BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2025 Preseason Women’s Varsity National Top 25, Division III Top 10, CWPA Top Five and CWPA Division III Top Five Polls.
Defending National Champion the University of California-Los Angeles will begin the new year at No. 1 in the National Top 25 rankings by the narrowest of margins, while Pomona-Pitzer Colleges – which garnered the 2024 USA Water Polo Division III Collegiate Championship – is favored to repeat in the Division III Top 10 balloting.
2024 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.
Voted on by a panel of coaches from around the country based on the cumulative results of the season, the polls will be compiled and released on Wednesday during the season starting the Wednesday following the first regular season contest.
2025 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 (Preseason)
The University of California-Los Angeles will commence the new year and season at No. 1 in the 2025 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 Preseason Poll.
The Bruins (98 points) holds a one point lead over Stanford University (97 points) for the top spot with the University of Southern California (91 points), the University of California (89 points) and the University of Hawaii (84 points) following at No. 3-to-5, respectively.
The University of California-Irvine (76 points) and Princeton University (76 points) will open the 2025 campaign tied at No. 6, while Long Beach State University (72 points), Fresno State (71 points) and Loyola Marymount University (63 points) round out the Top 10.
Indiana University (57 points), the University of California-San Diego (52 points), Arizona State University (50 points), the University of Michigan (49 points) and the University of California-Davis (43 points) rate at No. 11-to-15 with the quintet of California State University-Northridge (38 points), the University of California-Santa Barbara (35 points), San Jose State University (34 points), University of the Pacific (25 points) and Harvard University (22 points) acquiring the No. 16-to-20 berths.
Wagner College (21 points), Brown University (20 points), San Diego State University (19 points) and Long Island University (8 points) come in at No. 21-to-24 with the duo of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (2 points) and California Baptist University (2 points) sharing the No. 25 position.
2025 Women’s Varsity Top 25 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2024 Poll |
Points |
| 1 |
University of California-Los Angeles |
1 | 98 |
| 2 |
Stanford University |
4 |
97 |
| 3 |
University of Southern California | 5 | 91 |
| 4 | University of California |
2 | 89 |
| 5 |
University of Hawaii |
3 |
84 |
| 6 (T) | University of California-Irvine |
8 |
76 |
| 6 (T) |
Princeton University |
10 (T) |
76 |
| 8 |
Long Beach State University |
6 (T) |
72 |
| 9 |
Fresno State |
6 (T) | 71 |
| 10 | Loyola Marymount University |
9 |
63 |
| 11 |
Indiana University |
12 (T) |
57 |
| 12 |
University of California-San Diego |
12 (T) |
52 |
| 13 |
Arizona State University |
10 (T) |
50 |
| 14 |
University of Michigan |
14 |
49 |
| 15 |
University of California-Davis |
15 |
43 |
| 16 |
California State University-Northridge |
16 (T) |
38 |
| 17 |
University of California-Santa Barbara |
16 (T) |
35 |
| 18 |
San Jose State University |
19 | 34 |
| 19 |
University of the Pacific |
23 | 25 |
| 20 |
Harvard University |
21 (T) |
22 |
| 21 |
Wagner College |
18 |
21 |
| 22 |
Brown University |
20 |
20 |
| 23 |
San Diego State University |
21 (T) |
19 |
| 24 |
Long Island University |
24 |
8 |
| 25 (T) |
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
25 |
2 |
| 25 (T) | California Baptist University |
NR |
2 |
| RV | Marist College |
RV |
1 |
| RV | Salem University | RV |
1 |
| RV | Biola University | RV |
1 |
2025 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Preseason)
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges begins the 2025 season at No. 1 in the Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Preseason Poll.
Pomona-Pitzer (98 points) holds a slim lead over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (97 points) with California Lutheran University (88 points) and Chapman University (87 points) kicking off the new season at No. 3 and 4.
The University of La Verne (74 points), Whittier College (66 points), Augustana College (52 points), Macalester College (50 points), the University of Redlands (50 points) and Austin College (40 points) complete the Top 10.
2025 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2024 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
1 | 98 |
| 2 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
2 | 97 |
| 3 |
California Lutheran University |
3 (T) |
88 |
| 4 | Chapman University |
3 (T) | 87 |
| 5 |
University of La Verne |
5 | 74 |
| 6 | Whittier College |
9 | 66 |
| 7 |
Augustana College |
6 | 61 |
| 8 | Macalester College |
8 |
52 |
| 9 | University of Redlands |
RV | 50 |
| 10 | Austin College |
7 | 40 |
| RV | Occidental College |
NR | 28 |
| RV | Washington & Jefferson College |
10 | 22 |
| RV | California Institute of Technology |
NR | 12 |
2025 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Preseason)
Defending Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Champion Princeton University is favored to capture another title in 2025 as the Tigers acquire the No. 1 spot in the CWPA Division I Top Five Preseason Poll.
The 2000, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2023 and 2024 league champion Tigers (98 points) hold a slight three-point margin over 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 league champion the University of Michigan (95 points) for the lead position. Brown University (90 points), Harvard University (87 points) and Bucknell University (48 points) round out the remainder of the Top Five.
2025 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2024 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Princeton University |
1 | 98 |
| 2 |
University of Michigan |
2 | 95 |
| 3 | Brown University |
4 | 90 |
| 4 |
Harvard University |
3 | 87 |
| 5 | Bucknell University |
5 |
48 |
| RV |
Saint Francis University |
RV |
32 |
2025 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Preseason)
2023 and 2024 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Champion Augustana College is the top-ranked program in the 2025 CWPA Division III Top Five Preseason Poll.
The Vikings (100 points) achieve unanimous preseason favorite status with 2017, 2018 and 2019 CWPA Division III Champion Macalester College (92 points) and 2021 and 2022 CWPA Division III Champion Austin College (92 points) tying at No. 2.
Washington & Jefferson College (68 points) and Carthage College (50 points) rate at No. 4 and 5, respectively, to conclude the preseason rankings.
2025 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Preseason)
|
|||
| Rank | Team | Final 2024 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Augustana College |
1 | 100 |
| 2 (T) |
Austin College |
2 | 92 |
| 2 (T) | Macalester College | 3 | 92 |
| 4 | Washington & Jefferson College |
4 | 68 |
| 5 | Carthage College |
RV | 50 |
| RV | Connecticut College |
5 | 48 |
