IRVINE, Calif. -- After defending their Big West Championship title in 2023, UC Irvine was selected to finish first in this year's annual Big West Preseason Poll.

The Anteaters received 47 points and five of the eight first-place votes with the others going to Hawai'i who received one with their 42 points at second place and two votes to Long Beach State who sits third. The rest of the preseason poll has UC San Diego fourth, UC Davis fifth, UC Santa Barbara sixth, seventh for CSUN, and Cal State Fullerton eighth.

The 'Eaters have finished in the top half of the conference in every season and nine times in 13 Big West seasons have finished in first or tied for first.

UCI also learned their national ranking on Wednesday as announced by the CWPA. After finishing tied fourth nationally in 2023, UCI starts the new season tied fifth with Big West foe, Hawai'i. Long Beach State (No. 7) and UC San Diego (No. 10) round out the Big West teams in the top-10.

UC Irvine places two on the Big West Preseason Coaches' Team. Senior goalkeeper Faith Tedesco and junior center Nioka Thomas were named to the seven person squad.
 
Tedesco, a Big West Preseason Team member in 2023, finds herself on the list for the second consecutive year. The senior held a 4-2 record in the cage last season with a 0.504 save percentage while adding eight steals. In 2022, Tedesco was an All-Big West First Team selection and as an All-American Honorable Mention after the completion of her sophomore campaign.

Thomas had a standout season in 2023 that led to All-American Second Team and All-Big West First Team honors. The center scored 53 goals on 94 shots to go along with nine hat-tricks while adding eight assists, nine steals, and three field blocks. 
 
The 2024 campaign for head coach Dan Klatt and the Anteaters begins in Fresno, Calif. at the Polo Palooza tournament taking on T-No. 1 Stanford, No. 4 California, T-No. 18 San Jose State, and No. 11 UC Davis.