USA Water Polo

Top 4 Stay Strong In Women's Varsity Top 20; Hoosiers Jump Four Spots To 13

3/16/2011 12:00:00 AM

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 Varsity Top 20, Division III Top 10 and Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 10 polls are released on Wednesday during the season until the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.

Women's Varsity Top 20

Stanford University remains a unanimous selection at No. 1 in the nation as the Cardinal garnered 100 points to remain unchallenged in the March 16 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll.

Ranked No. 1 in the preseason (98 points), and the first two polls of the regular season (99 points), the Cardinal clinched a unanimous spot on top of the poll five weeks ago and remain the consensus pick as the top program in the nation.

The first eight positions in the poll underwent cosmetic changes as the University of California and University of Southern California University of California-Los Angeles holds on at No. 4 after tying with No. 5 the University of Hawaii at the fourth spot a week ago. remain at No. 2 and 3, respectively, while the

Loyola Marymount University stays at No. 6, with the University of Michigan repeating UCLA's feat by remaining at No. 7 after tying with No. 8 Arizona State University at No. 7 last week.  San Jose State University is the first time to move up in the rankings as the squad improved one place to No. 9, with Long Beach State University cracking the Top 10 at No. 10 this week.

San Diego State University falls out of the Top 10 to No. 11 to start the final 10 spots in the poll.  The University of California-Irvine remains at No. 12, Indiana University jumps four spots to No. 13, while the University of California-Santa Barbara and Hartwick College slip back to take over at No. 14 and 15 in the wake of the Hoosiers' ascension.

The University of California-Davis and California State Univeristy-Northridge continue the trend as both fell back one place to No. 16 and 17.  University of the Pacific and Princeton UniversityIona College rounding out the Top 20. improve into a tie at No. 18, with

Colorado State University, California State University-East Bay, University of California-San Diego, California Baptist University and Harvard University complete the teams which received votes.

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10

The Division III Top 10 poll underwent minor changes this week behind continually No. 1 ranked Occidental College.

Occidental, which has held the No. 1 ranking since the preseason poll, saw its lead dwindle to two points in front of the University of Redlands (98-to-96) for the top spot in the Division III rankings.

The first seven spots in the poll remain unchanged as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, California Lutheran University, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Whittier College and Chapman University continue to hold a grip on the No. 3-7 spots in the weekly rankings.

The only change in the poll is at No. 8 as Grove City College moved into a tie with previously No. 8-ranked Univeristy of La Verne.

Carthage College completes the poll for another week as the squad retained its position at No. 10.

Women's Varsity CWPA Division I Top 10

The University of Michigan continues to stand on top of the league poll as the three-time defending CWPA Eastern Champions are a unanimous selection once again for the top position in the CWPA Division I Poll.

Behind the Wolverines, Hartwick College and Indiana University continue at No. 2 and 3, respectively, as all eight teams ranked in the March 9 poll retained their positions in this week's balloting.

The lone change in the poll comes at No. 4 as Princeton University inched in front of the University of Maryland by a single point (83-to-82) to drop the Terrapins back to No. 5.

At No. 6-10, the rankings remain consistent with the March 9 balloting as Harvard University, Mercyhurst College, George Washington University, Brown University and Bucknell University remain at their previous positions.

Women's Varsity CWPA Division III Top 5

Defending conference champion Grove City College remains at No. 1 in the CWPA Division III standings as the team earned 98 points to edge out Carthage College in one of the closest league polls of the season.

Grove City, which defeated Carthage College 8-7 to win the first-ever Division III Eastern Championship last season following the split of the women's CWPA varsity teams into Division and Division III brackets, saw its lead over Carthage dwindle to a three points (98-to-95).

Carthage, which has not competed in league competition to date this season, remains in front of Washington & Jefferson College, Wheaton College and Chatham University as all five teams ranked in the March 9 poll held on for another week.

Collegiate