STANFORD, Calif. – Coming off a 2025 season in which it won its first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular-season and tournament titles, Stanford was picked to finish second this year by the league’s coaches and placed two on the Preseason All-ACC Team.
Goalkeeper Caroline Birkel and midfielder Charlotte Kohler were named to the 13-player Preseason All-ACC Team after helping lead the Cardinal to a third-straight College Cup appearance in 2025, and its second national runner-up finish in the last three seasons.
As a team, Stanford secured three first-place votes and totaled 233 points, just six points behind ACC favorite Notre Dame with seven first-place votes and 239 overall points. Duke, which collected three first-place votes, was third with 224 points, followed by defending national champion Florida State (three first-place votes, 213 points) and North Carolina (one first-place vote, 207 points) to round out the top five.
Birkel is the reigning ACC Goalkeeper of the Year and was named United Soccer Coaches All-Region third team as a freshman, while Kohler earned United Soccer Coaches All-America third team and All-Region second team honors a year ago.
Stanford will host Pacific in an exhibition match this Saturday at 1 p.m. before officially opening the 2026 season at Cal Poly with a 1 p.m. kickoff on August 16.