Check out the FloVolleyball NCAA Countdown, where we rank the top 20 collegiate women's volleyball teams in the country leading up to opening day on August 26. The No. 4 spot goes to Stanford this year, and here's why:

The Upshot

Inky's back, ready to lead a sophomore terminator and a bevy of big-time freshmen.

Last Season

• 23-7 overall, 16-4 in Pac-12 (3rd place)
• 1-1 in NCAA Tournament (lost 3-0 at home vs. Loyola-Marymount)
• No. 13 in final 2015 RPI
• Team hitting percentage: .279 (#12 in nation)
• Opponents' hitting percentage: .205 (#169 in nation)
• Team blocks per set: 2.84 (#18 in nation)

The Players

RETURNING STARS

Inky Ajanaku | 6-3 | Senior | Middle Blocker
Injury redshirt in 2015; 2014 stats: 3.48 kills/set (.428); 1.14 blocks/set

Hayley Hodson | 6-3 | Sophomore | Outside Hitter
3.82 kills/set (.261); 0.71 blocks/set; Freshman of the Year

Merete Lutz | 6-8 | Junior | Middle Blocker
3.22 kills/set (.388); 1.24 blocks/set

Halland McKenna | 5-7 | Sophomore | Defensive Specialist
3.60 digs/set

Ivana Vanjak | 6-4 | Junior | Outside Hitter
1.18 kills/set (.312); 1.24 blocks/set

PROMISING NEWCOMERS

Jenna Gray | 6-1 | Freshman | Setter
First Team Under Armour All-American

Audriana Fitzmorris | 6-6 | Freshman | Middle Blocker
First Team Under Armour All-American

Kathryn Plummer | 6-6 | Freshman | Opposite
First Team Under Armour All-America

Morgan Hentz | 5-9 | Freshman | Libero

Caitlin Keefe | 5-11 | Freshman | Libero

Michaela Keefe | 6-2 | Freshman | Outside Hitter

BIGGEST LOSSES

Madi Bugg | 6-0 | Setter
11.05 assists/set (#30 in nation)

Brittany Howard | 6-3 | Outside Hitter
3.05 kills/set (.304); 0.63 blocks/set

Jordan Burgess | 6-1 | Outside Hitter
2.00 kills/set (.180); 0.44 blocks/set

Non-Conference Matches to Watch

August 28: vs. Minnesota
September 3: vs. Illinois @ Colorado
September 9: vs. Purdue

Outlook

Stanford welcomes its most-anticipated incoming class since 2012, when the conventional wisdom was that Inky Ajanaku, Brittany Howard, Madi Bugg, and Jordan Burgess would dominate the NCAA tournament for four years. That didn't work out (just one national semifinal appearance, in 2014,) but similar expectations are blossoming in Palo Alto. This year's freshmen include a slew of former prep phenoms, including 6-6 Audriana Fitzmorris, 6-6 Kathryn Plummer, 6-2 Michaela Keefe, her sister, libero Caitlin Keefe, and setter Jenna Gray. And--oh, by the way--did we mention that coach John Dunning (16th season, 32nd overall) welcomes back all-everything middle blocker Inky Ajanaku, who sat out 2015 with an injury? Or that he has last season's all-everything National Freshman of the Year, Hayley Hodson for three more seasons? 6-8 Merete Lutz is back at MB2, last season's broken finger now healed.

Hodson moves from the right side to the left, where she plans to develop six-rotation skills that might someday earn a place on the national team. Senior Kelsey Humphreys moves from Bugg's backup to starting setter, though Dunning might run a 6-2 with Gray or even Plummer. Either way, Plummer or Fitzmorriswill inherit Hodson's spot at opposite, while Michaela Keefe will look to be next in line for OH behind Hodson and Ivana Vanjak. "Ivana has learned a lot," Dunning said. "She plays strong and jumps high."

Prediction

Stanford's season may hinge on how well its young players can pass. If Cardinal setters don't have to scramble much, the Ajanaku and Hodson tandem will be very tough to stop. This could be the year the Cardinal returns to the final rounds of the tournament.

Previously:

20. Louisville
19. UNC
18. BYU
17. Illinois
16. Purdue
15. Texas A&M
14. Oregon
13. Ohio State
12. Penn State
11. Florida
10. USC
9. Hawaii
8. Washington
7. Kansas
6. UCLA
5. Wisconsin

Additional research and reporting contributed by Leslie Hamann.