IRVINE, Calif. – The PacWest coaches voted Azusa Pacific as the conference’s preseason favorite with all but one first-place vote, while reigning PacWest Player of the Year Amy Baum was voted as the Preseason Player of the Year with the 2021-22 season on November 12.
 
Azusa Pacific reached the NCAA Division II quarterfinals after winning the NCAA West Super Regional last year, making the team’s second appearance in the elite eight in the last three years. This year, the Cougars return almost their entire roster, including all five starters from last season.
 
Laura Pranger and Kayla Shaw are each on the Preseason All-PacWest team for Azusa Pacific. Shaw led the Cougars in scoring last season with 16.9 points per game, making just under 40 percent of her shots from 3-point territory. During Pranger’s last full season, she recorded 120 blocks, which is tied for the second-most in PacWest history, earning her Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
Hawai`i Pacific went undefeated during the regular season last year and earned the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA postseason. The Sharks are led once again by Baum, who was voted the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year. She is the two-time reigning PacWest Player of the Year and could become the first player in conference history to win the award three times as she chases another PacWest title. The Sharks have won four PacWest titles, which is just one away from the record of five set by Grand Canyon.
 
Point Loma is picked third in the preseason poll as the Sea Lions start their first year under head coach Charity Elliot, who is taking over a veteran group that is led by Preseason All-PacWest selection Cara Liggins. She starts her senior season with 1,434 career points after being named the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the PacWest last year.
 
Concordia had a .500 record in the SoCal Pod last season and is picked fourth in the preseason poll with Michaela VanderKlugt on the Preseason All-PacWest Team. She has 1,615 career points with 889 rebounds, which rank seventh and fourth in PacWest history entering the season, putting both records within reach. The Eagles return four starters and have added a pair of NCAA Division I transfers.
 
Biola is picked fifth after having taken fourth place in the conference during the last full season. The Eagles have recruited two NCAA Division I transfers as they look to return to the PacWest Championships.
 
Fresno Pacific will be the host of the PacWest Championships this year, and the Sunbirds are picked sixth in the preseason poll. The top six teams will qualify for the tournament on March 3-5, and the Sunbirds will be led by Rachel Berry in the quest for that berth. Berry is on the Preseason All-PacWest Team after she averaged 15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. The Sunbirds have four returning starters after having won the PacWest NorCal Pod last season.
 
Academy of Art is picked seventh in the preseason poll as the Urban Knights look to return to the PacWest Championships. They added Cal State Fullerton transfer Joy Krupa, who was named the GSAC Defensive Player of the Year while at Westmont in 2018. The Urban Knights also recruited freshman Alisha Wilson, who posted marks in track & field in high school that would compete for PacWest titles.
 
Dominican is picked eighth in the poll as the Penguins return four of their starters from last season. Hawai`i Hilo went 6-6 last season and are picked to finish ninth. Chaminade and Holy Names round out the preseason poll as the Hawks get set to play their first official basketball games since 2020.
 
The season will start on Friday, November 12 with eight of the conference’s teams in action. Fresno Pacific will be at Chico State to start the season and Hawai`i Pacific will be in Washington for a pair of games against Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s.
 
The conference season will start on November 29 with Concordia making a trip to Hawai`i, and Point Loma will also be in Hawai`i that week. The regular season will conclude on February 27 with Chaminade playing at Hawai`i Pacific. The top six teams in the standings will earn a spot in the PacWest Championships, which will be held at Fresno Pacific on March 3-5.
 

2021-22 PRESEASON ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown/Previous School
Amy Baum	Hawai`i Pacific	G	Jr.	Melbourne, Australia / Rowville Secondary
Rachel Berry	Fresno Pacific	G	So.	Clovis, Calif. / Clovis
Cara Liggins	Point Loma	G	Sr.	Albuquerque, N.M. / Sandia
Laura Pranger	Azusa Pacific	F	Sr.	Parker, Colo. / Cherry Creek
Kayla Shaw	Azusa Pacific	G	Sr.	Phoenix, Ariz. / Delaware
Michaela VanderKlugt	Concordia	F	Sr.	Concord, Calif. / Carondelet