Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Picked Second in Big 12 Preseason Poll
August 12, 2015 | Women's Soccer
Behind eight starters back from a year ago, Texas Tech was picked to finish second Wednesday in the Big 12 Preseason Poll that was announced by the conference office.
Aug. 12, 2015
This is the third-consecutive season where the Red Raiders have been projected to finish second in the Big 12, which ranked among the most-challenging conferences in the country in 2014 after six teams were selected to the NCAA Championship.
The Red Raiders welcome back 19 letterwinners and eight starters back from their 2014 squad that finished 16-4-2 overall after advancing to the third round of the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history.
Cassie Conarty and Hannah Devine are among the eight starters that return for the Red Raiders this season.
The Red Raiders, who are ranked 15th in the NSCAA preseason top-25 poll, return 85 percent of their scoring offense from 2014, thanks in part to Beckie's 17 goals that finished among the national leaders.
Texas Tech will host two of the top four teams in the preseason poll at the John Walker Soccer Complex this season as preseason favorite West Virginia travels to Lubbock on Oct. 11 while Kansas, picked fourth overall, will close out the home slate on Oct. 23.
The Mountaineers collected 63 total points in the poll after receiving seven of nine total first place votes. The Red Raiders garnered the other two votes en route to earning 55 total points.
Oklahoma State was picked third with 46 points, one point more than Kansas. Oklahoma and Texas were ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, while TCU, Baylor and Iowa State rounded out the poll.
The Red Raiders open the 2015 season on Aug. 21 at the Lobo Invitational hosted by New Mexico. Texas Tech begins the tournament against Southern California before closing the weekend against the host Lobos on Aug. 23.
Texas Tech will receive its only test of the preseason Saturday evening when the Red Raiders travel to the University of Denver for a 7 p.m. CT exhibition match.
#Big12SOC: @WVUWomensSoccer tops the #Big12 Soccer Preseason Poll for the third straight year. http://t.co/XIfYT8rR5o pic.twitter.com/quyRoytHEl
- Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 12, 2015
