At last, the NCAA Tournament has arrived, and with it comes the penultimate 2026 IWLCA coaches poll. No further shifts in the poll will occur until after the NCAA Tournament’s conclusion, but top 10 talk will still be coming out each week until the season ends. Let’s take a look at where things stand entering the Big Dance.
NOTE: All rankings referenced in this article are from this week’s poll.
1. North Carolina (16-1, 10-0 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 2 (vs. No. 12 Clemson/Davidson winner)
The
Tar Heels remain on top of the IWLCA coaches poll, but they received the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, likely in part due to their No. 2 RPI ranking. Now, after some time off, North Carolina will prepare for a likely rematch against Clemson, its ACC rival. When the two teams faced off in March, UNC won 12-9 thanks to seven goals from Chloe Humphrey, and it will seek an even more comfortable victory this time around in its quest to repeat as national champions.
2. Northwestern (15-3, 7-1 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 2 (vs. No. 16 Notre Dame/No. 22 James Madison winner)
The Wildcats have secured the NCAA Tournament’s top seed, and they will take on the winner of what projects to be a highly competitive Friday matchup between the Fighting Irish and the Dukes. Star attacker Madison Taylor has been in these big moments before for Northwestern, and goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco should continue to be the centerpiece on the defensive end. NU certainly has title aspirations entering this year’s tournament, but it will need to stave off any upset bids on Sunday first.
3. Maryland (16-3, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: none
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 2 (vs. No. 17 Princeton/No. 20 Rutgers winner)
The Terrapins will certainly be hungry following their Big Ten Tournament title loss to Northwestern, and their road will also begin on Sunday, as they received the final first-round bye in the 29-team NCAA Tournament bracket. Sunday’s matchup should be interesting regardless for Maryland, who has not faced Princeton yet this year but did dispatch Rutgers 18-11 back on April 4.
4. Johns Hopkins (14-4, 6-2 B1G)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. Albany)
The Blue Jays will play in the tournament’s first round as the No. 4 overall seed, taking on an Albany squad that won the America East after a thrilling 12-11 semifinal win over Bryant and an intense 13-11 final victory against Vermont. The Great Danes have had their fair share of rough losses this season, most notably in a 22-5 drubbing at the hands of No. 13 Boston College. Still, they did hang in there against No. 9 Syracuse earlier in the season, only falling 10-8 to the Orange on March 24. Johns Hopkins should be heavily favored to win, but in May, anything is possible.
5. Navy (18-1, 8-1 Patriot League)
Movement: up three spots
Last Week: 18-8 win over Bucknell (Patriot League semifinal), 17-11 win over No. 14 Army (Patriot League championship)
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. UMass)
Navy snagged the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament after taking care of business in the Patriot League, defeating Army 17-11 to add another much-needed ranked win to its resume. The Midshipmen outscored Army 11-4 in the middle two quarters, and five goals from Alyssa Chung and four from Mikayla Williams led the way overall. Navy will likely be able to handle UMass in the tournament’s opening round, but a potential brutal draw against battle-tested No. 9 Syracuse looms large on Sunday.
6. Stanford (15-4, 8-2 ACC)
Movement: none
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. No. 19 Penn State)
Stanford’s No. 11 RPI ranking doomed it to a non-hosting spot in the NCAA Tournament, as it will have to travel to Ann Arbor to face the Nittany Lions in Round 1 before likely taking on seventh-seeded Michigan in the event of a victory. The Cardinal should be favored against Penn State given their strong performance in the ACC Tournament, but the Wolverines could pose a much tougher test. Both Stanford and Michigan have won games against top-level opponents, and a potential Sunday matchup could be one of the best games of the tournament’s first weekend.
7. Michigan (12-6, 5-3 B1G)
Movement: up one spot
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. Mercer)
The seventh-seeded Wolverines will face a 13-6 Mercer squad in Round 1, one that went undefeated in the Big South but mostly struggled against power competition. If Michigan were to get past that early test, a likely Round 2 battle against Stanford wouldn’t be easy, but the Wolverines would enjoy their much-coveted home field advantage in seeking to make a deep run.
8. Stony Brook (17-2, 7-0 CAA)
Movement: up three spots
Last Week: 18-6 win over No. 4 Elon (CAA semifinal), 18-7 win over Towson (CAA Championship)
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. Stonehill)
The Seawolves managed to score the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament after an easy conference title victory, and they will be the heavy favorites to get past Stonehill in the opening round. Round 2 is where things get more interesting, as Yale and Boston College have both been inconsistent teams with big wins alongside baffling losses. Stony Brook could be on upset watch early in the tournament, but the Seawolves have played in their fair share of high-stakes contests, positioning them well to potentially make a massive statement early on,
9. Syracuse (13-5, 7-3 ACC)
Movement: down two spots
Last Week: none
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. No. 23 Loyola Maryland)
The unseeded Orange are stuck in a difficult Round 1 position considering their No. 6 RPI ranking, as they will have to take down a ranked Loyola Maryland squad before likely facing the mighty Midshipmen on Sunday. Syracuse does have the advantage of having beaten the Greyhounds 15-7 earlier in the season, but Loyola Maryland has shown the ability to hang with top teams, as shown by its upset 19-14 win over Navy on March 28. The Greyhounds have high upside, and it would not be shocking if Friday’s contest becomes close as a result.
10. Colorado (14-3, 4-1 Big 12)
Movement: up four spots
Last Week: 13-7 win over Arizona State (Big 12 semifinal), 8-6 win over No. 11 Florida (Big 12 championship)
This Week: NCAA Tournament Round 1 (vs. Jacksonville)
The Big 12 champion Buffaloes snagged the final hosting spot thanks to a No. 8 RPI ranking and a conference tournament run highlighted by their massive title victory over the Gators. Colorado could have its hands full against a pesky 13-5 Jacksonville squad in Round 1, but things would really get interesting in the second round if the Buffaloes manages to advance. On Sunday, Colorado could be awaited for a third time this year by Florida, who would be seeking revenge with the season series tied at one apiece.
Just missed the cut: Florida (22-7 win over UC Davis, 8-6 loss to No. 10 Colorado), Clemson, Boston College
