NEW ORLEANS – James Madison women’s soccer has been selected as the preseason co-favorite and redshirt senior Alexandra Blom earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors and was one of four Dukes selected to the preseason team, the Sun Belt Conference announced on Monday afternoon.

Joining Blom, who was selected as a goalkeeper, on the preseason team are defender Brittany Munson, midfielder Lexi Vanderlinden and forward Amanda Attanasi.

South Alabama joined JMU at the top of the preseason poll voted on by the 14 head coaches in the league with 179 points each. The Dukes received five first-place votes, the most out of the four teams who received a first-place vote, while the Jaguars received three first-place votes. The two squads were followed by Old Dominion (four first-place votes) with 177 points, Georgia Southern (two first-place votes) with 153 points and Texas State with 132 points to round out the top five.

After an accolade filled 2022, Blom returns in goal for the Dukes. A season ago, she played 1,641:52 in goal to the tune of a 0.60 goals against average to set the program’s single-season record. She also made 71 saves for a 0.866 save percentage and nine solo shutouts, falling one shy of tying the single-season record and enters this season sitting fifth in career solo shutouts with 14. Her efforts led her to being named All-Region, All-Sun Belt, All-State and All-ECAC First Team, while also earning Sun Belt Goalkeeper of the Year and All-State and All-ECAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

A First Team All-Sun Belt and All-State and Second Team All-Region selection from a year ago, Munson returns to help anchor one of the best backline’s in the league. Playing in 21 matches and starting 20 of them, Munson helped set the program shutout record as the Dukes recorded 13 last year, stringing together four in a row at two different times in the season. The defense also set a program record for lowest GAA (0.56), fewest goals allowed (12) and consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (475:31).

Vanderlinden returns in the midfield for the Dukes after earning All-State First Team, All-Sun Belt Second Team and All-Region Third team honors in 2022. The redshirt junior played in 21 matches with 18 starts, scoring a goal and posting a league-high eight assists for a total of 10 points. Her eight assists bumps her career total to 13, sitting her in a tie for 25th in program history. Against Texas State in the regular season, she assisted on three goals, becoming the 13th JMU player to record three assists in one match.

JMU’s leading scorer from last season, Attanasi returns after earning First Team All-State and Second Team All-Region laurels. In 20 matches, with 16 starts, the junior scored nine goals with three assists for a total of 21 points. She led the team in goals, points, shots on goal (31) and shots (55). Of her nine goals, six were game-winning for the third most in a season at JMU.

2023 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
T1. James Madison (5) – 179 points
T1. South Alabama (3) – 179 points
3. Old Dominion (4) – 177 points
4. Georgia Southern (2) – 153 points
5. Texas State – 132 points
6. Georgia State – 124 points
7. Arkansas State – 120 points
8. App State – 88 points
9. Marshall – 76 points
10. Coastal Carolina – 61 points
T11. Louisiana – 47 points
T11. ULM – 47 points
13. Southern Miss – 45 points
14. Troy – 42 points

2023 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Awards
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Jasmine Greene, South Alabama (Gr., F, Birmingham, Ala.)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Alexandra Blom, James Madison (R-Sr., GK, Degerfors, Sweden)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Elis Nemstov, Georgia Southern (R- Jr., Bradford, Ontario)
F – Amanda Attanasi, James Madison (Jr., Washington Township, N.J.)
F – Monique Gray, South Alabama (Jr., St. Petersburg, Fla.)
F – Jasmine Greene, South Alabama (Gr., Birmingham, Ala.)
MF – Elena Diaz, Georgia State (Sr., Madrid, Spain.)
MF – Lexi Vanderlinden, James Madison (Sr., Seminole, Fla.)
MF – Ece Turkoglu, Old Dominion (Gr., Istanbul, Turkey)
D – Sade Heinrichs, Georgia Southern (Sr., Monchengladbach, Germany)
D – Eva Diez Lois, Georgia State (Gr., Santander, Spain)
D – Brittany Munson, James Madison (R-Sr., Merrick, N.Y.)
D – Gabriela Angulo, South Alabama (So., La Guaira, Vargas, Venezuela)
D – Abby Jacobs, South Alabama (Gr., Pensacola, Fla.)
GK – Alexandra Blom, James Madison (R-Sr., Degerfors, Sweden)
*Ties were not broken

— JMU Athletics —