USC Remains at No. 1 in April 14 Women's Varsity Coaches' Polls

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The University of Southern California is a unanimous selection at No. 1 for the seventh week in a row as the April 14 Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll was released today by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. In other rankings, California Lutheran University, the University of Michigan and Grove City College are No. 1 in the Division III, CWPA and CWPA Division III Polls.

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 polls are released each Wednesday during the season until the Wednesday following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.

Women's Varsity Top 20 Poll

The University of Southern California held onto the No. 1 ranking in the Varsity Top 20 Poll for a seventh week as the team garnered 100 points to rate as a unanimous top selection.

USC, which took over the No. 1 ranking on the heels of a six-week run by Stanford University as the No. 1 team in the country, is followed by Stanford which rates in the Top Two for the 13th consecutive week.

For a second week in a row, there is little change in the Top 20 as the University of Michigan moved up one place to tie with Loyola Marymount University for seventh place.  Michigan's move marks the only adjustment among the Top 16 teams from the April 7 balloting as the remainder of the programs held onto their rankings for another week.

The final four places in the poll did experience some adjustments as the University of California-Davis climbed to No. 17, while formerly No. 20 ranked California State University-Bakersfield and No. 17 University of California-San Diego slipped into a tie at No. 18.  California Baptist University rounds out the Top 20 after dropping one place to 20th this week.

Women's Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll

California Lutheran University, ranked No. 2 last week, used an 11-10 overtime victory over former No. 1 ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges to displace the Sagehens and become the unanimous top selection in the April 14 Women's Division III Poll.

It marks the first time this season that a team other than Pomona-Pitzer holds the No. 1-ranking as the Saghens ranked in the top position since the Preseason Poll.

Occidental College and the University of Redlands, which were tied for the No. 3 position last week, rate No. 3 and 4, respectively, this week for the only other change in the rankings as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, Whittier College, Grove City College, Carthage College, Chapman University and Wheaton College round out the Top 10.

Women's Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Poll

Four-time Collegiate Water Polo Association Eastern champion the University of Michigan (2002, 2005, 2008, 2009) received 100 points to rank as a unanimous selection as the No. 1 team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Division I Coaches' Poll.

Michigan, which was tied with Hartwick College in the CWPA Preseason Poll with 98 points, took over sole possession of the position in the January 27 poll.

The top four positions in the poll remain unchanged as Indiana University and Brown University held on at No. 3 and 4.

Princeton University moves up one place to No. 5 on the heels of victories over Bucknell University, George Washington University and University of Maryland at home, while Bucknell drops back to No. 6.  Maryland, Harvard University, George Washington and Mercyhurst College retained their positions at No. 8-10 to round out the ranked teams.

Women's Collegiate Water Polo Association Division III Top 5 Poll

Grove City College maintains its position as the top-rated team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association Divsion III ranks for a sixth week as the Wolverines garnered 100 points to remain a unanimous No. 1 pick in the CWPA Division III Top 5.

The poll is otherwise unchanged from the last three weeks' balloting as Carthage College (Wisc.), Wheaton College (Ill.), Washington & Jefferson College and Macalester College rate at No. 2-5 for another week.

Comprised of Carthage, Chatham University, Connecticut College, Grove City, Macalester, Penn State University-Behrend, Utica College, Washington & Jefferson and Wheaton, the nine-team organization competes for a Division III Championship in conference and a berth to the self-funded Division III National Collegiate Championship in May.