Virginia, Texas Lead 2026-27 NCAA Women's Swimming
SwimSwam's pre-season power rankings forecast Virginia's pursuit of a seventh consecutive NCAA title, with Texas also favored for the top three.
The Virginia Cavaliers are positioned to hunt a seventh-straight NCAA women's swimming and diving title this season, with the Texas Longhorns also favored to remain in the top three. SwimSwam's pre-season power rankings, which consider a team's current look and NCAA scoring potential, reveal minimal movement among the top ten teams from the 2026 championship standings.
Overall, the rankings saw few major shifts, with all teams in last season's top ten retaining their spots in this initial list for the 2026-27 campaign. The rankings are described by the publication as subjective and a starting point for discussion.
Honorable Mentions and Lower Rankings
Five teams received honorable mentions: UCLA, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Nevada, and Akron. The ranked list begins at number 25 with Purdue, which graduated most of its individual points but returns diver Avery Worobel. South Carolina, ranked 24th, graduated all 37 of its individual points from diver Sophie Verzyl but will have four individual NCAA qualifiers return.
Miami (FL) sits at 23, another program heavily reliant on diving after graduating Chiara Pellacani and Margo O'Meara. Nebraska, at 22, faces the challenge of replacing Gena Jorgenson but is led by senior sprinter Beatrix Tanko. Auburn, ranked 21st, returns all its individual points from divers Juliette Landi and Emily Halifax.
Mid-Tier Teams and Movers
LSU holds the 20th spot, returning a large portion of its NCAA roster despite losing key seniors. Kansas, at 19, hopes diver Shiyun Lai can propel them into the top 20. Arkansas, ranked 18th, is noted for having one of the top recruiting classes and not losing any of its NCAA roster.
North Carolina, at 17, could make a jump with no graduating scorers and the addition of Virginia transfer Raya Mellot. Alabama, ranked 16th, will look to maximize its final year with Emily Jones. USC, at 15, suffers crucial losses in Nicole Maier, Justina Kozan, and Claire Tuggle, placing more weight on top scorer Minna Abraham.
Minnesota is 14th, losing star diver Vivi Del Angel but retaining Elna Widerstrom. Georgia, ranked 13th, is led by Kennedi Dobson, who accounted for 33 of the team's 36 returning NCAA points. Wisconsin sits at 12, with Maggie Wanezek coming off an outstanding sophomore season. Ohio State, ranked 11th, finished 12th last year and could challenge for a top-ten spot.
The Top Ten Contenders
Louisville starts the top ten at number 10, having lost senior sprinter Julia Dennis but gained from the addition of Anastasia Gorbenko last season. Florida, ranked 9th, went big in international recruiting, though the publication suggests their major move may come in the 2027-28 season.
Stanford, at 8th, faces a significant rebuilding year after graduating Olympic gold medalist Torri Huske and other major scorers like Lucy Bell and Gigi Johnson. NC State, ranked 7th, will be led by sophomore standout Eneli Jefimova. Michigan holds steady at 6th with a good freshman class, though increased competition may see them move down despite improvement.
Indiana is ranked 5th, boosted by the transfer addition of Anita Bottazzo, which significantly improves their medley relay potential. Tennessee sits 4th, strengthened by the arrival of Charlotte Crush. The top three teams, along with specific analysis for Texas and Virginia, were not detailed in the provided source excerpt. The report was compiled by SwimSwam contributors James Sutherland, Braden Keith, Anya Pelshaw, Terin Fordyama, and Robert Gibbs.
