Arkansas soccer ranked in preseason poll

Arkansas freshman Stefani Doyle kicks the ball during a game against Memphis on Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Fayetteville.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches poll released Tuesday.

The Razorbacks start the season two spots ahead of their final ranking last season, in which they won a school-record 18 matches. They went on to play in the SEC Tournament championship and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

West Virginia tops the poll, followed by Stanford, Southern Cal, South Carolina and Georgetown. Other SEC teams ranked in the poll include Florida (seventh) and Auburn (10th).

Arkansas faces Nebraska-Omaha in its only exhibition match Thursday at 7 p.m. in Fayetteville. The regular season starts Aug. 18 against Southern Methodist University in Dallas.