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Blacksburg – The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team is ranked No. 17 in the 2016 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division I Women’s Preseason Ranking.

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe Florida State ranks No. 1. Defending national champion Penn State is No. 2, with Duke following at No. 3, Virginia at No. 4 and Stanford at No. 5.

West Virginia and Florida sit at No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, while Texas A&M, North Carolina and Rutgers round out the top 10.

Six of the Hokies’ 2016 opponents are preseason ranked: No. 3 Duke, No. 4 Virginia, No. 9 North Carolina, No. 13 Notre Dame, No. 14 Clemson and No. 23 Ohio State.

2016 Virginia Tech Women’s Soccer Schedule

Last year, the Hokies advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season 15-4-2 overall and ranked 13th nationally.

Fifteen letterwinners return, including senior All-American Murielle Tiernan. Tiernan, a Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC) Hermann Award Watch List nominee, will join the team’s top scorers Alani Johnson and Laila Gray in leading Tech to its ninth straight NCAA Tournament berth.

Tech will open its 2016 season at the College of Charleston Tournament held on Aug. 19 and 21. Virginia Tech squares off against 2015 NCAA Tournament competitor LSU on Friday, Aug. 19, at 5 p.m., followed by a match against Mississippi State on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m.

For updates on Virginia Tech women's soccer, follow the Hokies on Twitter Follow @VT_WSoccer