UVA Women's Soccer Ranked No. 4 in United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll

The Cavaliers are one of six ACC teams ranked in the preseason top 25 poll

Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics

Just a little over two weeks remain until the beginning of the 2022 Virginia women's soccer campaign. The defending ACC regular season champions return several key players, as well as the reigning ACC Coach of the Year Steve Swanson, and once again have their sights set on the College Cup. 

United Soccer Coaches released its preseason top 25 poll on Tuesday and Virginia came in at No. 4, matching the Cavaliers' preseason ranking from a season ago. The defending national champion Florida State Seminoles are the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, followed by Duke at No. 2 and BYU at No. 3. Six ACC teams are ranked in the preseason top 25 poll, including four in the top ten and three inside in the top five. 

UVA has matches against six teams ranked in the preseason top 25 on its regular season schedule: at No. 19 Georgetown (Aug. 25), vs. No. 22 Memphis (Sept. 4), at No. 10 North Carolina (Sept. 17), vs. No. 16 Notre Dame (Sept. 22), at No. 2 Duke (Sept. 30), and vs. No. 1 Florida State (Oct. 6). 

Although Virginia did lose a few core contributors from last year's roster - namely 2021 ACC Offensive Player of the Year Diana Ordoñez and All-ACC goalkeeper Laurel Ivory - the Cavaliers still have a stacked roster returning to Klockner this fall. UVA brings back First-Team All-ACC midfielder Lia Godfrey, Second-Team forward Alexa Spaanstra, Second-Team defender Samar Guidry, and Third-Team forward Haley Hopkins. 

Perhaps most notably, Virginia is also anticipating the return of fifth-year star forward Rebecca Jarrett, who suffered a season-ending injury after appearing in just four games last season. Jarrett has accounted for 18 goals in 16 assists over the last four years and was an All-ACC Second Team selection in the 2020-2021 season. The Cavaliers will certainly need Jarrett to return to form in order to contend for the title in the ACC, which will again be the best and most competitive conference in the country. 

Virginia opens the 2022 season against George Mason on Thursday, August 18th at 7pm at Klockner Stadium. 

United Soccer Coaches Division I Top 25 Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

1. Florida State
2. Duke
3. BYU
4. Virginia
5. Santa Clara
6. Rutgers
7. TCU
8. Arkansas
9. Michigan
10. North Carolina
11. Tennessee
12. South Carolina
13. UCLA
14. Penn State
15. USC
16. Notre Dame
17. Pepperdine
18. Ole Miss
19. Georgetown
20. Washington State
21. Stanford
22. Memphis
23. SMU
24. Xavier
25. Clemson

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