CWPA Releases March 31 Women's Varsity Coaches' Polls; USC Remains at No. 1

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The University of Southern California is a unanimous selection at No. 1 for the fifth week in a row as the March 31 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll was released today by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. In other rankings, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the University of Michigan and Grove City 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

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

USC, which took over the No. 1 ranking 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 11th consecutive week.

The Top Six positions remain unchanged with the University of California, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Hawaii and San Jose State University holding on at No. 3-6.  Loyola Marymount University climbs two spots to to No. 7, while the University of Michigan holds steady at No. 8 and former No. 7 Arizona State University slips to No. 9, one place in front of No. 10 California State University-Northridge.

Hartwick College, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of California-Irvine and San Diego State University remain locked at No. 11-14, respectively, for another week, while Indiana University and University of the Pacific each improved on place to No. 15 and 16.

University of California-San Diego jumps three places to No. 17 as the University of California-Davis, California State University-Bakersfield and previously unranked Brown University round out the Top 20.

Overall, 19 of the 20 teams ranked in the March 17 and 24 Polls remain in Top 20 with Princeton University dropping out this week.

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges received 98 points to rank at No. 1 in the Week 10 Women's Varsity Coaches Division III Top 10 Poll.

The Sagehens, which held a four-point lead over second place California Lutheran University last week and a two point lead two weeks ago, saw the margin dwindle to a single point this week as Cal Lutheran picked up 97 points.

The University of Redlands follows in third place, while Occidental College, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Whittier College, Grove City College, Chapman University, Carthage College (Wisc.) and Wheaton College (Ill.) round out 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 the ninth 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 dramatic changes this week as Indiana University held in third place, but the next five positions all changed due to last week's results.

Brown University jumps to No. 4 and Bucknell University climbs to No. 5 after the Bears and Bison rated No. 5 and 8 a week ago.  Bucknell, which defeated George Washington University, Princeton University and the University of Maryland last week, radically influenced the poll as former No. 4 Princeton slips back to No. 6 and former No. 6 Maryland falls to No. 7 this week.  The shake-up forces Harvard University back one place to No. 8, while George Washington and Mercyhurst College retain their previous spots at No. 9 and 10.

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

Grove City College maintains its position as the top-rated team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Divsion III ranks for a fourth week as the Wolverines garnered 100 points to become a unanimous No. 1 pick in the CWPA Division III Top 5.

The poll is otherwise unchanged from the March 24 balloting as Carthage College (Wisc.), Wheaton College (Ill.), Washington & Jefferson College and Macalester College rate at No. 2-5 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 competes for a Division III Championship in conference and a berth to the self-funded Division III National Collegiate Championship in May.