BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The top team in the nation changed for the first time this season as the University of Southern California garnered 100 points to take over the No. 1 position in the March 3 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll released today by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. In other rankings, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the University of Michigan and Washington & Jefferson College retain their No. 1 rankings in the Division III, CWPA and CWPA Division III Polls for another week.

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

Ranked No. 2 in the February 24 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll, the University of Southern California used victories over the University of Hawaii (14-7 W), Long Beach State University (12-1 W), San Jose State University (15-5 W), the University of California (10-5 W) and former No. 1-ranked Stanford University to snap Stanford's seven week run as the No. 1 team in the country in the March 1 Varsity Top 20 Poll.

The Trojans, who last ranked No. 1 in the country in the May 6, 2009 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll before losing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship game less a week later to , ends a six week spree of No. 1 rankings by Stanford dating back to and including the preseason poll as USC handed the Cardinal their first loss of the year.

Stanford slides back to No. 2 this week, while UCLA and California hold on at No. 3 and 4, respectively, with Hawaii, Arizona State University and San Jose State University climbing to No. 5-7.

The University of Michigan, in the wake of losses last week to Arizona State and San Jose State, drops back three places to No. 8, while Loyola Marymount University and California State University-Northridge fall back to No. 9 and 10 as the Top 10 teams in the country from the February 24 Poll remain in the exclusive category.

Hartwick College, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of California-Irvine, San Diego State University and University of California-Davis rank No. 11-15, while University of the Pacific, Brown University, Indiana University, California State University-East Bay and Princeton University account for the final five positions in the Top 20.

Overall, no team dropped out of the Top 20 this week, while 14 teams experienced a change in their position from the February 24 poll.

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges received 99 points to outdistance California Lutheran University and hold on as the No. 1 team in the Week 6 Women's Varsity Coaches' Division III Top 10 Poll.

The Top 9 teams remain constant for another week as the University of Redlands, Occidental College, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Chapman University, Whittier College, Washington & Jefferson College and Grove City College maintained their locations at No. 3-9 behind Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lutheran.

Overall, the only change in the poll occurred at No. 10 as the University of La Verne, which received votes last week, garnered 28 points this week to overcome former No. 10-ranked Macalester College and break into the rankings.

Macalester, Wheaton College and Carthage College missed out on being among the Top 10 teams this week garnering 17, 6 and 6 points, respectively.

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 fifth 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. 

Following a loss in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) title game, former No. 3 Princeton University drops to No. 5 this week with Indiana University and Brown University rising to fill the No. 3 and 4 positions.

The University of Maryland takes over sole possession of No. 6, with Bucknell University, Harvard University, George Washington University and Mercyhurst College rounding out the Top 10.

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

Washington & Jefferson College received 100 points to top the Collegiate Water Polo Association Coaches' Division III Top 5 Poll for a seventh consecutive week.

W&J is followed by Grove City College, Macalester College, Carthage College (Ill.), and Wheaton College (Ill.) as the Top 5 remains unchanged for another week.

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