The two-time defending Pac-12 champion UCLA women's soccer team will begin the season ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA preseason coaches' poll.

The Bruins will play four teams in the preseason Top 10 and seven in the Top 20. UCLA has home matches against No. 2 Virginia on Sept. 4, No. 10 Pepperdine on Sept. 17, No. 14 Wisconsin on Aug. 30, as well as road matches at No. 3 Stanford on Nov. 1, No. 7 North Carolina on Sept. 13, No. 18 California on Oct. 29, and No. 20 Washington on Oct. 1.

UCLA returns starters Taylor Smith and Annie Alvarado from last year's squad that went 21-1-2 and won its second-straight Pac-12 Championship. Smith, a U.S. Under-23 National Team member, ranked second on the Bruin squad last year with nine goals and was third in total points with 24. She started and played in all 24 games in 2014 and totaled four game-winning goals. Alvarado was a 23-game starter at midfield and totaled one goal (the game-winner against Stanford) and two assists. Also returning are 2013 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Darian Jenkins (6g, 4a, 16 pts. In 2014), 2013 NCAA Championship-winning goal scorer Kodi Lavrusky (1g, 2a, 4 pts.) and 2014 Soccer America All-Freshman first-team selection Zoey Goralski (2g, 3a, 7pts.).

UCLA opens the season with an Aug. 12 exhibition match against Missouri at 3:30pm on North Athletic Field. Admission is free. The Bruins' regular season opener is on Friday, Aug. 21 at Long Beach State at 7pm, and the home opener is on Sunday, Aug. 30 vs. Wisconsin. Tickets for 2015 home games are now on sale at uclabruins.com/tickets.