NEW ORLEANS — Defending regular-season champion Xavier University of Louisiana was picked to finish first in the Red River Athletic Conference 2024 women's soccer preseason poll of the league's head coaches.
        The RRAC announced the results Friday.
        XULA received 10-of-13 first-place votes and 178 points. LSU-Alexandria is second with one first-place vote and 155 points. LSU-Shreveport is third with one first-place vote and 154 points. Texas A&M-Texarkana is fourth, and Louisiana Christian is fifth and received the other first-place vote.
        The rankings differed from the NAIA preseason coaches poll. Texas A&M-Texarkana received 17 points (35th place), XULA 14 (tied for 36th) and LSUA three (45th).
        LSUA defeated LSUS 1-0 in the 2023 RRAC Tournament final.
        This is XULA's second season in this sport. The Gold Nuggets have 15 returnees from 2023 — that team was a first-round winner at NAIA nationals, 13-6 overall and 11-2 in the RRAC. In the 2023 RRAC preseason poll, the Gold Nuggets were picked 11th out of 14 teams.
        XULA will open the regular season at 5 p.m. Sunday against NAIA No. 2 William Carey in Hattiesburg, Miss. It'll be a doubleheader; the men of XULA and 20th-ranked Carey will play at 7 p.m.

RRAC women's soccer 2024 coaches poll
1. XULA . . . 178 points, 10 first-place votes
2. LSU-Alexandria . . . 155 points, one first-place vote
3. LSU-Shreveport . . . 154 points, one first-place vote
4. Texas A&M-Texarkana . . . 143 points
5. Louisiana Christian . . . 129 points, one first-place vote
6. Our Lady of the Lake . . . 113 points
7. Texas A&M-San Antonio . . . 109 points
8. Houston-Victoria . . . 96 points
9. Southwest (N.M.) . . . 75 points
10. Jarvis Christian . . . 72 points
11. North American . . . 49 points
12. Huston-Tillotson . . . 42 points
13. Paul Quinn . . . 36 points
14. Texas College . . . 14 points