BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2026 Week 1/January 21 Women’s Varsity National Top 25, Division III Top 10, CWPA Top Five and CWPA Division III Top Five Polls.
Defending National Champions Stanford University and Pomona-Pitzer Colleges remain at No. 1 in the National Top 25 and Division III Top 10 Polls, respectively, while defending CWPA Champion Harvard University attains sole custody of the top position in the CWPA Top 5.
2025 CWPA Division III Champion Augustana College retains the No. 1 position in the CWPA Division IIi Top 5.
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.
2026 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 (Week 1)
Defending National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion Stanford University stays at No. 1 in the 2026 Week 1/January 21 Women’s Varsity National Top 25 Poll.
The Cardinal (99 points), the University of Southern California (97 points) and the University of California-Los Angeles (92 points) stay at No. 1-to-3, while the University of California (88 points) and the University of Hawaii (84 points) exchange the No. 4 and 5 spots.
Long Beach State University (80 points) remains at No. 6 with the duo of Loyola Marymount University (73 points) and Indiana University (73 points) rising to tie at No. 7.
Fresno State University (69 points) and the University of California-Irvine (68 points) complete the Top 10 in the final two positions.
Arizona State University (58 points) slips to No. 11 with San Jose State University (56 points) staying at No. 12.
The University of California-San Diego (48 points) and Harvard University (48 points) are tied at No. 13, Princeton University (46 points) gains sole custody of the No. 15 slot, the University of California-Davis (38 points) ascends to No. 16 and the University of Michigan (33 points) assumes the No. 17 berth.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (31 points), University of the Pacific (28 points), Wagner College (27 points), San Diego State University (20 points), Brown University (19 points), Marist College (14 points), Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (7 points) and Long Island University (3 points) complete the Top 25.
2026 Women’s Varsity Top 25 (Week 1/January 21)
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| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll |
Points |
| 1 |
Stanford University | 1 | 99 |
| 2 |
University of Southern California | 2 | 97 |
| 3 |
University of California-Los Angeles | 3 | 92 |
| 4 | University of California | 5 | 88 |
| 5 |
University of Hawaii | 4 | 84 |
| 6 | Long Beach State University | 6 | 80 |
| 7 (T) | Indiana University |
10 (T) |
73 |
| 7 (T) | Loyola Marymount University |
8 (T) | 73 |
| 9 | Fresno State University | 7 | 69 |
| 10 | University of California-Irvine | 8 (T) | 64 |
| 11 | Arizona State University | 10 (T) | 58 |
| 12 |
San Jose State University | 12 | 56 |
| 13 (T) | Harvard University | 14 | 48 |
| 13 (T) | University of California-San Diego | 13 | 48 |
| 15 | Princeton University | 15 (T) | 46 |
| 16 | University of California-Davis | 17 | 42 |
| 17 |
University of Michigan | 15 (T) |
33 |
| 18 |
University of California-Santa Barbara | 18 | 31 |
| 19 |
University of the Pacific |
19 | 28 |
| 20 |
Wagner College | 20 | 27 |
| 21 |
San Diego State University | 21 | 20 |
| 22 |
Brown University |
22 | 19 |
| 23 |
Marist College | 23 | 14 |
| 24 |
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 24 | 7 |
| 25 | Long Island University | RV | 3 |
| RV | California Baptist University | 25 | 1 |
| RV | California State University-Northridge | RV |
1 |
| RV | Villanova University | RV |
1 |
| RV | La Salle University | RV |
1 |
2026 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1)
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges continues at No. 1 in the 2026 Week 1/January 21 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.
Defending USA Water Polo Division III National Champion Pomona-Pitzer (99 points) falls one point shy of retaining its preseason unanimous No. 1 status as the Sagehens lead a Top 10 which experiences significant changes in the bottom positions of the poll..
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (96 points), California Lutheran University (88 points), Chapman University (85 points), Augustana College (81 points), the University of La Verne (72 points), Austin College (68 points) and Macalester College (60 points) hang on at No. 2-to-8 with previously unranked Whittier College (42 points) and the University of Redlands (26 points) cracking the Top 10.
2026 Women’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/January 21)
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| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
1 | 99 |
| 2 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
2 | 96 |
| 3 |
California Lutheran University |
3 | 88 |
| 4 | Chapman University |
4 | 85 |
| 5 |
Augustana College | 5 | 81 |
| 6 | University of La Verne | 6 | 72 |
| 7 |
Austin College |
7 | 68 |
| 8 | Macalester College |
8 | 60 |
| 9 | Whittier College | NR | 42 |
| 10 | University of Redlands | NR | 26 |
| RV | Occidental College | 10 | 25 |
| RV | Carthage College |
9 | 22 |
| RV | Washington & Jefferson College |
RV | 11 |
2026 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Week 1)
Defending Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Champion Harvard University achieves sole possession of the No. 1 position in the 2026 Week 1/January 21 CWPA Division I Top Five Poll.
The 2025 champion Crimson (97 points) pull in front of 2000, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2023 and 2024 league champion Princeton University (96 points) to remain on top of the CWPA mountain. 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 league champion the University of Michigan (88 points) – which was tied with Harvard and Princeton at No. 1 in the preseason voting – falls into another tie with Brown University (88 points) at No. 3. Bucknell University (81 points) concludes the Top Five.
2026 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 5 (Week 1/January 21)
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| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Harvard University |
1 (T) | 97 |
| 2 | Princeton University | 1 (T) | 96 |
| 3 (T) | University of Michigan | 1 (T) | 88 |
| 3 (T) | Brown University |
4 | 88 |
| 5 | Bucknell University |
5 |
81 |
2026 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Week 1)
The Week 1/January 21 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Top Five poll remains unchanged from the preseason voting with defending champion Augustana College leading the pack.
The Vikings (98 points), Austin College (95 points) and Macalester College (92 points), Carthage College (66 points) and Connecticut College (49 points) account for the Top Five.
2026 Women’s Varsity Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 (Week 1/January 21)
|
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| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll |
Points |
| 1 | Augustana College |
1 | 98 |
| 2 | Austin College |
2 | 95 |
| 3 | Macalester College | 3 | 92 |
| 4 | Carthage College |
4 | 66 |
| 5 | Connecticut College |
5 | 49 |
| RV | Washington & Jefferson College |
RV | 33 |
| RV | Grove City College |
RV | 17 |
