BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2024 Preseason Women’s Varsity National Top 25, Division III Top 10, CWPA Top Five and CWPA Division III Top Five Polls.
The question of the top team in the county remains unanswered as defending National Champion Stanford University and the University of Southern California rate in a tie on top of the National Top 25 rankings, while Pomona-Pitzer Colleges – which garnered the 2023 USA Water Polo Division III Collegiate Championship – is favored to repeat in the Division III Top 10 balloting.
2023 CWPA Division I (Princeton University) and Division III (Augustana College) champions start the new campaign at No. 1 in the CWPA Top Five and CWPA Division III Top Five Polls, respectively.
The Division II National Top Five poll is tabled for the 2024 season pending approval by the competing institutions.
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 will be compiled and released on Wednesday during the season starting on January 24.
2024 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 (Preseason)
Stanford University and the University of Southern California are deadlocked at No. 1 in the 2024 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 Preseason Poll.
The Cardinal (96 points) and Trojans (96 points) – which rated at No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the final voting last season – lead a Top 25 which experiences moderate changes from the final balloting of the 2023 season.
The University of California-Los Angeles (91 points) remains on the tail of Stanford and USC at No. 3, while the University of California (90 points) jumps three spots from the Golden Bears’ final 2023 rating to hold down the No. 4 spot.
The University of California-Irvine (82 points) and the University of Hawaii (82 points) rate in a tie at No. 5 with Long Beach State University (76 points), Princeton University (70 points), Fresno State University (69 points) and the University of California-San Diego (62 points) completing the Top 10.
The University of California-Davis (57 points), the University of California-Santa Barbara (50 points), the University of Michigan (48 points), Arizona State University (47 points) and Indiana University (40 points) begin the new season at No. 11-to-15, respectively, while University of the Pacific (38 points) and Harvard University (35 points) rate at No. 16 and 17.
Loyola Marymount University (34 points) and San Jose State University (34 points) are tied at No. 18 with Wagner College (26 points) holding down the No. 20 spot.
Long Island University (18 points) and California State University-Northridge (18 points) share the No. 21 position with San Diego State University (13 points) and Brown University (5 points) achieving the No. 23 and 24 spots.
The final position in the Top 25 is shared by three programs as Marist College (3 points), Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (3 points) and Biola University (3 points) are tied.
2024 Women’s Varsity Top 25 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2023 Poll |
Points |
| 1 (T) |
Stanford University |
1 | 96 |
| 1 (T) |
University of Southern California |
2 |
96 |
| 3 |
University of California-Los Angeles | 3 | 91 |
| 4 | University of California |
7 | 90 |
| 5 (T) |
University of California-Irvine |
4 (T) |
82 |
| 5 (T) | University of Hawaii |
6 |
82 |
| 7 |
Long Beach State University |
8 |
76 |
| 8 |
Princeton University |
4 (T) |
70 |
| 9 |
Fresno State University |
9 | 69 |
| 10 | University of California-San Diego |
10 |
62 |
| 11 |
University of California-Davis |
11 |
57 |
| 12 |
University of California-Santa Barbara |
14 (T) |
50 |
| 13 |
University of Michigan |
14 (T) |
48 |
| 14 |
Arizona State University |
16 |
47 |
| 15 |
Indiana University |
17 |
40 |
| 16 |
University of the Pacific |
12 (T) |
38 |
| 17 |
Harvard University |
12 (T) |
35 |
| 18 (T) |
Loyola Marymount University |
18 | 34 |
| 18 (T) |
San Jose State University |
19 | 34 |
| 20 |
Wagner College |
20 (T) |
26 |
| 21 (T) |
Long Island University |
20 (T) |
18 |
| 21 (T) |
California State University-Northridge |
22 (T) |
18 |
| 23 |
San Diego State University |
22 (T) |
13 |
| 24 |
Brown University |
22 (T) |
5 |
| 25 (T) |
Marist College |
RV |
3 |
| 25 (T) | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
25 |
3 |
| 25 (T) | Biola University | RV |
3 |
2024 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Preseason)
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges commences the 2024 season at No. 1 in the Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Preseason Poll.
Pomona-Pitzer (100 points) is a unanimous top selection with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (95 points) and California Lutheran University (89 points) also retaining their final 2023 positions at No 2 and 3, respectively.
The University of Redlands (82 points) moves up to No. 4 with the University of La Verne (79 points) completing an All-California Top Five.
Augustana College (75 points) breaks up the West Coast run at No. 6 with Chapman University (73 points), Whittier College (62 points), Macalester College (55 points) and Austin College (39 points) concluding the Top 10.
2024 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | 2023 Final Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
1 | 100 |
| 2 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
2 | 95 |
| 3 |
California Lutheran University |
3 |
89 |
| 4 | University of Redlands |
5 (T) | 82 |
| 5 |
University of La Verne |
4 | 79 |
| 6 | Augustana College |
5 (T) | 75 |
| 7 |
Chapman University |
9 | 73 |
| 8 | Whittier College |
8 |
62 |
| 9 | Macalester College |
10 | 55 |
| 10 | Austin College |
7 | 39 |
| RV | Occidental College |
RV | 26 |
2024 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Preseason)
Defending Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Champion Princeton University is slightly favored to capture another title in 2024 as the Tigers acquire the No. 1 spot in the 2024 CWPA Division I Top Five Preseason Poll.
The 2000, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2023 league champion Tigers (98 points) hold a narrow two-point margin over 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 league champion Michigan (96 points) for the lead position. 2022 and 2023 CWPA Championship runner-up Harvard University (91 points) comes in at No. 3 with Brown University (67 points) holding down the No. 4 spot.
Bucknell University (49 points) and Saint Francis University (49 points) complete the Top Five as the Bison and Red Flash are tied at No. 5.
2024 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2023 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Princeton University |
1 | 98 |
| 2 |
University of Michigan |
3 | 96 |
| 3 | Harvard University |
2 | 91 |
| 4 |
Brown University |
5 | 67 |
| 5 (T) | Saint Francis University |
4 |
49 |
| 5 (T) |
Bucknell University |
NR |
49 |
2024 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Preseason)
2023 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Champion Augustana College is the top-ranked program in the 2024 CWPA Division III Top Five Preseason Poll.
The Vikings (97 points) achieve preseason favorite status by two-points over 2017, 2018 and 2019 CWPA Division III Champion Macalester College (95 points) and four points compared to 2021 and 2022 CWPA Division III Champion Austin College (93 points).
Carthage College (83 points) and Connecticut College (66 points) rate at No. 4 and 5, respectively, to conclude the preseason rankings.
2024 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2023 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Augustana College |
1 | 97 |
| 2 |
Macalester College |
3 | 95 |
| 3 | Austin College | 2 | 93 |
| 4 | Carthage College |
NR | 83 |
| 5 | Connecticut College |
4 | 66 |
| RV | Grove City College |
NR | 16 |
