North Carolina, winner of three straight and 19 of 21 ACC women's championships, has been selected first in the 2008 ACC poll of the league's 11 head coaches.

The Tar Heels return eight starters from last year's squad that finished 19-4-1 overall, including All-American Yael Averbuch, All-American and U.S. Olympian Tobin Heath and ACC Tournament MVP Nikki Washington.

For the third year in a row, UNC, Florida State and Virginia have been predicted to finish 1-2-3 in the ACC.

Florida State, which advanced to the final of the 2007 Women's College Cup, returns a strong nucleus that includes sophomores Amanda DaCosta and Sanna Talonen, the 2007 Soccer American Freshman of the Year.

Virginia returns nine starters, including All-American defender Nikki Krzysik and Soccer America all-freshman midfielder Sinead Farrelly.

ACC PRESEASON POLL
1. North Carolina (7) 19-4-1
2. Florida State (2)   18-6-3
3. Virginia (1)  13-4-6
4. Boston College  11-5-4
5. Wake Forest (1)  13-7-3
6. Duke  10-6-7
7. Miami 9-7-5
8. Maryland 6-9-3
8. Virginia Tech 8-7-3
10. Clemson 10-6-5
11. N.C. State  6-10-3
(First-place votes in parentheses.)