NEW ORLEANS – The University of South Alabama soccer team has been voted to repeat as Sun Belt Conference champions and four Jaguars were named to the preseason all-conference team, the league announced Tuesday.

Senior Nini Rabsatt-Smith (Montgomery, Ala.) and sophomore Chardé Hannah (Tupelo, Miss.) repeated as the conference's Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year, respectively, and the Jags received 98 points and eight first-place votes in the coaches poll.

In addition to Rabsatt-Smith and Hannah, sophomores Sophie Haywood (Hull, England) and Steffi Hardy (Workington, England) were also voted to the All-Sun Belt team. All four were first-team picks in 2014.

Hannah led the conference in both goals (20) and points (47)—with both totals ranking second in school history—and was named SBC Offensive Player of the Week three times en route to the league's Freshman and Offensive Player of the Year awards. She recorded two match-winning goals in the Sun Belt Tournament, earning Most Outstanding Player honors in the process, and tied a school record with four goals vs. Francis Marion.

Rabsatt-Smith scored five goals and tallied 13 points last year, and led a defense that racked up a school-record 12 shutouts to become the Jaguar to earn the league's defensive player of the year award. She was named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team after USA allowed just one goal in three games in winning its second straight tournament title.

Hardy paired with Rabsatt-Smith at the back to help the league's third-stingiest defense post a 0.93 goals against average. Hardy ranked just behind Rabsatt-Smith with four goals, two of which were match winners.

Haywood was third on the team with seven goals and tied for fourth with five assists, ranking the league's top 10 in both categories per game. She tallied a hat trick against Southern Miss and added an assist her next time out to earn Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week laurels.

South Alabama is the preseason favorite for the second straight year. Second-place finisher and tournament runner-up Troy received 85 points, Texas State had 75 points with a first-place nod, and Georgia Southern rounded out the top four with 68 points.

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).

—USA—

Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference Team
** Melinda Lukas (Georgia Southern, Junior, Forward, Exercise Science)
Yazmin Montoya (UL Lafayette, Junior, Forward, Kinesiology)
* Charde Hannah (South Alabama, Sophomore, Forward, Business)
* Nora El-Shami (Georgia Southern, Senior, Midfielder, Recreation Management)
Jasmine Fahrnbauer (Troy, Senior, Midfielder, Human Services)
* Alissa Jones (Troy, Senior, Midfielder, Psychology)
* Sophie Haywood (South Alabama, Sophomore, Midfielder, Exercise Science)
* Steffi Hardy (South Alabama, Sophomore, Defender, Undecided)
* Nini Rabsatt-Smith (South Alabama, Senior, Defender, Exercise Science)
** Payton Donley (Troy, Senior, Defender, Athletic Training/Physical Therapy)
** Mikki Lewis (Troy, Sophomore, Goalkeeper, Psychology)
* - denotes 2014 First-Team All-Conference | ** - denotes 2014 Second-Team All-Conference

SBC Preseason Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Charde Hannah (South Alabama, Sophomore, Forward, Business)

SBC Preseason Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Nini Rabsatt-Smith (South Alabama, Senior, Defender, Exercise Science)

2015 Sun Belt Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Poll (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. South Alabama (8) – 98 pts
2. Troy – 85 pts
3. Texas State (1) – 75 pts
4. Georgia Southern – 68 pts
5. Georgia State – 56 pts
6. Appalachian State – 55 pts
7. UL Lafayette (1) – 51 pts
8. Little Rock – 32 pts
9. Arkansas State – 16 pts
10. UL Monroe – 14 pts