OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The National Junior College Athletic Association released its Division II preseason picks for the 2023 season, and the Johnson County Community women's soccer team earned a Top 20 spot coming in at No. 18. This season JCCC moves to D-II status after competing at the D-I level since the program's inception in 1999.

Johnson County's appearance in the poll is its first in the NJCAA Preseason Poll since 2018 (19^th) and their first appearance in any NJCAA poll since the final poll of 2019 (18^th).

In the 24-year history of the program under head coach Jim Schwab, the Cavaliers have been a preseason ranked team 16 times, including a No. 2 preseason ranking in 2010. JCCC has appeared in 108 of 228 polls since 1999 (47%).

Additionally, the JCCC women's soccer team was picked as the favorite to win the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division II championship this season. Allen was picked second followed by Neosho County, Pratt and Hesston. 

The Cavaliers will be tested right out of the gate in 2023, when they travel to Arizona to face preseason No. 1 Phoenix College on August 18. The Bears have qualified for the NJCAA D-II National Tournament three straight years, winning the championship in 2020 and last season while posting an 18-2-1 record. Two days later they face Scottsdale Community College who finished 12-5-0 and was ranked 20^th to end the season in 2022. 

Johnson County will also host NJCAA D-I preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Iowa Western on September 3, and have home-and-home series against No. 15 Pratt (Sept. 16 & Oct. 11) and No. 17 Allen (Sept. 9 & Oct. 4). 

While the end to the 2022 season for the women's soccer team did not go as hoped, the Lady Cavaliers still proved to be a team that had to be reckoned with. JCCC finished 8-11-0 and their eighth victory was a milestone win as it was the program's and head coach Jim Schwab's 350^th victory. JCCC had three members of the team earned all-conference.