Jamie Ortega, who finished her sophomore season as one of the most feared offensive players in the country, has been named the US Lacrosse Magazine Division I Women's Preseason Player of the Year.

Preseason accolades, along with Top 20 rankings, will be featured in the January edition of US Lacrosse Magazine, which drops Jan. 2.

After just two seasons at Chapel Hill, Ortega already ranks 12th in program history with 198 points and eighth in goals with 151. She set a program record in 2019 with 112 points and became the first Tar Heel to eclipse the 100-point plateau. She dominated in the ACC tournament, earning MVP honors after tallying 13 goals and six assists in three wins.

This after a freshman season in which she scored 70 goals, obliterating UNC's previous single-season rookie mark of 50.

The Tar Heels open the 2020 season at No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Preseason Division I Women's Top 20, a testament to Ortega's talent and the overwhelming skill around her. Katie Hoeg, Olivia Ferrucci, Tayler Warehime, Scottie Rose Growney, Taylor McDaniels and Ally Mastroianni all return on offense, providing quite a bit of firepower for head coach Jenny Levy.

Can Ortega become the seventh player in North Carolina history to be named a Tewaaraton finalist? With another stellar junior season, it seems more likely than not.