The Rainbow Warriors (30-5) climbed from No. 3 to claim the top spot, displacing a Bruins squad (29-2) that dropped to No. 3 despite owning the best winning percentage in the poll. Hawaii's 30-win campaign — the only team in the Top 25 to reach that threshold — earned the leap, and the voters made it clear: volume matters when the margin is this thin.
The Anteaters (21-9) surged from No. 6 to No. 2, the biggest rise inside the top five and a signal that UC Irvine's late-season push resonated. Stanford (26-5) also climbed, jumping from No. 7 to No. 5, while Long Beach State (25-5) and Pepperdine (24-7) each slipped a pair of slots. The Nittany Lions (22-8) made the poll's largest jump overall, rising three places from No. 15 to No. 12.
What the poll says: the race is wide open. Five teams hold between 24 and 30 wins, and only four ranking points likely separate title contention from an early flight home.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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