FOREST, Va. – Averett University women's soccer was tabbed to finish 11th in the 2026 Old Dominion Athletic Conference's preseason poll, released on Wednesday afternoon.
2025 ODAC champions in Washington and Lee University have 11 of the 12 first-place votes, voted to finish in first. Batten University has the remaining first-place voted in second-place. Three other institutions received over 100 points in voting; with Bridgewater College, the University of Lynchburg, and Shenandoah University slotted in the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively.
Roanoke College and Randolph-Macon College occupy the fifth and sixth places, US-29 rivals Guilford College are in eighth; and Randolph College and Eastern Mennonite University are right above the Cougars in ninth and 10th in the preseason table.
Averett finished 3-12-1 in 2025, and 2-8 in ODAC games. Third-year head coach
Colton Dutchess returns key players from the previous season, highlighted by sophomore forward
Delaney Haymore. Haymore ranked 11th in the conference in assists with 7, and was 13th in the ODAC in total points with 17.
2026 kicks off at Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium versus Pfeiffer University on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6:30 p.m. Averett's ODAC opener also occurs at home, as the Cougars host the WildCats of Randolph College on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
2026 ODAC Preseason Women's Soccer Poll
| Rank |
Institution (1st-Place Votes) |
Pts. |
| 1. |
Washington and Lee (12)^ |
144 |
| 2. |
Batten (1) |
126 |
| 3. |
Bridgewater |
119 |
| 4. |
Lynchburg |
105 |
| 5. |
Shenandoah |
103 |
| 6. |
Roanoke |
91 |
| 7. |
Randolph-Macon |
89 |
| 8. |
Guilford |
63 |
| 9. |
Randolph |
54 |
| 10. |
Eastern Mennonite |
49 |
| 11. |
Averett |
30 |
| 12. |
Hollins |
25 |
| 13. |
Sweet Briar |
16 |
^Defending champion
