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BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The UCLA men's water polo team will open the 2019 season at No. 2 in the Preseason National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll as announced by the CWPA today. The Bruins are tied for the second spot with 2018 NCAA runner-up Stanford with 92 points. Defending NCAA Champion USC is atop the poll with 98 points, falling two points shy of a unanimous preseason No. 1.
UCLA returns five starters for the 2019 season and all five were All-Americans in 2018. Redshirt senior goalkeeper Alex Wolf and junior attacker Nicolas Saveljic headline UCLA's veteran group as both were named first team All-Americans for the first time in their careers a year ago. Wolf, who spent the entire summer with the Senior Men's National Team, was also named First Team All-NCAA Tournament, First Team All-MPSF, and MPSF All-Tournament Team in 2018. He led the MPSF in goals against average (6.79) and was second in saves per game (11.05). Saveljic was also named Second Team All-MPSF, and MPSF All-Tournament Team. He finished ninth in the MPSF in scoring (led the team) with 51 goals (1.82 gpg) and also led the Bruins in steals with 24 and in sprints won (23-8).
California (87 points) and Pacific (74 points) and Long Beach State (74 points) round out the top five in the poll. UC Santa Barbara (68 points) and Pepperdine (68 points) are tied for seventh. UC San Diego (66 points and UC Davis (54 points), completing an All-West Coast Top 10.
Harvard (45 points) is the first non-Golden State institution to appear in the Top 20 for the second straight season as the Crimson hold down the No. 11 spot. Princeton (44 points), UC Irvine (36 points), Loyola Marymount (33 points) and George Washington (29 points) follow at No. 12 to 15.
Cal Baptist (24 points) and Bucknell (24 points) are tied for 16th, while San Jose State (15 points), Pomona-Pitzer (19 points) and Brown (nine points) are holding down the 18-20 spots. Santa Clara (seven points), Navy (five points), St. Francis College Brooklyn (four points), Air Force (two points) and Whittier (two points), are all receiving votes.
The Bruins open the 2019 season at the Navy Open with Fordham at 8:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Annapolis, Md.
| 2019 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Preseason) | |||
| Rank | Team | Final 2018 Poll | Points |
| 1 | USC | 1 | 98 |
| 2 (T) | UCLA | 3 | 92 |
| 2 (T) | Stanford | 2 | 92 |
| 4 | California | 4 | 87 |
| 5 (T) | Pacific | 8 | 74 |
| 5 (T) | Long Beach State | 6 | 74 |
| 7 (T) | UC Santa Barbara | 7 | 68 |
| 7 (T) | Pepperdine | 9 | 68 |
| 9 | UC San Diego | 5 | 66 |
| 10 | UC Davis | 10 | 54 |
| 11 | Harvard | 14 | 45 |
| 12 | Princeton | 13 | 44 |
| 13 | UC Irvine | 15 | 36 |
| 14 | Loyola Marymount | 12 | 33 |
| 15 | George Washington | 11 | 29 |
| 16 (T) | Bucknell | 18 | 20 |
| 16 (T) | Cal Baptist | 16 | 20 |
| 18 | San Jose State | RV | 15 |
| 19 | Pomona-Pitzer | 17 | 14 |
| 20 | Brown | RV | 9 |
| RV | Santa Clara | 19 | 7 |
| RV | Navy | NR | 5 |
| RV | St. Francis College Brooklyn | 20 | 4 |
| RV | Air Force | 20 | 2 |
| RV | Whittier | 20 | 2 |