DAHLONEGA – The No. 18 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's soccer team have locked up the No. 2 seed in the 2026 Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Tournament, as announced by the league office Monday evening. 

This year's conference tournament will kick off with the quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 31, hosted by the higher seed in each matchup. As the No. 2 seed, The Nighthawks have earned hosting rights for the quarterfinals and would host the semifinals with a victory on Saturday.  

The Nighthawks head into tournament action with an 11-3-3 record overall and a 6-2-1 mark in conference play. This season marks the fourth-straight year UNG has earned a top two seed in the PBC tournament. In the previous three seasons, the Nighthawks have reached the PBC Tournament Championship twice in 2023 and 2025. 

North Georgia will face off against No. 7 seed USC Aiken (USCA) in the opening round of the tournament. The Pacers wrapped up the regular season with a 5-10-2 record and a 3-5-1 PBC finish. The last time North Georgia and USCA met in the PBC Tournament was Oct. 31, 2017, when the Nighthawks secured a 9-0 victory in the quarterfinals against the Pacers. 

During the 2026 regular season, the Nighthawks were victorious over USCA 2-1 on Senior Day behind goals from Nina Lopez and Blanca Cruz. North Georgia controlled the match offensively, outshooting the Pacers 21-3 in the win. 

The Nighthawks are in search of their first PBC Tournament Championship in program history, and the quest starts in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. at the UNG Soccer Field.