Slideshow Julia Hermann was an All-American last year. Photo by Bob Drebin/isiphotos.com Julia Hermann makes the save. Photo by Bill Dally/isiphotos.com Previous Next

Stanford will begin the 2017 season as the nation's No. 1 team. The Cardinal collected 98 points to top the 2017 preseason women's national Top 25, which was released by the Collegiate Water Polo Association on Friday.

USC is second with 97 points, UCLA third with 93 points, Cal fourth with 86 points and Arizona State fifth with 81 points. Hawaii (79 points), Michigan (78 points), UC Irvine (76 points), UC Santa Barbara (65 points) and UC San Diego (63 points) round out the top 10.

Stanford finished 23-6 overall a season ago, its 12th straight campaign with more than 20 wins, and advanced to its seventh consecutive NCAA title game.

Stanford returns seven of its nine 20-goal scorers from a year ago, including All-Americans Jamie Neushul, Jordan Raney, Kat Klass and Dani Jackovich, along with All-American goalkeeper Julia Hermann.

Added to that group are a pair of Olympians in Maggie Steffens and Makenzie Fischer. Steffens, who was the 2015 ACWPC Player of the Year in her most recent collegiate season, returns to The Farm after collecting MVP honors in Rio and captaining the United States to its second straight Olympic gold.