Lennart Granzow, a senior defender for the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, has been recognized as the Co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Big South Conference, a distinction that highlights his anticipated impact on the back line.
Preseason Accolades and Team Rankings
The Bulldogs entered the preseason coaches' poll in second place, trailing only High Point University, which earned 64 points, while UNC Asheville accumulated 49 points, ahead of USC Upstate with 48.
Granzow’s first season with the Bulldogs saw him start 12 of 15 matches, logging 1,158 minutes across 12 consecutive appearances, each lasting the full 90 minutes.
His offensive contributions added three goals and six points, including a debut strike against East Tennessee State on September 16, followed by scores versus Radford on September 27 and Winthrop on October 25.
Beyond the numbers, Granzow was selected to the 2025 Big South Conference All-Conference First Team At-Large and earned a spot on the 2025 All-Academic Team, as well as the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honor.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, the defender majors in business administration at UNC Asheville, bringing a global perspective to the squad.
Looking Ahead
The team opens its 2026 campaign on August 20 against Northern Kentucky at Greenwood Field, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Live statistics will be available at the official site, uncabulldogs.com, allowing fans to follow every moment of the season's first test.