17, while the second/third rounds will be held November 22 and 24, and the quarterfinals on November 29 or 30.
The 43rd annual NCAA Women’s College Cup will be played December 6 and 9 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, with North Carolina and the city of Cary serving as hosts. The first national semifinal will be played and broadcast live on ESPNU at 5 p.m. ET Friday, December 6, followed by the second semifinal beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET live on ESPNU. The national championship match will take place at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, December 9, and will also broadcast live on ESPNU.
Florida State’s first game set for Friday night
Florida State will play host to Samford Friday night at 5 p.m. ET. The game will be carried on ESPN+ and tickets are on sale now through Seminole Athletics. Should FSU advance, the Seminoles will take on the winner of No. 8 seed Vanderbilt and Lipscomb.
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