BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of Southern California enters the season as the top team in the nation as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2020 Women’s Varsity National Top 25, Division III Top 10, CWPA Top Five and CWPA Division III Top Five Polls.
California Lutheran University (Division III), the University of Michigan (CWPA Top Five) and Macalester College (CWPA Division III Top Five) begin the new year where they ended the 2019 campaign – at No. 1 in their respective rankings.
Voted on by a panel of coaches from the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), the Golden Coast Conference, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Big West Conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and the CWPA based on the cumulative results of the season, the polls are compiled and released on Wednesday during the season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.
2020 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 (Preseason)
The University of Southern California, which concluded the 2019 season at No. 2 in the nation, opens 2020 as the top-ranked team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Women’s Varsity National Top 25 Poll.
USC (98 points) holds a three point lead over fellow Mountain Pacific Sports Federation programs Stanford University (95 points) and the University of California-Los Angeles (95 points) as the defending National Champion Cardinal and the Bruins are tied for the No. 2 position.
The University of California (88 points) starts the new season where it concluded the previous one – at No. 4 – with the University of California-Irvine (81 points), the University of Hawaii (80 points), the University of Michigan (74 points), Arizona State University (70 points), University of the Pacific (67 points) and the University of California-Davis (64 points) accounting for the remainder of the Top 10 at No. 5-to-10, respectively.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (63 points), Loyola Marymount University (51 points), the University of California-San Diego (49 points) and Fresno State University (46 points) rate at No. 11-to-14, with the duo of Princeton University (41 points) and Long Beach State University (41 points) tying at No. 15.
Harvard University (38 points), San Jose State University (31 points), San Diego State University (28 points), Bucknell University (24 points), Wagner College (22 points) and California State University-Northridge (13 points) stand at No. 17-to-22 with Indiana University (12 points) and Marist College (12 points) tying at No. 23.
Azusa Pacific University (9 points) completes the Top 25.
2020 Women’s Varsity Top 25 (Preseason) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Final Poll |
Points |
| 1 |
University of Southern California |
2 | 98 |
| 2 (T) |
Stanford University | 1 | 95 |
| 2 (T) |
University of California-Los Angeles |
3 | 95 |
| 4 | University of California |
4 | 88 |
| 5 | University of California-Irvine |
7 | 81 |
| 6 |
University of Hawaii |
5 |
80 |
| 7 |
University of Michigan |
6 | 74 |
| 8 | Arizona State University |
10 | 70 |
| 9 |
University of the Pacific |
8 | 67 |
| 10 | University of California-Davis |
11 |
64 |
| 11 | University of California-Santa Barbara |
9 |
63 |
| 12 |
Loyola Marymount University |
12 |
51 |
| 13 |
University of California-San Diego |
14 |
49 |
| 14 |
Fresno State University |
16 |
46 |
| 15 (T) |
Princeton University |
15 |
41 |
| 15 (T) |
Long Beach State University |
13 | 41 |
| 17 |
Harvard University |
20 (T) |
38 |
| 18 |
San Jose State University |
20 (T) |
31 |
| 19 | San Diego State University |
18 |
28 |
| 20 |
Bucknell University |
17 |
24 |
| 21 | Wagner College |
19 | 22 |
| 22 | California State University-Northridge |
22 (T) |
13 |
| 23 (T) |
Indiana University |
RV |
12 |
| 23 (T) |
Marist College |
24 |
12 |
| 25 | Azusa Pacfic University |
22 (T) |
9 |
| RV | California Baptist University |
25 | 8 |
| RV | California State University-East Bay |
NR |
1 |
2020 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Preseason)
California Lutheran University will begin the 2020 season where the Regals concluded 2019 – as the No. 1-ranked team in Division III – by topping the Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Preseason Poll. Cal Lutheran (99 points) falls one vote shy of ranking as the unanimous top Division III team in the land.
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (92 points), Whittier College (89 points), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (86 points) and the University of La Verne (81 points) rate at No. 2-to-5, with the quintet of the University of Redlands (76 points), Chapman University (71 points), Occidental College (51 points), Macalester College (49 points) and Austin College (47 points) completing the Top 10.
2020 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Preseason) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Final Poll | Points |
| 1 |
California Lutheran University |
1 |
99 |
| 2 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
2 |
92 |
| 3 |
Whittier College |
4 |
89 |
| 4 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 6 |
86 |
| 5 |
University of La Verne |
3 |
81 |
| 6 | University of Redlands |
5 |
76 |
| 7 | Chapman University |
7 | 71 |
| 8 | Occidental College |
9 | 51 |
| 9 | Macalester College |
8 | 49 |
| 10 | Austin College |
10 | 47 |
| RV | Monmouth College |
RV | 24 |
| RV | Connecticut College |
RV | 11 |
2020 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Preseason)
Defending Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Champion the University of Michigan enters the 2020 season as the favorite as the Wolverines are the top pick in the Women’s Varsity CWPA Top Five Poll.
Michigan (99 points) falls one vote shy of claiming status as a unanimous No. 1 selection. Princeton University (93 points) and Harvard University (92 points) stand at No. 2 and 3, respectively, with Bucknell University (86 points) and Brown University (80 points) attaining the No. 4 and 5 slots.
2020 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Preseason) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Final Poll |
Points |
| 1 | University of Michigan |
1 | 99 |
| 2 |
Princeton University |
2 | 93 |
| 3 | Harvard University |
4 | 92 |
| 4 | Bucknell University |
3 | 86 |
| 5 | Brown University |
5 | 80 |
| RV | George Washington University | 7 | 44 |
| RV | Saint Francis University | 6 | 43 |
2020 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 10 (Preseason)
Macalester College, which captured the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Championships, will once again begin a season as the hunted thanks to rating at No. 1 in the 2020 CWPA Division III Top Five Poll.
Macalester (98 points), which rates with Grove City College (2010-2012) and Connecticut College (2013-2016) as the sole teams to ever claim the CWPA Division III league crown, holds a four-point lead over runner-up Austin College (94 points) with Monmouth College (91 points) holding down the No. 3 spot.
Carthage College (70 points) and Grove City College (48 points) complete the Top Five.
2020 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Preseason) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2019 Final Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Macalester College |
1 | 98 |
| 2 | Austin College |
2 | 94 |
| 3 | Monmouth College |
3 | 91 |
| 4 | Carthage College |
4 | 70 |
| 5 | Grove City College |
5 | 48 |
| RV | Connecticut College |
RV | 32 |
| RV | Wittenberg University |
RV | 17 |
