BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- Through one week of action, the top teams in the nation remain the same as
Stanford University and
Occidental College held onto their No. 1 preseason national rankings to top the Women's Varsity Top 20 and Division III Top 10 polls released today by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. In the CWPA polls, defending conference champion the University of Michigan and Grove City College continue to rate No. 1 in the league's Division I and Division III polls, respectively.
Voted on by a panel of coaches and administrators from around the country during the preseason and each week of the season based on the cumulative results of each team, the Varsity Top 20, Division III Top 10 and Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 10 polls are released on Wednesday during the season until the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.
Women's Varsity Top 20
Following a 4-0 mark at the University of Michigan Kick-Off Tournament over the weekend, Stanford University survives to hold onto the No. 1 spot in the nation for another week as the Cardinal garnered 99 points to hang on in the January 26 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll.
Ranked No. 1 in the preseason with 98 points to edge out defending National Champion the University of Southern California (USC), are followed in order by USC, the University of California, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Hawaii and Loyola Marymount University as the sextet held their rankings from the preseason poll.
The first change in the poll comes at No. 7 as the University of Michigan Wolverines used a narrow loss to UCLA and a defeat of prior No. 7 ranked team San Jose State University at home in the Michigan Kick-Off Tournament to move up one position. Arizona State University also moves up a spot to take over at No. 8, while SJSU slides to No. 9.
The University of California-Irvine and University of California-Santa Barbara exchange places with Irvine moving into the Top 10, while California State University-Northridge, Hartwick College and Indiana University complete the Top 15.
In the final five positions, four teams moved around as the University of California-Davis and Princeton University trade the No. 16 and 17 spots, while the University of California-San DiegoUniversity of the Pacific exchange places at No. 18 and 19. California State Univeristy-Bakersfield completes the poll at No. 20. and
2011 Varsity Top 20 (Week 1 - January 26) |
Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Stanford University
| 1 | 99 |
| 2 | University of Southern California
| 2 | 96 |
| 3 | University of California
| 3 | 87 |
| 4 | University of California, Los Angeles
| 4 | 85 |
| 5 | University of Hawaii
| 5 | 81 |
| 6 | Loyola Marymount University
| 6 | 74 |
| 7 | University of Michigan
| 8 | 73 |
| 8 | Arizona State University
| 9 | 64 |
| 9 | San Jose State University
| 7 | 61 |
| 10 | University of California, Irvine
| 11 | 52 |
| 11 | San Diego State University
| 10 | 50 |
| 12 | University of California, Santa Barbara
| 12
| 43 |
13
| California State University, Northridge
| 15 | 40 |
| 14 | Hartwick College
| 14 | 31 |
| 15 | Indiana University
| 13 | 30 |
| 16 | University of California, Davis
| 17 | 27 |
| 17 | Princeton University
| 16 | 26 |
| 18 | University of California, San Diego
| 19 | 13 |
| 19 | University of the Pacific
| 18 | 11 |
| 20 | California State University, Bakersfield
| 20 | 8 |
| RV | Colorado State University
| RV | 1 |
| RV | California Baptist University
| RV | 1 |
| RV | Iona College | RV | 1 |
| RV | California State University, East Bay
| NR | 1 |
Women's Varsity Division III Top 10
With limited action during the first weekend of the season, Occidental College continues to stand at No. 1 in the 2011 Women's Division III Top 10 as the Tigers once garnered 98 points to edge out Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (No. 2, 94 points) and the University of Redlands (No. 3, 88 points).
California Lutheran University, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Whittier College and Chapman UniversityCarthage College of Illinois and Grove City College of Pennsylvania mark the first non-Golden State programs to crack the Top 10. complete an All-California first seven in the poll, as
University of La Verne completes the Top 10, with Wheaton College, Washington & Jefferson College and Macalester College receiving votes to miss out on cracking the poll for second consecutive balloting cycle.
2011 Division III Poll (Week 1 - January 26) |
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Occidental College
| 1 | 98 |
| 2 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges
| 2 | 94 |
3
| University of Redlands
| 3
| 88 |
4
| California Lutheran University
| 4 | 87 |
| 5 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges
| 5 | 84 |
| 6 | Whittier College
| 6 | 71 |
| 7 | Chapman University
| 7 | 67 |
| 8 | Carthage College
| 8 | 60 |
| 9 | Grove City College
| 9 | 55 |
| 10 | University of La Verne
| 10 | 45 |
| RV | Wheaton College
| RV | 12 |
| RV | Washington & Jeffers College
| RV | 11 |
| RV | Macalester College | RV | 6 |
Women's Varsity CWPA Division I Top 10
The University of Michigan continues to stand on top of the league poll as the three-time defending CWPA Eastern Champions are a unanimous selection once again for the top position in the CWPA Division I Poll.
Behind the Wolverines, a pair of teams jumped into the No. 2 spot as Princeton University and Hartwick College moved up from No. 3 and 4, respectively, to tie for the runner-up position. Indiana University, which ranked second in the preseason poll, fal to No. 4.
The University of Maryland completes out the Top Five, while Harvard University, Brown University, Bucknell University, Mercyhurst College and George Washington University complete the first regular season league poll of the year.
2011 CWPA Division I Poll (Week 1 - January 26) |
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
1
| University of Michigan
| 1 | 100 |
2 (T)
| Hartwick College
| 3 | 91 |
2 (T)
| Princeton University
| 4 | 91 |
| 4 | Indiana University | 2 | 88 |
| 5 | University of Maryland
| 5 | 77 |
| 6 | Harvard University
| 6 | 76 |
7
| Brown University
| 7 (T) | 71 |
8
| Bucknell University | 7 (T) | 65 |
| 9 | Mercyhurst College
| 9 | 61 |
| 10 | George Washington University | 10 | 57 |
Women's Varsity CWPA Division III Top 5
Defending conference champion Grove City College remains at No. 1 in the CWPA Division III standings as the team earned 97 points to edge out Carthage College for another week in this week's balloting.
Grove City, which defeated Carthage 8-7 to win the first-ever Division III Eastern Championship last season following the split of the women's CWPA varsity teams into Division and Division III brackets, hangs on at No. 1 in part due to the face that the CWPA league structure will not begin until the weekend of March 4-5 at Grove City.
Wheaton College, Washington & Jefferson College and Macalester College also retained their preseason rankings,
2011 CWPA Division III Poll (Week 1 - January 26) |
| Rank | Team | Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Grove City College
| 1 | 97 |
| 2 | Carthage College | 2 | 96 |
| 3 | Wheaton College | 3 | 91 |
| 4 | Washington & Jefferson College | 4 | 84 |
| 5 | Macalester College | 5 | 66 |
| RV | Connecticut College | RV | 16 |
