ATLANTA - Piedmont University has been tabbed by the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) head coaches to claim the inaugural Women's Soccer Conference Championship this fall as the coaches' poll was released by the league office today. The Lions were one of three CCS women's soccer programs to earn at least two first-place votes from the conference's head coaches in a very close poll, which saw the top three teams separated by just ten total points.

Piedmont received 61 total points and five of the nine first-place votes from the opposing head coaches in the league. Under the direction of head coach Timmy McCormack, the Lions finished the 2021 campaign with a mark of 13-5-4 and fell to Covenant College in the Championhip Match of the USA South Tournament. 

Maryville College finished second in the CCS Coaches' Poll, having received 56 points and two first-place votes from the women's soccer coaches throughout the conference. Covenant earned the third slot with 51 points and the remaining two first-place votes. The Scots won last year's USA South Championship and earned a berth in the 2021 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. 

Huntingdon College was picked to finish fourth by the conference's head coaches (42 points), while Belhaven University earned the fifth slot with 39 points. 

A trio of CCS programs will kick off the 2022 women's soccer schedule next Thursday, September 1. CCS league play gets underway on Friday, September 23 as Huntingdon hosts Agnes Scott College. The 2022 Collegiate Conference of the South Women's Soccer Championship will begin on Tuesday, October 25, and will culminate with the Championship Final on Saturday, November 5.

ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH
The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine members and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.