INDIANAPOLIS – The Francis Marion University women's soccer team was ranked No. 3 in the Southeast Region when the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Committee unveiled the first-ranked order of the regional rankings on Wednesday.

The NCAA regional rankings determine the participants for the NCAA Tournament. The Southeast Region consists of the Conference Carolinas (CC), the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), and the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). All three conference tournament champions receive an automatic bid, with the five remaining teams in the final regional rankings receiving at-large bids.

The University of North Georgia, the PBC regular season champions, claimed the top spot with an impressive 15-1-1 overall record and boasts the best in-region RPI (.655). Catawba ranks second in the regional rankings with a 13-0-3 mark and holds a head-to-head 1-0 road win over North Georgia. Francis Marion sits third after securing the Conference Carolinas East Division and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament with a 15-1-0 record this season. Lenoir-Rhyne (10-4-1) ranks fourth in the poll, while Lander (11-2-2) rounded out the top five.

Columbus State (11-5-1), Wingate (9-6-0), Anderson (S.C.) (8-4-2), Belmont Abbey (13-4-1), and Tusculum (9-6-2) complete the regional rankings.

The Patriots sit fourth in the latest RPI while boasting a 2-0-0 record against regionally ranked programs.

Note, rankings, and records are reflected through games as of Sunday, Nov. 2.