WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Marietta College women's soccer team was picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, released Monday (August 19) morning by the league office. The Pioneers posted a 5-9-2 record in 2023 and finished with a 2-5-2 record in the OAC.
 
Defending OAC Tournament Champions John Carroll is the favorite in this 2024 preseason. The Blue Streaks earned four first place votes and received 76 total points. Capital and Otterbein tied for second place as they both received 67 points, but the Comets edged the Cardinals in first place votes, 3 to 2. Ohio Northern garnered the final first place vote and got fourth place with 63 points. Baldwin Wallace rounded out the top five receiving 52 total points.
 
Wilmington (37 points) was sixth and Mount Union landed seventh (31 points). Marietta improved their placement from last year by one spot, getting eighth place with 28 points. The list is concluded with Heidelberg (20 points) in ninth and Muskingum (9 points) tenth.
 
"Rank us first, rank us tenth – we don't care either way," said Marietta College women's soccer head coach Zack Votra. "We've got an extremely competitive group that finished ahead of the preseason ranking last season, and we intend on doing that again"
 
Marietta opens the 2024 season on the road as they travel to battle Saint Vincent College (August 30) at 7 p.m. The Pioneer home opener will be September 3rd as they welcome in Washington and Jefferson College, with a scheduled start time of 7 p.m.
 
The complete poll is below. First place votes are in parenthesis.
 
OAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. John Carroll — 76 (4)
T2. Capital — 67 (3)
T2. Otterbein — 67 (2)
4. Ohio Northern — 63 (1)
5. Baldwin Wallace — 52
6. Wilmington — 37
7. Mount Union — 31
8. Marietta — 28
9. Heidelberg — 20
10. Muskingum — 9