In Lisa Bervinchak Love’s first season at the helm of Penn State field hockey, there’s no doubt regarding her team’s talent and ability.

The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 5 nationally in the Division I National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) preseason poll Tuesday, after closing the 2022 season in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

The ranking is a six-spot jump from where Penn State landed last preseason at No. 11. Under former head coach Char Morett-Curtiss, the blue and white went 17-4 overall and recorded a dominant 7-1 conference season in 2022.

Now, the Nittany Lions sit behind Big Ten competitors Northwestern (No. 2), Maryland (No. 3), and Michigan (No. 4), while North Carolina leads the top five at No. 1. Meanwhile, Penn State beat conference foe Iowa (No. 7) into the first five.

Bervinchak Love and the Penn State team will begin their season in Charlottesville against Virginia at 6 p.m. on Friday, August 25. From there, the blue and white will begin a three-game road trip spanning Washington D.C. to California before the group kicks off conference play on September 15.