USC & UCLA Share No. 1 in May 5 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Both the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Southern California return to the No. 1 spot in the country as the May 5 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 remain No. 1 in the Division III, CWPA and CWPA Division III Polls.

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

In a week which saw the No. 1 team in the nation fall in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinals, the No. 1 team in the country becomes plural as of the May 5 National Top 20 Poll as MPSF champion the Univeristy of California-Los Angeles and runner-up the University of Southern California are tied for the No. 1 ranking in the nation.

The ranking marks the ninth time the Trojans have held the No. 1 ranking this year, while it marks the first time that defending national champion UCLA is rated as the best team in the nation.

Overall, the Trojans and Bruins replace Stanford University at No. 1 as the Cardinal returned to the No. 1 spot last week for the first time following an eight week run by USC.

The ranking of USC and UCLA ends one streak as Stanford drops to No. 3 terminating a 15-week run by the Cardinal among the Top Two teams in the nation.

In addition, the dual No. 1 rankings marks a historical milestone in collegiate sports as the Bruins and Trojans, who both received bids to the 2010 Women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship at San Diego State University next weekend, were also tied at No. 1 entering the 2009 Men's NCAA Championship.  At the men's championship hosted by Princeton University, USC defeated MPSF champion UCLA 7-6 to win the men's national championship.

It marks the first time in the history of a sport in which an NCAA Championship is contested for both men and women (soccer, lacrosse, tennis, golf, swimming, etc.) that the same two teams will enter the championship tied at No. 1 in the same academic year.

Behind USC, UCLA and Stanford, the remainder of the Top 20 Poll also experienced radical changes as the University of California slipped to No. 4, the University of Hawaii stays at No. 5 for another week and the University of Michigan jumps to No. 6.

Loyola Marymount University, San Jose State University, San Diego State University and Arizona State University round out the Top 10 as only Hawaii retained its ranking from the April 28 poll among this week's Top 10 squads.

The University of California-Irvine drops to No. 11, with Indiana University moving up to No. 12 and California State University-Northridge holding firm at No. 13.  The University of the Pacific, University of California-Santa Barbara, Princeton University, Hartwick College, University of California-San Diego, University of California-Davis and Marist College round out the Top 20 as only four of the teams in the April 28 Poll retained its ranking this week.

2010 Varsity Top 20 (Week 15 - May 5)

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges remains at the top spot in the Division III National Top 10 Poll as the Sagehens garnered 99 points.

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) champion Sagehens are followed by Occidental College, California Lutheran University, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges and the University of Redlands as the Top Five teams in the nation are from California.

Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III champion Grove City College rates at No. 6 for another week, while Whittier College and Carthage College are tied for seventh with Wheaton College and Washington & Jefferson College rounding out the Top 10.

Women's Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Poll

Five-time Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern champion the University of Michigan (2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 200) 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 and rolled to the program's third consecutive and fifth overall Eastern title over the weekend.

The rankings reflect the results of the 2010 Eastern Championship as Indiana University, Princeton University, Hartwick College, Bucknell University, Brown University, University of Maryland, Harvard University, George Washington University and Mercyhurst College rank No. 2-10, respectively.

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

The poll is reflective of the final standings at the 2010 CWPA Division III Championship from two weeks ago at Utica College as Carthage College (Wisc.), Wheaton College (Ill.), Washington & Jefferson College and Connecticut College rate at No. 2-5.