BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- Stanford University, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, the University of Maryland andGrove City College hold the No. 1 spots in the National Top 20, Division III Top 10, Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division I/II Top 10 and CWPA Division III Top Five as the national rankings were released for games through Monday, April 9.
Voted on by a panel of coaches from the CWPA, Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), Big West Conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the polls are compiled and released on each Wednesday during the season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.
2012 Women's Varsity National Top 20
For the first time since the February 22 Poll, a team other than the University of California-Los Angeles holds the No. 1 position in the Women's Varsity National Top 20 Poll as Stanford University used a 9-8 victory in overtime against theUniversity of Southern California combined with an 8-6 loss by UCLA to theUniversity of California to take over the top spot in the Week 12/April 11 Women's Varsity National Top 20 Poll.
Stanford, which held the No. 1 position from the preseason poll through the February 22 rankings, garnered 99 points to easily outdistance UCLA for the top position in a poll which saw three teams receive No. 1 votes (Stanford, UCLA, California).
The change at the top had a ripple effect through the remainder of the Top Five as UCLA (92 points) drops to No. 2 to barely edge out USC (91 points) for the runner-up position. With its victory over UCLA, California (86 points) climbs past Arizona State University (83 points) to gain command of the No. 4 position and plummet the Sun Devils one spot back to No. 5.
The University of California-Irvine (75 points) and Loyola Marymount University (70 points), San Jose State University (65 points) and San Diego State University (60 points) continue at No. 6-to-9, respectively, while the University of Maryland (52 points) cracks the Top 10 after ranking at No. 11 last week.
The University of California-Davis (51 points) slips to No. 11, with Indiana University (47 points), theUniversity of Michigan (38 points), Princeton University (35 points), the University of California-Santa Barbara (31 points) and University of Hawaii (27 points) retaining their positions at No. 12-to-16 for another week.
At No. 17-to-20, radical changes occurred as California Baptist University (20 points) inched up to No. 17,California State University-Northridge (14 points) dived to No. 18 and Hartwick College (7 points) moved into a tie with the University of California-San Diego (7 points) at No. 19 to round out the Top 20.
2012 Varsity Top 20 (Week 12 - April 11) |
Rank | Team | April 4 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Stanford University | 2 | 99 |
| 2 | University of California, Los Angeles
| 1 | 92 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | 3 | 91 |
| 4 | University of California | 5 | 86 |
| 5 | Arizona State University
| 4 | 83 |
6
| University of California, Irvine
| 6
| 75 |
| 7 | Loyola Marymount University | 7
| 70 |
| 8 | San Jose State University
| 8 | 65 |
| 9 | San Diego University | 9 | 60 |
| 10 | University of Maryland | 11
| 52 |
| 11 | University of California, Davis
| 10
| 41 |
12
| Indiana University | 12 | 47 |
13
| University of Michigan
| 13 | 38 |
| 14 | Princeton University
| 14
| 35 |
| 15 | University of California, Santa Barbara | 15 | 31 |
16
| University of Hawaii | 16
| 27 |
17
| California Baptist University | 19
| 20 |
18
| California State University, Northridge
| 17
| 14 |
19 (T)
| Hartwick College
| 20
| 7 |
| 19 (T) | University of California, San Diego
| 18 | 7 |
| RV | Iona College
| RV | 4 |
| RV | Long Beach State University | RV | 1 |
2012 Women's Varsity Division III Top 10
The Saghens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges registered 99 points to fall out of being a unanimous top pick but garnered enough to hold onto the No. 1 spot in the April 11 Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 poll.
Due to a 10-8 OT win by the University of Redlands (94 points) over previously No. 1 ranked Occidental College (88 points), the remainder of the Top 10 experienced a dramatic shift in power between the nine remaining institutions.
Redlands continues a climb up the rankings which sees the program jump from No. 3 to No. 2 this week, while California Lutheran University (89 points) nudges its way into the No. 3 spot ahead of Occidental (88 points).
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (79 points) holds on at No. 5 for another week to rate as one of only three programs in the Top 10 to retain its position from the April 4 balloting.
Chapman University (73 points), University of La Verne (71 points) and Whittier College (67 points) exchange spots at No. 6-to-8, with Grove City College (60 points) and Washington & Jefferson College(44 points) joining Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in holding onto their spots at No. 9 and 10 to complete the Top 10.
2012 Division III Poll (Week 12 - April 11) |
| Rank | Team | April 4 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Pomona Pitzer Colleges
| 1 | 99 |
| 2 | University of Redlands
| 3 | 94 |
| 3 | California Lutheran University
| 4
| 89 |
| 4 | Occidental College | 2 | 88 |
| 5 | Claremont Mudd Scripps Colleges | 5 | 79 |
| 6 | Chapman University
| 7 | 73 |
| 7 | University of La Verne
| 8 | 71 |
| 8 | Whittier College
| 6 | 67 |
| 9 | Grove City College | 9 | 60 |
10
| Washington & Jefferson College | 10 | 44 |
| RV | Wheaton College | NR | 11 |
2012 Women's CWPA Division I/II Top 10
Undefeated against Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) programs, the University of Maryland (100 points) stands alone and unchallenged as the No. 1 team in the CWPA Division I/II Top 10 Poll for a second week in a row.
The Terrapins, who defeated the University of Michigan (87 points) and Salem International University over the weekend to clinch the No. 1 seed for the Western Division Championship this weekend at Indiana University, earned 100 points to rate as the league's unanimous No. 1 team.
Indiana (94 points) retains its hold on the No. 2 spot entering the division championship, while Southern Division regular season champion Princeton University (89 points) rises to No. 3 in the wake of a victory over Hartwick College (77 points) over the weekend.
Michigan (87 points) drops to No. 4 in the wake of the Tigers' ascension, while the remainder of the Top 10 remains unchanged with Hartwick (77 points), Harvard University (76 points), Brown University (72 points), Bucknell University (65 points), George Washington University (60 points) and Mercyhurst University (55 points) staying at No. 6-to-10, respectively.
2012 CWPA Division I/II Poll (Week 12 - April 11) |
| Rank | Team | April 4Poll
| Points |
1
| University of Maryland | 1 | 100 |
2
| Indiana University
| 2 | 94 |
3
| Princeton University
| 4
| 89 |
4
| University of Michigan
| 3 | 87 |
| 5 | Hartwick College | 5
| 77 |
| 6 | Harvard University | 6 | 76 |
| 7 | Brown University | 7 | 72 |
8
| Bucknell University | 8 | 65 |
| 9 | George Washington University | 9 | 60 |
| 10 | Mercyhurst University | 10 | 55 |
2012 Women's CWPA Division III Top 5
Grove City College remains a unanimous selection as the No. 1 team in the Week 12/April 11 Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III Top Five Poll for the 13th consecutive week dating back to the preseason balloting.
Overall, the rankings remain unchanged from the April 4 poll as Washington & Jefferson College (95 points), Wheaton College (90 points), Macalester College(85 points) and Connecticut College (80 points) remain locked in at No. 2-to-5, respectively, with one week until the CWPA Division III Championship hosted by Grove City at the James E. Longnecker Competition Pool.
2012 CWPA Division III Poll (Week 12 - April 11) |
| Rank | Team | April 4 Poll
| Points |
| 1 | Grove City College | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | Washington & Jefferson College | 2 | 95 |
| 3 | Wheaton College
| 3 | 90 |
4
| Macalester College | 4
| 85 |
| 5 | Connecticut College | 5 | 80 |
