Skyd Power Rankings: College Women’s (03/15/2011)

Today we release the third of our Skyd Staff Rankings.  After some great tournaments, namely the Stanford Invite, Mardi Gras, and the Midwest Throwdown, here’s our collective votes for the Top 20 teams in the nation.

Quick note #1 About the new column USAU (Difference): This column provides the latest ranking by USAU through the use of their Top25 Algorithm of those teams we voted to rank. The number in parentheses is the difference between our ranking and theirs. An example of how to properly read it would go something like this: Pittsburgh, ranked 5th by USAU (3 places lower than Skyd) We hope this makes the table easier to read when comparing rankings between the two polls.

Quick note #2: These rankings DO NOT account for post-Easterns results.

Quick note #3: We are seeking College Coaches and Captains to vote for their Top 20 college teams in Open and Women’s divisions. If you want to be involved, send an email to kip@skydmagazine.com with the title “Rankings” and a quick blurb about where you go to school/coach and your involvement in College Ultimate. 2-3 sentences should suffice. Voting begins Monday March 14th, so get them emails in asap.

Without further ado, The Skyd Power Rankings for March 14th, 2011:

Movers and Shakers:

UCSB (2) & Oregon(1) –  Maybe it was a call to action noting that Oregon was on track for an undefeated season, maybe it jinxed it.  Whatever the case, UCSB proved that they can beat Oregon, winning the Stanford Invite final 15-10 over the women of Fugue.  Oregon retains the top spot for the time being, and in overall record they are stronger, but several close calls, and their loss to the Burning Skirts should give UCSB and other teams a bit of confidence they haven’t had in a long time vs. Oregon.

The North Carolinas (UNCW [7], UNCW [9]) – UNC has looked really strong thus far.  A win over #2 UCSB is huge, but losses to UCLA and Cal in the same tourney provide questions about their ability to do it consistently.  UNCW lost by 3 to UNC, in their only test against the top 10 teams in our list.  Their other games showed a dominance which should play well in their region, but a lack of tests against the top teams in the country leave us unable to place them as high as USAU.

Washington (11) – Element post Shannon O’Malley is shaping up to be a contender for the crown this year.  They gave Oregon, Stanford, and UCSB a hell of a hard time of a ride At Stanford, and appeared dominant against teams in the bottom half of the top 20.  Their 11 rank puts them right where they have played thus far; slightly below the top teams, but not by much.

We are seeking College Coaches and Captains to vote for their Top 20 college teams in Open and Women’s divisions. If you want to be involved, send an email to kip@skydmagazine.com with the title “Rankings” and a quick blurb about where you go to school/coach and your involvement in College Ultimate. 2-3 sentences should suffice. Voting begins Monday March 14th, so get them emails in asap.