ATLANTA – Nerea de Diego, a junior midfielder on the Eastern Kentucky University soccer team, has been named to the 2023 ASUN Women's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team as announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.
 
Thursday's preseason honor marks the first of its kind for EKU soccer in the ASUN Conference as the program enters year three in the league. 
 
In addition, EKU enters the 2023 season picked fifth in the Preseason Coaches Poll, its highest preseason ranking as a member institution.
 
de Diego, a product of Castro Urdiales, Cantabria, Spain, is set for a comeback season after missing 15 matches last season due to a knee injury suffered on the road against Kentucky on August 28.
 
During the 2021 season, Nerea earned United Soccer Coaches South Region Third-Team honors, EKU's first in its program's history, as well as being tabbed the ASUN Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-ASUN.
 
In two seasons in the maroon, de Diego has scored three goals and two assists, while converting 63 percent of her shots on target. During her freshman campaign, Nerea netted the game-winning goal in a 3-1 win over Northern Illinois (Aug. 29) and assisted the game-winning goal to top Liberty in the ASUN Championship quarterfinals (Oct. 29).
 
In the coaches poll, EKU was selected to finish fifth out of 12 member institutions across the league. The Colonels fifth place nod is two slots higher than last season's seventh place selection.
 
EKU is coming off a 9-7-2 record last season, including a 5-3-1 mark at home and 4-4-2 against ASUN competition. Under head coach Matt Cosinuke, EKU has recorded nine wins in back-to-back seasons for the second time in its 17-year history as a program.
 
With last season's ASUN Championship quarterfinals victory over Kennesaw State, EKU became one of two programs in ASUN history to advance in the tournament in the first two seasons in the conference. Before the 2022 season, the feat had not been accomplished since Jacksonville in 1998-1999.
 
The Colonels return 23 members off last year's team and has added 10 newcomers, including three transfers and a seven-member freshman class.
 
EKU is set to host Family Weekend, presented by Proud Mary BBQ from August 11-13 in Richmond. Fans are invited to join the Colonels for an intrasquad Maroon/White Scrimmage at 2 p.m. on August 12 at the EKU Soccer Field.
 
The Colonels will open the regular season just five days later on the road against Kentucky at the Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex. The match is set to be aired on SEC Network+ beginning at 7:30 p.m., fans can purchase tickets for the match beginning at just $8 on Ticketmaster.

2023 ASUN Women's Soccer Preseason Honors & Awards

Unanimous Preseason Player of the Year: Kelli Beiler, Lipscomb
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Logan McFadden, Lipscomb
Preseason Midfielder of the Year: Shelby Craft, Lipscomb
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year: Sofia Miliancano, North Florida

Preseason All-ASUN Team
GK Sofia Miliancano, North Florida
D Gabby Thies, Central Arkansas
D Logan McFadden, Lipscomb
D Allyna Thurston, North Florida
D Zara Siassi*, North Florida
MF Nerea de Diego*, EKU
MF Ashley Labbe, FGCU
MF Alivia Carapazza, Lipscomb
MF Shelby Craft, Lipscomb
F Erika Zschuppe, FGCU
F Macie Rainwater, Kennesaw State
F Kelli Beiler, Lipscomb
F Alice Bussey*, North Alabama
F Chloe Washington*, Stetson
* - denotes an at-large selection to the preseason team
** a tie in voting resulted in a 14-person preseason team

Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Lipscomb (10) 142
2. FGCU (1) 132
3. North Florida (1) 107
4. Kennesaw State 105
5. EKU 96
6. Central Arkansas 88
7. Jacksonville 59
8. Stetson 52
T9. Austin Peay 40
T9. Queens 40
11. Bellarmine 38
12. North Alabama 37