CWPA Releases April 7 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 sixth week in a row as the April 7 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 sixth 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 12th consecutive week.

For the first time all season, there are only two changes in the poll as California Baptist University moved into the Top 20 at No. 19 and California State University-Bakersfield dropped to 20th, forcing Brown University out of the Top 20, as 19 of the 20 teams ranked in the March 31 balloting remain in the Top 20 this week.

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges received 98 points to rank at No. 1 in the Week 11 Women's Varsity Coaches Division III Top 10 Poll.

The Sagehens maintain a one-point lead over California Lutheran University as Cal Lutheran picked up 97 points for the second consecutive week.

The University of Redlands and Occidental College are tied for third, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges maintains its position at No. 5.   

Whittier College and Grove City College are now tied for sixth in the poll, with Carthage College, Chapman University and Wheaton College rounding 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.

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 no position changes this week as Indiana University, Brown University, Bucknell University, Princeton University, University of Maryland, Harvard University, George Washington University and Mercyhurst College retained their positions at No. 3-10.

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 fifth week as the Wolverines garnered 100 points to remain a unanimous No. 1 pick in the CWPA Division III Top 5.

The poll is otherwise unchanged from the March 24 and 31 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.