Stanford Cardinal has maintained its position at the summit of the NCAA women’s soccer rankings following the second week of the college season. The Cardinal, undefeated with a 3-0-0 record, held onto the top spot in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, asserting their early dominance in the sport.
However, the most compelling narrative lies in the significant shifts occurring throughout the rankings as teams jockey for position in the young season.
Top NCAA Women’s Soccer Teams Build Early-Season Momentum
Among the most notable risers is Alabama, which surged an impressive 12 places to reach No. 6 in the standings. West Virginia made an even more dramatic leap, climbing 15 spots to break into the top 10 at No. 7. Meanwhile, Wake Forest advanced six positions to No. 5, buoyed by an unblemished 4-0-0 start—the only team within the top five boasting four victories through the second week.
Not every team enjoyed upward momentum. The previous season’s national champion, Florida State, experienced a sharp decline, dropping 13 places from No. 3 down to No. 16. Notre Dame faced an even steeper fall, sliding 17 spots to No. 25.
Meanwhile, Duke maintained its stronghold at No. 2 with an unbeaten record of 3-0-1. Sharing the No. 3 position are Vanderbilt and Michigan State, both undefeated at 3-0-0, signaling tight competition near the summit.
Though just two weeks into the season, these early ranking adjustments hint at a dynamic and possibly unpredictable national championship race, diverging from the final standings of last year.