STANFORD, Calif. – Preparing for its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Stanford was picked to finish second in the conference standings according to the league’s coaches.
The Cardinal, ranked No. 2 in the nation, trailed only top-ranked Florida State in the poll and earned two first-place votes.
In addition to the preseason poll, the coaches also voted on a preseason All-ACC Team, with juniors Jasmine Aikey (midfielder) and Elise Evans (defender) earning spots on the 12-member squad.
Florida State earned 15 first-place votes to top the preseason poll at 255 points. The Cardinal followed with 235 points, ahead of Notre Dame (211), North Carolina (187) and Clemson (186) to round out the top five.
Seven of the 17 ACC teams enter the 2024 season ranked in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, including Florida State (No. 1), Stanford (No. 2), Clemson (No. 5), Pitt (No. 7) and North Carolina (No. 8) all landing in the top 10. Notre Dame (No. 15) and Duke (No. 24) also hold national rankings to begin the year.
Aikey was named 2023 Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year during a spectacular sophomore season that saw her finish as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy and a finalist for the Honda Award. She also earned her first All-America selection, claiming first-team honors, after scoring 11 goals to rank second on the team and assisting on a team-best 12 more to collect a team-high 34 points. The native of Palo Alto, Calif. finished the season ranked first in the Pac-12 in assists (12) and points (34), second in game-winning goals (4), and third in total goals (11).
Evans earned United Soccer Coaches All-America third team honors while landing on the All-Region first team. A staple of the Cardinal backline through two seasons on The Farm, Evans helped guide Stanford to 14 shutouts while limiting opponents to just .60 goals per game on 9.60 shots per game a year ago. On the attack, she scored two goals, including the game-winner vs. No. 18 Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament third round. The native of Redwood City, Calif. played 70+ minutes in 23 of her 25 matches played, including full time in 21 of the 25.
The 2023 national runner-up, Stanford will prepare for the 2024 season with an exhibition match against San Jose State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Following the exhibition match, Stanford will officially open the 2024 season at San Francisco on Thursday, August 15. The clash with the Dons is set for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
| 2024 ACC Preseason Coaches Poll | |
| 1. Florida State (15) | 255 |
| 2. Stanford (2) | 235 |
| 3. Notre Dame | 211 |
| 4. North Carolina | 187 |
| 5. Clemson | 186 |
| 6. Virginia | 177 |
| 7. Duke | 175 |
| 8. Pitt | 168 |
| 9. Wake Forest | 160 |
| 10. Virginia Tech | 116 |
| 11. California | 111 |
| 12. NC State | 85 |
| 13. Louisville | 80 |
| 14t. Boston College | 50 |
| 14t. SMU | 50 |
| 16. Miami | 44 |
| 17. Syracuse | 22 |
| 2024 Preseason All-ACC Team | |||
| Jasmine Aikey | JR | M | Stanford |
| Elise Evans | JR | D | Stanford |
| Teagan Wy | SO | GK | California |
| Kat Rader | JR | F | Duke |
| Jordynn Dudley | SR | F | Florida State |
| Heather Gilcrest | JR | D | Florida State |
| Taylor Huff | SR | M | Florida State |
| Leah Klenke | JR | M | Notre Dame |
| Deborah Abiodun | SO | M | Pitt |
| Sarah Schupansky | SR | F | Pitt |
| Maggie Cagle | JR | F | Virginia |
| Lia Godfrey | SR | M | Virginia |