October 28, 2013 by in Analysis, Rankings with 47 comments
The rankings are being released in sets of five throughout the day. Check back to see who’s #1!
These are Ultiworld’s 2014 College Women’s Division preseason Power Rankings. You can always check the latest rankings by clicking on the tab in the navigation bar.
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25. Dartmouth: The losses of Laura McFeely and their other vets hurts, but they return stud Eva Petzinger and Emily Eisner, and add WJUC player Angela Zhu and one of the top youth players in Piper Curtis.
24. Victoria: After winning a strength bid for the NW last season, Victoria stumbled at Regionals. They return many of last year’s pieces with an added year of experience and will be battle hardened by their powerful regional competition.
23. Michigan: A rebound year for Flywheel will be powered by handler Meeri Chang (Polar Bears) and the Nemesis duo of Jacqueline Jarik and Becky Moore. Bailey Torvinen also returns, so expect a meaner and more efficient Flywheel attack.
22. Stanford: If Stanford was packing a healthy Michela Meister (Fury), they’d be much higher in these rankings. Meister is recovering from an ACL tear, leaving the underrated Monisha White and Stephanie Lim (Nightlock) to keep Superfly in the mix for strength bids.
21. Florida State: A great regular season ended with disappointment for FSU, who missed a strength bid in the regular season and got upset at SE Regionals. Megan Reeves (Tabby Rosa) and Kristin Lloyd (Tabby Rosa) anchor a team that’s just learning how to win.
20. Northeastern: The Valkyries shocked everyone by winning their region a second bid last year and could do the same again. They keep some strong pieces from last year’s nationals team with that added experience, such as Kate Flood (The Ghosts) and Lizzie Jones (VICE).
19. Iowa State: With their fearsome foursome cut in half with the losses of Magon Liu and Becca Miller, Sarah Pesch (CLX) and Cami Nelson (CLX) will be left to hold down the fort. Their younger pieces from last season will need to step up to the plate.
18. Georgia: Lane Siedor (Ozone) and Hannah Leathers (Ozone) lead the charge for Dawgma, who is trying to avoid a rebuilding season after a rough Championships. That duo is one of the country’s best and this program has always been deep.
17. Western Washington: The ladies from Western Washington are in for a big year. Riot breakout Callie Mah and up and coming stud Abbie Abramovich return and they add a heavy payload of Northwest youth talent, including WJUC players Jessie Thoreson and Tiffany Phan.
16. Minnesota: Minnesota was the break out team of last season, but will have to show they were more than just a strong senior class. This team belongs to handler Greta Regan and cutters Sarah Anciaux (Pop) and Mindi DePaola now.
15. Ottawa: It’s been a while since Anne Mercier had Ottawa as a power on the national stage, but this year’s group returns a lot of talent, including Vivianne Fortin, Kaylee Sparks, and Pascale Charette.
14. Whitman: One of the surprises of Regionals was the Whitman Lady Sweets, but they won’t sneak up on the Northwest this year. Arianne Lozano, Julia Bladin, and their new Junior Words recruits will make them dangerous all year long.
13. Wisconsin: Flashes of brilliance for Bella Donna were tempered by otherwise weak results last year. Al Ellis and Lorraine Guerin will be called upon to step up, but their rotation players from last year are ready for tougher assignments.
12. Central Florida: After finally qualifying for nationals, the Sirens were one point away from prequarters. They bring back Sunny Harris (Tabby Rosa) and Mariel Hammond (Tabby Rosa), a fearsome hucker/cutter pairing and one of the country’s most frustrating defensive schemes.
11. North Carolina: Very surprising for UNC to miss the cut last season, but they return their elite duo of Shellie Cohen (Phoenix) and Lisa Couper (Phoenix). Adding Adrianne Soo (Phoenix) to the mix and their usually bevy of triangle youth talent will make Pleiades a top team once more.
10. Iowa: A semifinal appearance will be tough to repeat, especially with the loss of Chelsea Twohig and Jen Nowak, among others. Liza Minor is back for a 5th year as a downfield lynchpin and Anna Pritchard gives them a strong thrower to lead the offense.
9. Ohio State: The incredible Cassie Swafford won’t have to look far to replace Callahan Finalist Paige Soper; FOTY Nina Finley is ready to be a star. Depth developed over the past two years will keep this team near the top.
8. Virginia: UVA has quietly become one of the nation’s most consistent performers over the past three seasons. Star handler Alika Johnston (Scandal) has a strong cast around her, and this team is gritty and intelligent.
7. Colorado: Last year’s Championships miss has Kali in a position to see massive improvement. The return of Christina Mickle and addition of Nhi Nguyen (Molly Brown), among other Colorado youth talent, should combine with existing players to potentially make Kali one of the nation’s best.
6. UC Santa Barbara: Should be less top-heavy than last season, but Lisa Pitcaithley (Fury) is a showstopping talent. Noelle Neason was one of the best pure runners at last year’s College Championships and Kaila Pollart will take on a bigger role.
5. British Columbia: Can UBC fight back against the loss of top players Hui, Kawabata, Koo, and Churchland? Mira Donaldson (Traffic) is a dominant force, and Amira Maddison and Laurel Jay are ready for the limelight. Another deep recruiting class.
4. Tufts: The end of the Alm & Tajima show won’t stop Tufts’ continued ascension. Titcomb, Fallon (Brute Squad), Greenwald (Brute Squad), Emerson, Fradin, and Shields will give them a deep top end and Ewo has strong rookies coming in.
3. Carleton: Julia Snyder (Pop) anchors a Carleton team that is coming off a runner-up finish at the College Championships. Kirstie Barton and Emily Buckner are likely to break out as stars.
2. Washington: The group of players coming back this year is terrifying for opponents, giving Element a claim for the #1 spot. Kostic, Letourneau, Williams, Stern (Riot), Edwards, and Hoover (The D’oh Abides) form the country’s best top 6.
1. Oregon: Returning champ brings back Sophie Darch (Bucket), Bethany Kaylor, Alex Ode (Schwa), Ashley Young, and Coach Lou Burruss, among others. They’ll be looking to stave off Washington and return to the top for a second straight year.