Big week, bigger stakes: conference clashes redraw this week’s DI women’s soccer poll

The top three teams are finding their flex. Photos: Vanderbilt, North Carolina, and Michigan State athletics

North Carolina moved to No. 1 in this week’s United Soccer Coaches poll after knocking off No. 2 Duke, while Michigan State dropped from the top spot following its first loss of the season to Michigan. 

United Soccer Coaches released Poll 6 on Tuesday. The rankings are based on votes from member coaches and reflect games through Sunday. 

The Tar Heels jumped six spots after improving to 9-1, while Michigan State fell to No. 2 at 6-1-2. Michigan State gave North Carolina its only loss on the season.

Vanderbilt moved up one spot to No. 3 at 8-0-1, while Duke fell two spots to No. 4 after suffering its first loss of the season. Wake Forest also dropped two spots to No. 5 after Stanford handed the Demon Deacons their first loss. 

North Carolina made the biggest statement near the top of the poll by defeating Duke 4-2 on Sept. 17. The Tar Heels trailed 2-1 early in the second half before scoring three times in the final 20 minutes.

Lilliah Blum scored twice and added an assist, while Izzi Stratton and Shaela Bradley also found the net. Blum was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week for her performance. 

The win gave North Carolina its first ranked victory of the season. The Tar Heels followed the upset with a 5-0 win over Alcorn State on Sunday, with Bella Devey and Deus Stanislaus each scoring twice. 

Michigan State's drop came after Michigan handed the Spartans their first loss of the season, winning 3-1 on Sunday. The Wolverines overcame a second-half deficit with three goals, with Ella Jablinskey scoring twice and adding an assist. The performance helped Michigan move from receiving votes to No. 20 in the poll.  

Vanderbilt climbed to No. 3 after a 5-0 win over Texas A&M on Friday. Sydney Watts continued her scoring run by finding the net for the ninth consecutive game, while Courtney Jones scored twice. The Commodores improved to 8-0-1 and have scored at least four goals in five games this season.  

Stanford remained at No. 6 after bouncing back from its loss to Duke with the win over Wake Forest. The Cardinal held a 14-4 advantage in shots and limited the Demon Deacons to one shot on goal.  

Alabama climbed from No. 10 to No. 7 after a 2-0 win over Arkansas. The Crimson Tide improved to 9-1-0 and recorded their sixth shutout of the season. Goalkeeper Madi Munguia made five saves and earned her third SEC Defensive Player of the Week honor, her second straight.  

UCLA made the biggest jump in the poll, rising from No. 21 to No. 12 after handing No. 5 Ohio State its first loss of the season. Leena Powell scored in the 25th minute, and goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor made five saves in the 1-0 win. The match was UCLA’s fourth against a top-five opponent this season. 

Washington had one of the biggest drops, falling from No. 11 to No. 18 despite remaining unbeaten at 7-0-2. The Huskies blew a 1-0 halftime lead against Nebraska and fell behind before Maya Loudd scored with 46 seconds left to earn a 2-2 draw. 

Michigan’s upset of Michigan State also pushed the Wolverines into the Top 25 at No. 20. Oklahoma climbed three spots to No. 21 after a 3-1 comeback win over Georgia, while Texas Tech entered the rankings at No. 25 after a 2-2 draw with UCF. 

Penn State received one vote in this week’s poll but did not appear in the Top 25. 

The United Soccer Coaches poll is voted on by coaches and reflects the week-to-week standing of Division I programs. The rankings are not used to determine NCAA tournament eligibility or selection. 

United Soccer Coaches Division I women’s Poll 6 rankings: 

25. Texas Tech, 4-0-4 (RV) 

24. Texas State, 7-1-2 (18) 

23. UCF, 5-1-1 (25) 

22. Florida State, 4-1-2 (21) 

21. Oklahoma, 8-0-2 (24) 

20. Michigan, 4-1-3 (NR) 

19. Utah State, 7-2-2 (18) 

18. Washington, 7-0-2 (11) 

17. South Carolina, 8-1-0 (16) 

16. Virginia, 5-1-2 (13) 

15. Notre Dame, 4-0-5 (17) 

14. Wisconsin, 6-1-2 (14) 

13. Colorado, 7-1-1 (15) 

12. UCLA, 5-3-1 (21) 

11. Baylor, 7-1-1 (12) 

10. West Virginia, 5-0-2 (9) 

9. Tennessee, 6-0-2 (8) 

8. Ohio State, 6-1-1 (5) 

7. Alabama, 9-1-0 (10) 

6. Stanford, 7-2-1 (6) 

5. Wake Forest, 9-1-0 (3) 

4. Duke, 6-1-1 (2) 

3. Vanderbilt, 8-0-1 (4) 

2. Michigan State, 6-1-2 (1) 

1. North Carolina, 9-1-0 (7) 

 *Luci Palacios is a student-intern at Penn State University.

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