INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  Following a USA South Tournament victory this past weekend, the Methodist University women's soccer team learned who its first-round opponent will be in the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament on Monday.
 
The Monarchs will face 14th-ranked Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, November 16, at 1 PM. Also playing in Atlanta will be Pacific Lutheran University and Maryville College (Tenn.), scheduled for 3:30 PM on Saturday. The winners of each match will play at 3 PM on Sunday, November 17, for a spot in the Sweet 16.
 
Tickets will be available at the entrance of the venue for each match. Prices will be $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, $3 for children (ages 3-12), and children under 3 are free.
 
Methodist secured the USA South's automatic qualifier bid after the Monarchs claimed their fourth Conference Tournament Championship. This will be the 13th overall appearance for Methodist in the NCAA Tournament, the first since 2022.
 
The Monarchs head into the big dance with a record of 11-7 overall and are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, all shutout victories to boot. Methodist's offense is led by senior forward Kelsey Burge, who has scored a career-high seven goals this season, a trio of midfielders, senior Corrine Shovlain (two goals, three assists), sophomore Lola Campbell (two goals, two assists), junior Gizelle Garcia (one goal, three assists). In the net for the Monarchs is Carolina Simpkins. The junior has a 10-4 goalie record and a .71 goals-against average. Her nine shutouts this season rank in the top 25 nationally among other Division III institutions.
 
Emory makes their sixth consecutive appearance, 22nd overall, by securing an at-large bid into the tournament. The Eagles, ranked 14th in the latest National Power Index (NPI), are 11-3-3 and compete in the University Athletic Association (UAA). All three of Emory's losses were to teams that are currently ranked in the top six of the NPI: Washington University-St. Louis (#1), Christopher Newport University (#4), and Carnegie Mellon University (#6). Sophomore Kaitlyn Nimmer (ten goals, five assists) and freshman Mikayla Camp (eight goals, seven assists) are the top two goal-scorers for the Eagles, and junior Sophia Garcia protects the goal with a .64 GAA.  

This will be the 14th meeting between these two institutions, with Methodist leading the all-time series 9-3-1. Even though this will be the first match since 2008, the Monarchs and Emory have matched up with each other in the tournament before, during the 1995 season.