NEW ORLEANS – The University of South Alabama soccer team placed four on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team, and the Jaguars were voted to defend their title, the league announced Tuesday.

Junior Chardé Hannah was picked the co-offensive player of the year with Texas State's Lauren Prater, and junior Steffi Hardy is the defensive player of the year.

No other school had more than one representative on the team. Hannah and Hardy were joined by junior Danielle Henley and sophomore Jemma Purfield.

South Alabama received 10 of 11 first-place votes for 120 points. Troy was second with 102 points and conference newcomer Coastal Carolina was third with 86. Appalachian State was voted fourth, followed by Little Rock, Texas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana-Lafayette (one first-place vote), Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe.

Hannah, the 2014 Sun Belt Freshman and Offensive Player of the Year, recorded a team-best 11 goals and 27 points last season, and earned First Team All-Sun Belt, Second Team All-South Region and SBC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. In just two seasons, The Tupelo, Miss. native ranks fifth in school history in points (74) and fourth in goals (31).

Hardy, a two-time First Team All-Sun Belt defender, was the conference's 2015 Defender of the Year, and anchors a defense that has shut out 22 opponents in the last two seasons. She recorded six goals in 2015, best among all Jaguar defenders and fifth on the team, and recorded a hat-trick in the regular-season finale against Arkansas State. The Workington, England native was on the field for team-high 2,093 minutes last year as the team tied for first in the league in shutouts (10) and was second in goals allowed (0.96) and goals against average (0.92).

A Hattiesburg, Miss. product, Henley was second on the team in goals (10) and points (25), thanks to a run of six scores in the last seven games of the season, including a brace against LSU in the NCAA Tournament. She assisted on two game-winning goals and scored three of them herself, which tied for the team lead.

Purfield was named the 2015 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year after recording 11 assists – second best in the league – and three goals. The 11 helpers are tied for fifth in the school record books for a single season, and played a huge part in the Cottingham, England native being named second team all-conference and third team all-region.

The 2016 season starts Friday against Samford at 7 p.m. at The Cage.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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2016 Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team
Jennifer Wittick (Georgia Southern, Senior, Forward)
Yazmin Montoya (UL Lafayette, Senior, Forward)
Chardé Hannah (South Alabama, Junior, Forward)
Lauren Prater (Texas State, Senior, Forward)
Caitlyn Eddy (Little Rock, Sophomore, Midfielder)
Suzanne Arafa (Georgia State, Senior, Midfielder)
Danielle Henley (South Alabama, Junior, Midfielder)
Lindsey Tully (Appalachian State, Junior, Defender)
Steffi Hardy (South Alabama, Junior, Defender)
Jemma Purfield (South Alabama, Sophomore, Defender)
Mikki Lewis (Troy, Junior, Goalkeeper)

2016 Sun Belt Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Chardé Hannah (South Alabama, Junior, Forward)
Lauren Prater (Texas State, Senior, Forward)
 
2016 Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Steffi Hardy (South Alabama, Junior, Defender)
 
2016 Sun Belt Women's Soccer Preseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. South Alabama (10) - 120 pts
2. Troy - 102 pts
3. Coastal Carolina - 86 pts
4. Appalachian State - 81 pts
5. Little Rock - 77 pts
6. Texas State - 76 pts
7. Georgia Southern - 53 pts
8. Georgia State - 49 pts
9. UL Lafayette (1) - 46 pts
10. Arkansas State - 20 pts
11. UL Monroe - 16 pts