Julie Johnston Talks About the Upcoming Season

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Senior goalkeeper Bianca Henninger, junior defender Olivia Klei and Sophomore midfielder Julie Johnston were named to the 2011 West Coast Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. This is the second year in a row Henninger has been named to the team and the first time for both Klei and Johnston. Santa Clara and Portland tied for most players selected with three each.

Henninger is coming off a 2010 season in which she was named the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year as well as being a NSCAA/Performance Subaru First-Team All-American and a NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-West Region First Team selection. She was a member of TopDrawerSoccer.com's Team of the Season Second Team and a second-team MVP by Soccer America. Henninger was also All-WCC first team and made the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team.

Klei was a second-team All-WCC selection in 2010 while scoring one goal and registering four assists. She was second in the WCC in conference-only assists-per-game with 0.57 and had a conference-best three assists in a 5-0 win over Gonzaga on Oct. 22.

Johnston is coming off a tremendous freshman season. She was named the 2010 WCC Freshman of the Year as well as being named a WCC All-Freshman team selection and a All-WCC second-team selection. She was a 2010 NSCAA/Performance Subaru All-West Region Second Team and a first-team Soccer America All-Freshman selection.

The league's preseason poll was also released with the all-conference team. The Broncos were picked to finished tied for second with newcomer BYU. Both were picked behind Portland who is coming off its fourth consecutive WCC title. Santa Clara is followed by San Diego, LMU, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's, Gonzaga and San Francisco.

2011 WCC Preseason All-Conference
Cloee Colohan, Portland
Danielle Foxhoven, Portland
Natalie Garcia, San Diego
Bianca Henninger, Santa Clara
Kendall Johnson, Portland
Julie Johnston, Santa Clara
Olivia Klei, Santa Clara
Jordan Marada, Saint Mary's
Tawni Martino, LMU
Stephanie Ochs, San Diego
Michelle Pao, Pepperdine
Carlee Payne, BYU 

2011 WCC Preseason Poll
1. Portland - 61 (6)
2. Santa Clara - 53 (2)
2. BYU - 53 (1)
4. San Diego - 47
5. LMU - 33
6. Pepperdine - 31
7. Saint Mary's - 20
8. Gonzaga - 13
8. San Francisco - 13