MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia women’s soccer team was ranked No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I women’s preseason poll released Tuesday.
The Mountaineers’ position marks the third consecutive season in which the team was placed in the preseason top 10.
The five-time Big 12 champions are the highest-ranked team in the conference. Baylor ranks No. 15, while Texas opens at No. 17.
Defending national champion Stanford claimed the No. 1 spot, while UCLA, last season’s runner-up, ranks No. 2.
Duke, Penn State and South Carolina round out the top five.
North Carolina, Florida and Virginia also rank ahead of WVU, while Florida State completes the top 10.
In all, four of the Mountaineers’ 2018 opponents are ranked in the poll: No. 4 Penn State, No. 15 Baylor, No. 17 Texas and No. 22 Georgetown.
The Mountaineers, who have advanced to at least the NCAA tournament’s third round for three consecutive seasons, were ranked within the top 10 of the poll throughout last season after opening the season at No. 1.
WVU has not been ranked outside the top 10 of the coaches’ poll since the third week of the 2015 season.
WVU opens the season at Penn State on Aug. 17.
