Vanguard, in their first season of NCAA eligibility in 2026, won the Pacific West Conference regular season and tournament titles.

Can they do it again? The PacWest coaches think so, placing them at the top of field in the annual preseason poll with 98 voting points, including eight first place nods.

In winning the title(s) last year, the Lions defeated Point Loma, who was a first-time conference and tournament title winner in 2025. The Sea Lions (83 poll points) are picked to finish second this year.
Westmont (82, one first place vote) is tabbed third, Biola (64) is fourth, Concordia (62) fifth, Dominican (58) sixth, Hawaii Pacific (37) is seven, Jessup (28) is eighth, Hawaii Hilo (24) nine and Chaminade (14) is tenth.

Vanguard, who wasn't postseason eligible in the NCAA or PacWest in 2024-25 but played regular season games in the conference, served notice that they would be difficult to deal with in 2025-26. In 2025, they finished tied for second in conference play with a 16-4 mark.  

They bettered that last year by winning the PacWest with a 18-4 record, won the conference tournament and then won their first-ever NCAA tournament game with a 79-75 win over CSU Los Angeles. Head coach Russ Davis was named the PacWest Coach of the Year (30th season, 720-199) and Kaylee Byon was named the Player of the Year.

Byon has graduated but Davis still has a shelf full of weapons. That includes four returning starters-- Micaela Hanning (So., 5-7, Guard, 3^rd Team All-Conf., PacWest All-Tournament Team & MVP), Akilah Kubi (Sr., 5-10, Forward, PacWest All-Tournament Team), Aryanna Hudson (Jr., 5-7, Guard), Emma Schaaf (Jr., 6-3, Forward, 1^st Team All-Conference, PacWest All-Tournament Team). Additionally, he has six other returnees and transfers in Jessa Thurman (Gr., 6-2, Forward, Biola) and Emily Shaw (Jr., 5-7, Guard, Central Washington).

Point Loma lists second in the poll with three returning starters and six returnees overall. The Sea Lions were 21-9 last year and tied for second in the conference at 17-5. Point Loma qualified for the NCAA tournament, losing to Western Washington in the first round and have graduated 2025 PacWest Player of the Year Izzy Navarro and All-PacWest pick Eiley Tippins.

The Sea Lions have a new leader in head coach Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt, who was 134-31 in five seasons at Southern Oregon (NAIA). Kloppenburg-Pruitt inherits Hannah Golan (Sr., Guard, All-PacWest Third Team), Ruby Vlahov (Sr., Forward, All-PacWest Third Team), and Maddie Morrow (Sr., 5-9, Guard). She adds Sage Winslow (Southern Oregon), Kamiyah Hurd (Southwest Baptist), and Louise Dykstra (Northern Colorado).

The Sea Lions had 83 poll points and Westmont was just a digit behind with 82 and one first place vote. Last year’s poll read very similar, with PLNU at No. 2 and Westmont just two digits behind at No. 3. The Warriors would go on to finish 21-9 and 16-6 in conference play.

The Warriors, led by head coach Kirsten Moore (22nd Season, 448-164), have nine returnees from that team, including Molly Garnard (Sr., 6-,1 Forward, All-PacWest Third Team), and Jazmyn Shipp (Jr., 6-1, Forward, All-PacWest Second Team). They did graduate two-time PacWest Defender of the Year Lisa Kiefer.
 
Those three teams are in the upper tier with 98, 83, and 82 points respectively. The next three teams are also bunched closely together in the next section.

Biola (64) is slotted fourth. Head coach Mike Simonson, heading into his fourth season, has four starters back and 11 returnees overall. Leading the way is Laney Grider, the PacWest Newcomer of the Year, (Second Team All-PacWest, Sr., 5-10, Guard). Grider was fourth in the PacWest in scoring with 15.4 points a game. Simonson also has Hanne Nybo (Sr., 6-0, Guard/Forward), Jaycee Goldsmith (Sr., 6-3, Forward), Ailyah Bantolina (Jr., 5-7, Guard) and Alyssa Kubo (r-Sr., 5-7, Guard). The Eagles were 13-14 a year ago and 10-12 in the PacWest.
 
Right behind Biola with 62 poll points is Concordia. Head coach Christine Collins-Kiernan, in her tenth season, has three starters back and 11 returnees overall. That trio is led by Asia Darcuiel, who was the PacWest Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-PacWest pick. She averaged 15.5 points a game and busted out for 45 points against Point Loma. Also returning is Genesis Hopkins (Jr., Forward, 8.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.4 bpg) and Myia Collins (Sr., Guard, 7.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg). Collins-Kiernan also has two transfers in Izzy Om (G, Gr.; University of Albany) and Maelyn McNealy (G, Jr.; Northwood University).

In the sixth spot with 58 poll points and one first place vote is Dominican. The Penguins were 21-7 a year ago and 15-7 in the PacWest. Veteran head coach Tim LaKose (13th season at Dominican; 565-320 career record) will be in rebuild mode, having lost all five starters from last year. Dominican, who reached the PacWest tournament title game in 2025, does have eight returnees and a pair of transfer to work with.

Hawaii Pacific (37), Jessup (28), Hawaii Hilo (24) and Chaminade (14) round out the next tier. HPU head coach Brent Gibson heads into his second season with 11 returnees and three starters back, and he also has a solid transfer in Kaile Cruz (Hawaii Hilo), who led the Vulcans in scoring last year with 11.3 ppg. Head coach at Jessup Corey Laster has four starters back and a decorated transfer in Erin Choi from Fullerton College, a two-time Orange Empire All-Conference selection. Hawaii Hilo and head coach David Kaneshiro has four starters back and a transfer in Faith Mersburgh (Alaska Anchorage / Southern Nevada). Travis Brewster, in his second season at Chaminade, has seven returnees and three startrers, along with Division II transfers Ella Kletti (Florida Southern) and Ledjan Pahukoa (Cal State Monterey Bay).

The official tip-off of the 2026-27 season is just a little over a week away with the Hawaii exemption games October 30-November 1. Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific will host Western Colorado and St. Mary’s TX that weekend in the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic. Everyone else will get under way on Nov. 9 and conference play starts on December 3. From there the Road to La Mirada begins, where Biola will host the 2026-27 PacWest Championships at Chase Gymnasium, March 4-6.