UCLA, USC Men Tied Atop 2021 Men’s CWPA Week 2 Varsity Polls

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California-Los Angeles gains company at No. 1 this week from the University of Southern California as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2021 Week 2/September 15 Men’s Varsity National Top 20, Division III Top 10, Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five and Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Polls.

UCLA and USC now stand tied at No. 1 in the National Top 20 poll, while Pomona-Pitzer Colleges retains sole custody of the top spot in the Division III Top 10 ranking. A three-way tie occurs in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five as the United States Naval Academy, Bucknell University and Fordham University rate at No. 1.  Further, Princeton University maintains sole possession of the lead position in the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five ranking.

Voted on by a panel of coaches from the MAWPC, NWPC, Golden Coast Conference, Western Water Polo Association (WWPA), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), SCIAC and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the polls will be compiled and released on Wednesday during each week of the season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.

2021 MEN’S VARSITY NATIONAL TOP 20 (WEEK 2)

Two old nemeses share top billing in the 2021 Week 2/September 15 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll as the University of Southern California pulls even with the University of California-Los Angeles.

The Bruins (97 points), who defeated USC (97 points) by a 7-6 score on March 21, 2021, for the delayed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship, are deadlocked with the Trojans after ranking at No. 1 in the final Winter 2021, 2021 Preseason and Week 1 polls.

Stanford University (90 points) breaks a tie with the University of California (87 points) to attain sole possession of the No. 3 position, while Cal, the University of California-Santa Barbara (81 points), Long Beach State University (73 points) and University of the Pacific (69 points) hold down the No. 4-to-7 spots, respectively.

The University of California-Davis (61 points) and the University of California-San Diego (60 points) exchange the No. 8 and 9 berths with Pepperdine University (56 points) rounding out the Top 10 for another week.

San Jose State University (48 points) and Princeton University (48 points) are tied at No. 11 with the University of California-Irvine (40 points) maintaining its former position at No. 13 position.

Santa Clara University (28 points), Bucknell University (24 points), Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (19 points) and Loyola Marymount University (18 points) move up to No. 14-to-17, respectively, while Harvard University (17 points) sticks at No. 18 for another seven-day run.

California Baptist University (14 points) and Fordham University (13 points) complete the Top 20.

2021 MEN’S VARSITY DIVISION III TOP 10 (WEEK 2)

The Saghens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges retain the lead position in the 2021 Week 2/September 15 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.

Pomona-Pitzer (100 points), which was ranked at No. 3 in the Preseason balloting, is a unanimous top selection for the second week in a row.  California Lutheran University (94 points), Whittier College (90 points), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (84 points), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (77 points) and Johns Hopkins University (72 points) also remain stagnant at No. 2-to-6.

Occidental College (66 points) rises one spot to take over at No. 7, while the University of Redlands (64 points) moves into a tie with Chapman University (64 points) at No. 8.  Austin College (51 points) completes the Top 10.

2021 MEN’S VARSITY MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 2)

Fordham University, the United States Naval Academy and defending league champion Bucknell University are tied at No. 1 in the 2021 Week 2/September 15 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll.

Fordham (95 points), Bucknell (95 points) and Navy (95 points) are deadlocked through two weeks of competition.  George Washington University (81 points) and Wagner College (68 points) remain at No. 4 and 5, respectively, for another week.

The largest collegiate water polo conference, the MAWPC features 12 teams as Bucknell, Fordham, George Washington, Navy, Johns Hopkins University, Wagner and Mount St. Mary’s University comprise the Eastern Region, with Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Salem University, Washington & Jefferson College and McKendree University competing in the Western Region.

2021 MEN’S VARSITY NORTHEAST WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 2)

Princeton University continues at No. 1 in the 2021 Week 2/September 15 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five Poll.

The 2018 NWPC Champion Tigers (100 points) – which were tied with three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University at No. 1 in the Preseason voting prior to assuming status as a unanimous top selection last week – holds a five point lead over Harvard University (95 points).  Brown University (89 points) and St. Francis College Brooklyn (86 points) hang on at No. 3 and 4, while Iona College (48 points) cracks the Top Five by assuming the final position.

A seven-team conference, the NWPA is comprised of Brown, Connecticut College, Harvard, Iona College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton and St. Francis Brooklyn for the 2021 season.