When it comes to the AVCA Coaches Top 25 preseason poll, it’s pretty much round up the usual suspects. Such was the case with Wednesday’s rankings where 22 of the 25 teams also were in last season’s final poll.

Among those is Hawaii, which opened at No. 18, one spot lower than how the Rainbow Wahine were ranked in last August’s preseason Top 25. It also is five spots higher than where Hawaii (22-7) — the lone Big West team ranked Wednesday — finished at the end of 2014.

“I know we’re better than last year and, hopefully, that is reflected in the final poll,” Wahine coach Dave Shoji said. “It’s all speculation right now but I know that some of the unranked teams in our three tournaments will be in the Top 25 this season. After that first weekend, it will be apparent who will be good and who won’t be very good.”

Again expected to be very good is defending NCAA champion Penn State, which received 54 of the 60 first-place votes. Stanford (6 votes) was at No. 2 followed by Texas (1) and Florida. Wisconsin (1) and Nebraska are tied for fifth.

Hawaii is one of only three teams from a non-Power 5 conference in the poll. The others are last year’s national runner-up BYU (No. 11) and Colorado State (No. 12).

The fourth-ranked Gators will play Hawaii on Sept. 11 in an Outrigger Resorts Challenge match. The only other nationally ranked opponent on the Rainbow Wahine schedule is No. 20 UCLA, which plays Hawaii Sept. 6 in the Hawaiian Airlines Classic.

Defending Big West champion Long Beach State was just outside the Top 25 with 147 points, good enough for 26th. Other Hawaii opponents receiving votes were three that Shoji feels will be ranked this season in Oregon State (89 points), Wichita State (9) and American (4).

The Rainbow Wahine open the season on Aug. 28 against Idaho in the Chevron Invitational. Also in the field are Oregon State and Wichita State.

Hawaii has been ranked in 468 of the 479 weekly polls since 1982, the third most behind Nebraska and Stanford, which have been ranked in every poll. The only time the Rainbow Wahine were not ranked was the final four weeks of the 1992 season and seven weeks last year.

The first poll of the regular season will be released on Aug. 31.