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Stanford is No. 2 in both the conference and the nation after a pair of coaches polls were released Tuesday.

Four-time defending conference champion Stanford was picked to finish second in the Pac-12 behind UCLA, but also was No. 2 in the initial NSCAA/Continental Tire national rankings behind North Carolina and ahead of No. 5 UCLA.

In the Pac-12, the Cardinal received five first-place votes to seven for UCLA and was a narrow second to the Bruins in overall points, 117-115.

Stanford returns six starters from last year's 21-2-1 team that reached the NCAA College Cup before suffering a 1-0 double-overtime loss to eventual champion North Carolina in a rainy semifinal in San Diego.

It was the fifth consecutive College Cup appearance for the Cardinal, which will be seeking a sixth when the final four returns to Cary, N.C., in December.