Jan. 16, 2013

BERKELEY - Cal's women's water polo team has been ranked No. 4 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason Top 20.

The Bears, who were also picked fourth in the preseason Mountain Pacific Sports Federation poll, received 85 points to place behind Stanford, USC and UCLA. It's the same top four as the MPSF poll.

Cal opens the 2013 season Saturday at Pacific before playing its first home match of the season on Jan. 26 against Michigan.

The Bears welcome back seven starters from last year's team that went 18-9 and finished the season ranked No. 4 in the country. Also returning is three-time All-American driver Emily Csikos, who sat out last season to train with the Canadian National Team. Csikos ranks fifth on Cal's all-time scoring list with 167 goals and needs 56 during her senior season to become the program's all-time leader.

The Bears also feature All-Americans Breda Vosters, Dana Ochsner and Ashley Young, as well as 2012 MPSF All-Newcomer selection Tiera Schroeder.

CWPA PRESEASON TOP 20
1. Stanford
2. USC
3. UCLA
4. Cal
5. Arizona State
6. UC Irvine
7. San Diego State
8. Loyola Marymount
9. San Jose State
10. Princeton
11. Michigan
12. UC Davis
13. Hawaii
14. Indiana
15. UC Santa Barbara
16. Cal State Northridge
17. Hartwick
18. Cal Baptist
19. Brown
20. UC San Diego