Technical football ranked 8th in the preseason rankings

LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS BULLETIN) – Coming off a season-ending top-10 ranking and winning its first Big 12 regular-season championship in program history, Texas Tech Soccer achieved another first in program history on Tuesday, ranking No. 8 in the Preseason United Soccer Coaches Poll.

The ranking is the highest preseason ranking in school history and marks the first time Tech has started the season ranked in the top 10.

Other notable teams on the Red Raiders’ 2024 schedule include No. 3 BYU (Oct. 25) and No. 4 Penn State (Aug. 15).

For Tom Stone and the Red Raiders, 2023 was a groundbreaking season as Tech won its first Big 12 Regular Season championship in program history and hosted the Second and Third Rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

Both the victory over Princeton and the game against North Carolina were historic, with the Red Raiders drawing the two largest crowds in program history. After breaking the John Walker Soccer Complex facility record (2,346) on November 17, Tech drew over 200 more fans in the Third Round against UNC (2,558) and recorded the second-largest crowds in both the Round of 32 and the Round of 16.

The Red Raiders finished the season with 45 total goals and a program-record 61 assists. They conceded just 11 total goals on the season and finished the season ranked 14th in the nation in goal differential (+34) and fourth in goal-conceded average (.474). Tech finished the season trailing by less than 100 minutes in 23 games and did not trail in the first 13 games of the season.

Part of the historic season for the Scarlett and Black was an epic performance from Madison White, who turned in one of the best statistical seasons in Texas Tech history.

White, the nation’s co-leader in regular-season shutouts (13) and the program’s all-time leader in total shutouts (39), conceded just 11 goals in 23 games, ranking in the top 15 in the nation in goal average (.474), goals against (13) and save percentage (.864).

Tech advanced to the Round of 16 for the second time in program history and hosted the Second and Third Rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. As previously mentioned, the Red Raiders recorded the first undefeated regular season in program history and rose to as high as No. 4 in the Coaches Poll, a program record.

Led by the Big 12’s 2023 Coach of the Year, the Red Raiders claimed three of the league’s five major Player of the Year awards, including Defensive Player of the Year (Hannah Anderson), Goalkeeper of the Year (White) and Big 12 Rookie of the Year (Sam Courtwright).

Anderson and White also made history in 2023 by becoming the first teammates to earn First Team All-America status, becoming the first duo in program history to be named Semi-Finalists for the 2023 MAC Hermann National Player of the Year award. Ultimately, Anderson, White, Courtwright and defenseman Macy Blackburn earned All-America Status as the Red Raider Soccer program earned a program-high four All-America selections.

The four players listed above, plus forward Ashleigh Williams, also earned First Team All-Region honors as Tech led the nation with five total First Team All-Region selections. Earlier in the week, Tech’s coaching staff of Stone and assistants Nick Hallam and Blair Quinn were named the United Soccer Coaches Association Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

Tech returns a strong core that includes the Big 12’s Freshman of the Year (Courtwright), three All-Region selections (Blackburn, Courtwright and Williams) and a pair of All-Americans (Blackburn and Courtwright). The returning core is also bolstered by a strong freshman class that includes the first two English-born signees in program history (Grace Piling and Millie Elwood) and former Third Team All-Region selection and SMU transfer Peyton Annen.

The Red Raiders will open the 2024 season with an exhibition game in Denver on Thursday (Aug. 8) night, followed by their regular-season opener at No. 4 Penn State next Thursday (Aug. 15).