West Valley Claims Top Spot in Both CCCWPCA Polls, Minor Shifting Occurs
The second week of the California Community College Water Polo Coaches Association (CCCWPCA) state rankings did not see many new faces, but some shifting at the top. The West Valley College Vikings have established themselves as the top team on the men's and women's side entering into the month of October.
MEN
West Valley takes over the top spot in the state after earning a state-best 14-1 record and currently tied with No. 8 Cerritos for the most wins so far this season. The Vikings faced off against one top-10 team in No. 2 Golden West and defeated the Rustlers, 15-12, to dethrone them and claim the top spot. Sophomore Ante Buzov led the team with nine goals in the victory, while Kai Seed racked up 15 saves for his eighth win of the season.
They are currently on a six game winning streak with games against Merced, No. 9 Cerritos, No. 4 Long Beach, and No. 10 Sierra looming in the near future.
No. 2 Golden West paces the South despite their narrow loss atht the hands of No. 1 West Valley. They have won seven of their last eight games and will face off against a tough slate in the coming weeks featuring No. 7 Orange Coast and No. 5 Saddleback. Leading the way is sophomore Eamon Hennessey who paces the Rustlers with 30 goals. He has added nine steals and eight assists as well. Freshman Alec Johnson follows with 22 goals and a team-leading 40 drawn ejections, which ranks second in the state.
No. 3 Cuesta remains in the top three while riding a impressive five-game winning streak defeating No. 4 Long Beach, 13-5, just two weeks ago. Freshman Johnny Northcutt hummed home four goals, while Lochan Zwaschlea assisted on four scores. Joh. Northcutt leads his team in goals, while freshman Jordan Northcutt follows with 22 goals.
The largest leap in the rankings featured No. 4 Long Beach who was previously ranked seventh overall. Despite two losses to No. 2 Golden West and No. 3 Cuesta, the Vikings defeated No. 6 LA Valley, 12-2, capped by a dominant 19-8 win over Chaffey.
No. 6 LA Valley is the last remaining team to improve their ranking after being previously ranked seventh overall. No. 5 Saddleback dropped one spot, while No. 7 Orange Coast and No. 8 Mt. San Antonio dropped two spots.
WOMEN
West Valley earns their second-consecutive number one ranking after boasting the lone undefeated record at 12-0. It is no fluke to see the Vikings atop the rankings once again. They defeated strong competition after earning wins over No. 6 Long Beach and No. 9 Ventura, while defeating San Diego Mesa, Mt. San Antonio, and Sierra who are receiving votes.
Leading the way is sophomore Johanna Scheer who has netted 49 goals, which ranks tied for third place in the state. She has also accumulated 22 assists, 15 steals and six drawn ejections. She has scored at least one goal in all but one game highlighted by six games where she has scored five or more goals. Furthermore, she has recorded at least one steal in all but two games this season.
No. 2 Fullerton leap frogs into the second position after being ranked third overall in the inaugural poll. Since the first poll, they have won nine consecutive games and have scored double-digit goals in each one of them. They defeated No. 3 Santa Barbara, No. 7 Saddleback, No. 8 San Joaquin Delta and Palomar who is receiving votes.
The Hornets are led by arguably one of the most efficient and unpredictable offenses with five players netting more than 20 goals on the year. Leading the way is sophomore Jordyn Lughart who has recorded 30 goals, 23 assists and 19 steals. Sophomore Nikki Salerno matches her 30 goals scored and 19 steals, while adding 17 assists and five drawn ejections.
No. 3 Santa Barbara has been on an equally as impressive tear by winning eight of their last 10 games. After falling to No. 5 Riverside earlier in the season, they rebounded at the Cuesta Tournament this past weekend and clipped the Tigers, 15-6, to remain in the top three. In addition to the RCC win, they defeated No. 8 San Joaquin Delta, No. 6 Long Beach and No. 7 Saddleback.
The Vaqueros have two dynamic weapons with over 30 goals that feature sophomore duo Jenna Olson and Eden Tal. Olson has scored 37 goals, while Tal has netted 35.
No. 4 Orange Coast remains at the fourth position after winning nine straight, while No. 5 Riverside leads No. 6 Long Beach for the fifth overall spot.
No. 7 Saddleback stays put, while No. 8 San Joaquin Delta and No. 9 Ventura switches places. No. 10 Golden West breaks into the top-10 after receiving votes in the last rankings.
WEEK TWO
| CCCWPCA MEN'S POLLS (Oct. 5) | CCCWPCA WOMEN'S POLLS (Oct. 5) | ||||||||
| RK | School | Record | PR | RK | School | Record | PR | ||
| 1. | West Valley | 14-1 | 2 | 1. | West Valley | 12-0 | 1 | ||
| 2. | Golden West | 12-3 | 1 | 2. | Fullerton | 12-1 | 3 | ||
| 3. | Cuesta | 12-3 | 3 | 3. | Santa Barbara | 13-3 | 2 | ||
| 4. | Long Beach | 7-4 | 7 | 4. | Orange Coast | 14-2 | 4 | ||
| 5. | Saddleback | 10-1 | 4 | 5. | Riverside | 13-4 | 6 | ||
| 6. | LA Valley | 9-4 | 8 | 6. | Long Beach | 10-5 | 5 | ||
| 7. | Orange Coast | 7-5 | 5 | 7. | Saddleback | 8-6 | 7 | ||
| 8. | Mt. San Antonio | 9-10 | 6 | 8. | San Joaquin Delta | 6-5 | 9 | ||
| 9. | Cerritos | 14-4 | 9 | 9. | Ventura | 7-2 | 8 | ||
| 10. | Sierra | 5-4 | 10 | 10. | Golden West | 9-7 | RV | ||
| Others: Diablo Valley, Grossmont, Riverside, Las Positas |
Others: Merced, Sierra, Mt. San Antonio, San Diego Mesa, Cerritos, Citrus, Palomar, Allan Hancock |
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Release by Nicho DellaValle, CCCWCPA SID
Director, Sports Information
Riverside City College Atheltics