2021 Men’s Varsity Week 1/September 8 Polls Released; The University of California-Los Angeles Remains No. 1

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California-Los Angeles retains its position as the top-ranked team in the nation as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2021 Week 1/September 8 Men’s Varsity National Top 20, Division III Top 10, Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five and Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Polls.

Change comes in the first week of voting as Pomona-Pitzer Colleges takes over at No. 1 in the Division III Poll, while Fordham University assumes top-billing in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five.  Further, Princeton University – which was tied with Harvard University at No. 1 in the Preseason ranking – acquires sole possession of the lead position in the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five ranking.

Voted on by a panel of coaches from the MAWPC, NWPC, Golden Coast Conference, Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), SCIAC and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the polls will be compiled and released on Wednesday during each week of the season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.

2021 Men’s Varsity National Top 20 (Week 1)

The University of California-Los Angeles retains the top spot through one week competition in the 2021 Week 1/September 8 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.

The Bruins (98 points), who defeated the University of Southern California by a 7-6 score on March 21, 2021, for the delayed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship, see their lead over the Trojans dwindle from three points (98-to-95) down to two (98-to-96) as USC (96 points) inches closer.  Stanford University (89 points), which stood at No. 4 in the Preseason rankings, moves into a tie with the University of California (89 points) at No. 3, while the University of California-Santa Barbara (80 points) rises one spot to crack the Top Five.

Long Beach State University (72 points) also moves up to take over at No. 6 with University of the Pacific (71 points) holding on at No. 7.  The University of California-San Diego (61 points) and the University of California-Davis (58 points) – which were tied at No. 9 last week – also move up to rate at No. 8 and 9 with Pepperdine University (55 points) slipping back to No. 10.

San Jose State University (51 points) and Princeton University (40 points) follow the pattern and rise to No. 11 and 12, respectively, with the University of California-Irvine (38 points) retaining the No. 13 position for another seven-day run.

California Baptist University (36 points) takes over sole possession of the No. 14 slot and Santa Clara University (22 points) – which received votes last week – cracks the Top 20 at No. 15.

Bucknell University (20 points) and Fordham University (20 points) are tied at No. 16, while Harvard University (16 points), Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (14 points) and Loyola Marymount University (12 points) complete the Top 20.

2021 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1)

The Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges take command of the small college rankings by assuming the lead position in the 2021 Week 1/September 8 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.

Pomona-Pitzer (100 points), which was ranked at No. 3 in the Preseason balloting, is a unanimous top selection.  California Lutheran University (93 points) – which rated at No. 4 last week – moves up to No. 2 with previously No. 1 and 2 Whittier College (88 points) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (84 points) dropping back to No. 3 and 4.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (81 points) breaks a tie with Johns Hopkins University (74 points) as the Engineers and Blue Jays stand at No. 5 and 6, while Chapman University (70 points), Occidental College (57 points), Austin College (52 points) and the University of Redlands (68 points) complete the Top 10.

2021 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1)

Fordham University – which was tied with the United States Naval Academy at No. 2 in the Preseason voting – leapfrogs defending league champion Bucknell University to rate at No. 1 in the 2021 Week 1/September 8 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll.

Fordham (96 points) edges out Bucknell (94 points) and Navy (93 points) for the top spot with George Washington University (87 points) and previously unranked Wagner College (48 points) rating at No. 4 and 5, respectively.

The MAWPC features 12 teams as Bucknell, Fordham, George Washington, Navy, Johns Hopkins University, Wagner and Mount St. Mary’s University comprise the Eastern Region, with Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Salem University, Washington & Jefferson College and McKendree University competing in the Western Region.

2021 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1)

Princeton University takes over at No. 1 in the 2021 Week 1/September 8 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five Poll.

The 2018 NWPC Champion Tigers (100 points) – which were tied with three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University at No. 1 in the Preseason voting – stand as a unanimous top selection.  Harvard (94 points) drops back to No. 2 with Brown University (90 points), St. Francis College Brooklyn (86 points) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (64 points) remaining at No. 3-to-5.

The NWPC expands to seven teams in 2021 as former Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-West member Connecticut College joins Brown, Harvard, Iona College, MIT, Princeton and St. Francis Brooklyn.