USA Water Polo

USC Holds Down Top Spot; Cal Bears To Third In Women's Varsity Top 20

3/10/2010 12:00:00 AM

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The University of Southern California is a unanimous selection at No. 1 for the second week in a row as the March 10 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll was released today by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. In other rankings, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and the University of Michigan retain their No. 1 rankings in the Division III and CWPA Polls for another week, while Grove City College took over No. 1 in the CWPA Division III Poll.

Voted on by a panel of coaches and administrators from around the country during the preseason and each week of the season based on the cumulative results of each team, the polls are released each Wednesday during the season until the Wednesday following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.

Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll

The University of Southern California held onto the No. 1 ranking in the Varsity Top 20 Poll for a second week as the team garnered 100 points to rate as a unanimous top selection.

USC, which took over the No. 1 ranking last week on the heels of a six-week run by Stanford University as the No. 1 team in the country, is followed by Stanford which rates in the Top Two for the eighth consecutive week.

The first change in the poll comes at No. 3 as the University of California benefited from a 9-8 loss by the University of California-Los Angeles in six overtimes to the University of Hawaii to leap over the Bruins and claim the No. 3 position.  UCLA slides back to No. 4, with Hawaii holding on at No. 5.

The No. 3-4 change is the only adjustment in the Top 10 this week as Arizona State University, San Jose State University, the University of Michigan, Loyola Marymount University and California State University-Northridge remain locks at No. 6-10, respectively.

Unlike the Top 10, the No. 11-20 positions experienced radical change from top to bottom.

The University of California-Santa Barbara moves up to No. 11 this week, while Hartwick College drops to No. 12 with the University of California-Irvine, San Diego State University and University of California-Davis remaining at No. 13-15.

Indiana University, University of the Pacific, Princeton University, California State University-East Bay and Brown University round out the Top 20 as no team dropped out of the Top 20 this week, while eight teams experienced a change in their position from the March 3 poll.

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges received 100 points to rank as a unanimous top selection in the Week 7 Women's Varsity Coaches Division III Top 10 Poll.

The Sagehens easily outdistanced California Lutheran University which picked up 95 points to hold on at No. 2 for another week.

Overall, half the teams in the Top 10 held their positions as the University of Redlands, Chapman University and the University of LaVerne maintained the No. 3, 6 and 10 spots.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and Occidental traded places at No. 4 and 5, Grove City College rose two positions to No. 7, Whittier CollegeCarthage College (Wisc.) broke into the Top 10 by taking over at No. 9.
slips back to No. 8 and

Among last week's Top 10 selections, nine remain in the poll this week with Washington & Jefferson College, which was ranked No. 8 in the March 3 Poll, received 24 points to fall four votes shy of staying in the Top 10.

Women's Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Poll

Four-time Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern champion the University of Michigan (2002, 2005, 2008, 2009) received 100 points to rank as a unanimous selection as the No. 1 team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Coaches' Poll for a sixth week in a row.

Michigan, which was tied with Hartwick College in the CWPA Preseason Poll with 98 points, took over sole possession of the position in the January 27 poll.

The poll experienced some drastic changes behind Michigan and Hartwick, which maintains its position at No. 2 in the league. 

Indiana University maintains its position at No. 3, while Princeton University moves up to No.4 and Brown University falls back to No. 5 in the wake of a 7-5 victory by the Tigers over the Bears at the Elite Eight Tournament at Indiana University over the weekend.

The University of Maryland held on at No. 6 with Harvard University jumping up to No. 7 thanks to a 13-12 OT victory against former No. 7 Bucknell University.  Bucknell, George Washington University and Mercyhurst College round out the Top 10 selections.

Women's Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 Poll

For the first time in over seven weeks, a new team stands at No, 1 in the Collegiate Water Polo Division III Top 5 Poll as Grove City College used a 5-0 weekend at the inaugural weekend of competition to take over the top spot.

The Wolverines, who were ranked No. 2 during a seven week run at No. 1 by Washington & Jefferson College, used victories over Wheaton College (10-5 W), Chatham University (13-6 W), W&J (13-5 W), Carthage College (13-5 W) and Macalester College (14-7 W) to become the first Grove City water polo team to hold a No. 1 ranking in a conference and/or national poll.

Carthage College, which downed Wheaton (11-7 W), Chatham (18-6 W), W&J (10-4 W) and Macalester (18-10 W) in an 4-1 weekend, moves up two places to No. 2, while Washington & Jefferson, Macalester and Wheaton round out the Top 5.

Comprised of Carthage, Chatham, Connecticut College, Grove City, Macalester, Penn State University-Behrend, Utica College, Washington & Jefferson and Wheaton, the nine-team organization competes for a Division III Championship in conference and a berth to the self-funded Division III National Collegiate Championship in May.

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