There Can Be Only One: UCLA & USC Tie for No. 1 in December 2 Men's Varsity Polls

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Champion University of California-Los Angeles and NCAA Championship No. 1 Seed University of Southern California are tied for the No. 1 ranking in the country as the December 2 Men's Varsity Polls were released by the Collegiate Water Polo Association. Whittier College and Princeton University continue to rank No. 1 in the Division III and CWPA Polls, respectively.

Voted on by a panel of coaches and administrators from around the country during each week of the season and 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 each Wednesday during the season until the Wednesday following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship hosted by Princeton University in early December.

Men's Top 20 Varsity Poll

For the first time in the recorded history of the National Varsity Top 20 poll, two teams will enter the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship ranked No. 1 as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Champion University of California-Los Angeles and defending National Champion University of Southern California both garnered 96 points to tie for the top spot in the December 2 Men's Varsity Poll.

The ranking is the culmination of a four-game series between the two programs as the teams are 2-2 versus one another this year, including a 10-6 victory by the Bruins last weekend in the MPSF semfinals.

Overall, USC, which garnered the lone at-large bid to the NCAA Championship thanks to a 24-2 regular season record, and UCLA, which received the MPSF's automatic bid into the championship field and holds a 22-6 mark to date, could meet again in a rubber-match for the National Championship this weekend at Princeton University during the 2009 NCAA Championship (Dec. 5-6).

To date, USC fell to UCLA 5-4 in Palo Alto, Calif. in the semifinals of the NorCal Tournament, before knocking off the Bruins 9-8 in the semifinals of the SoCal Tournament in Irvine, Calif.  In their only regular season MPSF meeting, the Trojans came out on top 7-6 at UCLA, while the Bruins returned the favor with a 10-6 victory over host USC last weekend in the MPSF semifinals on the way to winning the league title.

The co-No. 1 ranking is historically significant for both programs as USC earned its eighth consecutive week, and 10th overall, as the No. 1 team in the nation as the Trojans were previously ranked in the top spot for the Preseason, September 9, September 16, October 14, October 21, October 28, November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25 polls.

However, the Trojans streak of five consecutive weeks as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country comes to an end.

For UCLA, the ranking marks the first time the Bruins have topped the national poll in over four years as the program last ranked No. 1 on October 19, 2005.

Behind USC and UCLA, MPSF runner-up the University of California held onto the No. 3 position, while former No. 2 Stanford University slipped two places to No. 4.

University of California-Irvine, Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) champion Loyola Marymount University, University of California-Santa Barbara, Pepperdine University, Long Beach State University and University of California-San Diego round out the Top 10 as only USC, Cal and UC-San Diego held onto their rankings from the November 25 poll.

Concordia University and Santa Clara University remain at No. 11 and 12, respectively, while University of the Pacific fell two positions to No. 14, one place behind Collegiate Water Polo Association champion and No. 13-ranked Princeton University which moved up a spot this week.

The United States Naval Academy, University of California-Davis, California Baptist University, United States Air Force Academy, St. Francis College (N.Y.) and Bucknell University complete the Top 20, with Whittier College, University of Redlands and Johns Hopkins University each receiving one vote.

Men's Division III Top 10 Poll

Whittier College continues as the No. 1 team in the Division III Top 10 poll this week as the Poets took over the top small college ranking last week.

Overall, the top remains relatively unchanged as University of Redlands held on at No. 2, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges climbed one place to edge Johns Hopkins University for the No. 3 position.

Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Chapman University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Lutheran University, Occidental College and Washington & Jefferson College complete the Top 10.

Men's Collegiate Water Polo Association Top 10 Poll

Princeton University remains the No. 1 team in the Collegiate Water Polo Association as the league champion Tigers garnered 100 points to rank as a unanimous selection as the top program in the CWPA Top 10 poll for another week.

It marks the fourth week Princeton has ranked No. 1 in the CWPA as the Tigers previously rated No. 1 in the October 7, October 14 and November 25 polls.

The Top Eight positions in the poll mirror the order of finish at the Eastern Championship as Navy, Bucknell University, Johns Hopkins University, Fordham University, Brown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Iona College are followed by George Washington University and Harvard University to account for the Top 10 teams in the league.