BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of Southern California remains the top-ranked team in women’s water polo as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2021 Week 8/March 31 Women’s Varsity National Top 25, Division III Top 5, CWPA Top 4 and CWPA Division III Top 5 Polls.
The University of Michigan remains unanimous top selection in the CWPA Top 4 Poll, while Austin College becomes a unanimous leader in the CWPA Division III Top 5. California Lutheran University also maintains top billing in the Division III Top 5 Poll.
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.
2021 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 (Week 8/March 31)
The University of Southern California stays at No. 1 in the Week 8/March 31 Women’s Varsity Top 25 Poll.
USC (100 points) achieves status as a unanimous No. 1 pick and expands its lead to five points over Stanford University (95 points) after holding a three-point margin last week. Stanford, the University of California-Los Angeles (93 points) and Arizona State University (88 points) hang on at No. 2-to-4, respectively, with the University of California-Irvine (81 points) inching ahead of the University of California (80 points) to assume sole possession of the No. 5 position.
California slips to No. 6 with the University of Michigan (74 points) and the University of Hawaii (73 points) sticking at No. 7 and 8, respectively, for another seven-day run.
The first major change in the Top 25 comes at No. 9 as the University of California-San Diego (69 points) and the University of California-Davis (61 points) rise to No. 9 and 10 with the University of California-Santa Barbara (59 points) following at No. 11. Fresno State University (57 points) drops back to No. 12 with University of the Pacific (52 points) and San Diego State University (49 points) coming in at No. 13 and 14.
Indiana University (42 points) assumes the No. 15 slot with Long Beach State University (41 points), San Jose State University (40 points), California Baptist University (30 points) and Loyola Marymount University (29 points) hanging on at No. 16-to-19.
Marist College (21 points), Azusa Pacific University (20 points), Bucknell University (14 points), Santa Clara University (11 points), Iona College (6 points) and La Salle University (4 points) complete the Top 25.
2021 Women’s Varsity Top 25 (Week 8/March 31)
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| Rank | Team | Week 7 Poll |
Points |
| 1 |
University of Southern California |
1 | 100 |
| 2 |
Stanford University |
2 | 95 |
| 3 |
University of California-Los Angeles | 3 | 93 |
| 4 | Arizona State University |
4 | 88 |
| 5 |
University of California-Irvine | 5 (T) |
81 |
| 6 | University of California |
5 (T) |
80 |
| 7 |
University of Michigan | 7 |
74 |
| 8 |
University of Hawaii |
8 |
73 |
| 9 |
University of California-San Diego |
10 | 69 |
| 10 | University of California-Davis |
11 |
61 |
| 11 |
University of California-Santa Barbara |
12 |
59 |
| 12 |
Fresno State University |
9 |
57 |
| 13 |
University of the Pacific |
13 |
52 |
| 14 |
San Diego State University |
15 |
49 |
| 15 |
Indiana University | 14 |
42 |
| 16 |
Long Beach State University |
16 |
41 |
| 17 |
San Jose State University |
17 |
40 |
| 18 |
California Baptist University | 18 | 30 |
| 19 |
Loyola Marymount University |
19 | 29 |
| 20 |
Marist College |
20 (T) | 21 |
| 21 |
Azusa Pacific University | 20 (T) |
20 |
| 22 |
Bucknell University |
22 (T) |
14 |
| 23 |
Santa Clara University |
22 (T) |
11 |
| 24 |
Iona College |
24 (T) |
6 |
| 25 |
La Salle University | 24 (T) |
4 |
| RV | Salem University |
RV |
3 |
| RV | Austin College |
NR | 3 |
| RV | Saint Francis University | RV | 2 |
| RV | Concordia University |
NR | 2 |
| RV | Villanova University |
RV | 2 |
2021 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 5 (Week 2/March 31)
California Lutheran University retains its preseason and Week 1 ranking at No. 1 in the Week 2/March 31 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 5 Poll.
The Division III rankings are unique for 2021 as Cal Lutheran, Chapman University and the University of Redlands of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) elected to compete, while the California Institute of Technology, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Occidental College, the University of La Verne, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and Whittier College are taking off the season due to the pandemic. In the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA), Connecticut College, Macalester College, Utica College and Washington & Jefferson College are competing in minimal schedules and Monmouth College is taking off the season prior to eliminating women’s water polo following the 2020-21 academic year. Austin College, Carthage College, Grove City College, Penn State Behrend and Wittenberg University will contest full CWPA Division III league seasons.
Due to the number of teams competing, the normally Division III Top 10 poll was cut down to five teams to maintain proportionality between the number of competing programs and national ranking size.
Cal Lutheran (99 points) and Redlands (94 points) stay at No. 1 and 2, while Chapman (92 points) takes over sole possession of No. 3 after tying with Austin (88 points) last week.
Wittenberg (81 points) completes the Top 5 as the Tigers break into the rankings after receiving votes last week.
2021 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 5 (Week 2/March 31)
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| Rank | Team | Week 1 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | California Lutheran University |
1 | 95 |
| 2 |
University of Redlands |
2 | 94 |
| 3 |
Chapman University |
3 (T) |
92 |
| 4 | Austin College |
3 (T) |
88 |
| 5 | Wittenberg University |
5 |
81 |
2021 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 4 (Week 8/March 31)
Four-time defending Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Champion the University of Michigan remains the top team in the league as the Wolverines lead the 2021 CWPA Division I Week 8/March 31 Top Four Poll as a unanimous No. 1 selection.
The 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 league champion, Michigan (100 points) holds a six-point lead over runner-up Bucknell University (94 points) as the poll remains unchanged from last week.
Saint Francis University (91 points) and first-year varsity program Mount St. Mary’s University (85 points) complete the Top 4.
2021 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 4 (Week 8/March 31)
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| Rank | Team | Week 7 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | University of Michigan |
1 | 100 |
| 2 |
Bucknell University |
2 | 94 |
| 3 | Saint Francis University |
3 | 91 |
| 4 | Mount St. Mary’s University |
4 |
85 |
2021 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Week 3/March 31)
2019 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III runner-up Austin College maintains its preseason, Week 1 and Week 2 rankings as the Kangaroos stand at No. 1 in the Week 3/March 31 CWPA Division III Top 5 Poll.
A unanimous top selection, the ‘Roos margin in the poll over runner-up Wittenberg University (94 points) expands to six points after standing at a single vote (96-to-95) last week.
Penn State Behrend (84 points) stays at No. 3 with previously unranked Washington & Jefferson College (52 points) cracking the Top Five at No. 4.
Grove City College (49 points) completes the rankings in the final position.
2021 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Week 3/March 31)
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|||
| Rank | Team | Week 2 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Austin College |
1 | 100 |
| 2 |
Wittenberg University |
2 | 95 |
| 3 | Penn State Behrend |
3 | 84 |
| 4 | Washington & Jefferson College |
NR | 52 |
| 5 | Grove City College |
5 | 49 |
| RV | Macalester College |
RV | 36 |
| RV | Connecticut College |
RV | 34 |
