Courtesy: Collegiate Water Polo
BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California-Los Angeles shatters a tie at No. 1 this week as the Bruins outdistance the University of Southern California by four points as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2021 Week 3/September 22 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 regains primary possession of the No. 1 spot after tying with USC in the National Top 20 poll last week, while Pomona-Pitzer Colleges retains sole custody of the top spot in the Division III Top 10 ranking. Fordham University breaks up a three-way tie at No. 1 with Bucknell University and the United States Naval Academy from seven days ago to attain the top spot in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five. Further, Princeton University remains unchallenged for 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 3)
The University of California-Los Angeles remains on top of the 2021 Week 3/September 22 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.
The Bruins (99 points), who defeated the University of Southern California (95 points) for the delayed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship earlier this year, regain unchallenged possession of the lead position after tying with the Trojans last week. UCLA previously rated at No. 1 in the final Winter 2021, 2021 Preseason and Week 1 polls prior to USC sharing the No. 1 berth last week.
USC remains on the heels of the Bruins at No. 2, while Stanford University (88 points) and the University of California (88 points) return to a deadlock at No. 3.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (81 points) and Long Beach State University (74 points) retain their previous rankings at No. 5 and 6, while the University of California-Davis (70 points) slips past University of the Pacific (62 points) to take over at No. 7.
Pacific drops back to No. 8 with the University of California-San Diego (57 points) acquiring company at No. 9 from Princeton University (57 points) to complete the Top 10.
San Jose State University (48 points) hangs on at No. 11 for another seven-day run with Pepperdine University (46 points) taking over at No. 12.
The University of California-Irvine (34 points) and Santa Clara University (30 points) hold tight at No. 13 and 14, respectively, with Harvard University (27 points) and Fordham University (24 points) rising to No. 15 and 16.
Loyola Marymount University (23 points) stays at No. 17 with Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (18 points), California Baptist University (16 points) and newcomer the United States Naval Academy (5 points) completig the Top 20.
2021 MEN’S VARSITY TOP 20 (WEEK 3/SEPTEMBER 22) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 2 Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles | 1 (T) | 99 |
| 2 | University of Southern California | 1 (T) | 95 |
| 3 (T) | Stanford University | 3 | 88 |
| 3 (T) | University of California | 4 | 88 |
| 5 | University of California-Santa Barbara | 5 | 81 |
| 6 | Long Beach State University | 6 | 74 |
| 7 | University of California-Davis | 8 | 70 |
| 8 | University of the Pacific | 7 | 62 |
| 9 (T) | University of California-San Diego | 9 | 57 |
| 9 (T) | Princeton University | 11 (T) | 57 |
| 11 | San Jose State University | 11 (T) | 48 |
| 12 | Pepperdine University | 10 | 46 |
| 13 | University of California-Irvine | 13 | 34 |
| 14 | Santa Clara University | 14 | 30 |
| 15 | Harvard University | 18 | 27 |
| 16 | Fordham University | 20 | 24 |
| 17 | Loyola Marymount University | 17 | 23 |
| 18 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 16 | 18 |
| 19 | California Baptist University | 19 | 16 |
| 20 | United States Naval Academy | RV | 5 |
| RV | Wagner College | RV | 4 |
| RV | Bucknell University | 15 | 4 |
| RV | Brown University | RV | 3 |
| RV | United States Air Force Academy | RV | 2 |
| RV | George Washington University | NR | 1 |
| RV | St. Francis College Brooklyn | NR | 1 |
2021 MEN’S VARSITY DIVISION III TOP 10 (WEEK 3)
The Saghens of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges remain the uncontested top team in the 2021 Week 3/September 22 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 third week in a row. California Lutheran University (95 points), Whittier College (89 points), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (86 points), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (75 points) and Johns Hopkins University (73 points) hold on at No. 2-to-6.
The University of Redlands (67 points) and Chapman University (67 points) both move up to No. 7 with Occidental College (62 points) and Austin College (61 points) completing the Top 10.
2021 MEN’S VARSITY DIVISION III TOP 10 (WEEK 3/SEPTEMBER 22) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 2 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | California Lutheran University | 2 | 95 |
| 3 | Whittier College | 3 | 89 |
| 4 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 4 | 86 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 5 | 75 |
| 6 | Johns Hopkins University | 6 | 73 |
| 7 (T) | University of Redlands | 8 (T) | 67 |
| 7 (T) | Chapman University | 8 (T) | 67 |
| 9 | Occidental College | 7 | 62 |
| 10 | Austin College | 10 | 61 |
2021 MEN’S VARSITY MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 3)
The Bronx is up this week as Fordham University takes over sole possession of the lead berth in the 2021 Week 3/September 22 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll.
Fordham (98 points), which was tied with defending league champion Bucknell University and the United States Naval Academy (97 points) last week, inches in front of the Midshipmen by a single point. Wagner College (88 points) moves up to No. 3 with Bucknell (85 points) sliding to No. 4.
George Washington University (82 points) rounds out the Top Five by moving back to No. 5.
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 MID-ATLANTIC WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 3/SEPTEMBER 22) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 2 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Fordham University | 1 (T) | 98 |
| 2 | United States Naval Academy | 1 (T) | 97 |
| 3 | Wagner College | 5 | 88 |
| 4 | Bucknell University | 1 (T) | 85 |
| 5 | George Washington University | 4 | 82 |
2021 MEN’S VARSITY NORTHEAST WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 3)
Princeton University continues at No. 1 in the 2021 Week 3/September 22 Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five Poll.
The 2018 NWPC Champion Tigers (100 points) – who 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 the past two weeks – retains a five point lead over Harvard (95 points).
The remainder of the Top Five remains unchanged as Brown University (89 points), St. Francis College Brooklyn (86 points) and Iona College (48 points) remain at No. 3-to-5.
A seven-team conference, the NWPA is comprised of Brown, Connecticut College, Harvard, Iona, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton and St. Francis Brooklyn for the 2021 season.
2021 MEN’S VARSITY NORTHEAST WATER POLO CONFERENCE TOP 5 (WEEK 3/SEPTEMBER 22) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 2 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Princeton University | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | Harvard University | 2 | 95 |
| 3 | Brown University | 3 | 89 |
| 4 | St. Francis College Brooklyn | 4 | 86 |
| 5 | Iona College | 5 | 48 |
| RV | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | RV | 32 |