The 2025-26 All-Pacific West Conference women's basketball team honors the league champion Vanguard Lions, who claimed their first-ever PacWest title in just their second season in the conference.

It makes sense then that the Lions would house the awards for Coach of the Year and Player of the Year. Vanguard, who went 18-4 in conference play to win the title by a game over Point Loma and Azusa Pacific (both 17-5), were further honored by a vote of their peers with Russ Davis selected as Coach of the Year and Kaylee Byon as Player of the Year.

The other annual awards chosen by the conference's coaches were Laney Grider (Biola) as Newcomer of the Year, Asia Darcuiel (Concordia) as Freshman of the Year, and Lisa Kiefer (Westmont) was a repeat winner of Defender of the Year. 

Kaylee Byon is now a PacWest champion back-to-back years, after playing for league winner Point Loma last year, when she was also named All-PacWest. The senior guard ran the Lion show in 2025-26, averaging six assists a contest and she had a 2.9 assist to turnover ratio. That last figure is tops in the PacWest and the assist average is second. She also averaged 12.6 points a game, but her value went beyond the numbers. "Kaylee has led our team in so many ways," said Coach Davis. "She has played a huge part of our team success this year on and off the court. She was huge for us winning the PacWest."

Byon's coach, Russ Davis, is no stranger to success and individual awards. This is his 30th season as a head coach, and in just his second in the PacWest and at the NCAA Division II level, he led his team to a conference title and Coach of the Year honor. He came to the PacWest with 12 Golden State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards, four NAIA Coach of the Year trophies and he is already in the Vanguard and NAIA Hall of Fames. He has a career record of 717-198. His team just missed a PacWest title a year ago, finishing tied with Azusa Pacific for second place. In climbing to the top of the ladder this year, the Lions displaced the winners of the last four champion trophies in the Sea Lions and Cougars.

Also no stranger to the award she received is the Defender of the Year, Lisa Kiefer of Westmont. The 6-foot-3 inside player also won the award last season after transferring from the University of Montana. This year, the German native averaged 11.1 rebounds per game, more than two per contest better than anyone else in the PacWest. She was fourth in blocked shots (1.5) and third in steals (2.9). She had 18 rebounds in a single game against Concordia, and had 17 twice versus Menlo and Chaminade. The second-year Warrior had four of the top eight rebound totals in the PacWest this year. 

Biola's Laney Grider was selected as the PacWest Newcomer of the Year. The transfer from The Master's (NAIA) listed in the PacWest top 10 in four offensive categories. She was fourth in scoring (15.2), seventh in free throw percentage (80%), and eighth in assists (3.1) and field goal percentage (.48%). She had a season-high 28 points against rival Azusa Pacific. The junior guard was a consistent force for the Eagles, going 22 games with 10+ points, and five games with 20+ points. Previous to arriving at Biola, Grider helped lead the Mustangs to a GSAC title in 2025.

The Freshman of the Year is Concordia's Asia Darcuiel. The San Diego native began the year coming off the bench but then quickly established herself as a main scoring cog in the Golden Eagle offense, starting the last 19 games of the regular season. All she did was average 15.4 points a game, second in the conference and she exploded for 45 points on the road in her hometown to clinch down a tournament spot at Point Loma. That 45 points is the second highest total in PacWest history. The 5-foot-8 guard from Lincoln High School had 20 or more points in a game eight times and was in double figures in 18 games.

Byon was also a First Team All-PacWest selection, and she is joined by Vanguard teammate Emma Schaaf, Azusa Pacific's Audrey Sayoc, Menlo's Alberte Frisch and Point Loma's Eiley Tippins and Izzy Navarro. All six players are All-PacWest repeat selections. 

Emma Schaaf, who was the 2024-25 PacWest Freshman of the Year, didn't drop off at all this year. the 6-foot-3 sophomore averaged 14 points a game (sixth in the conference) and pulled down 6.8 rebounds a game. Her 1.9 blocks per contest listed third on the conference stat list. She had a career high of 30 points this year in a win over Dominican. 

Audrey Sayoc of Azusa Pacific is the quarterback that made the Cougars run. The senior guard averaged 32.2 minutes per contest and put up almost 12 points a game. She was fourth in the PacWest in assists (4.7) and was fifth in steals (.2.5). She had a season-best 28 points and seven steals against Point Loma. Menlo's Alberte Frisch helped push her team to the brink of qualifying for the PacWest tournament, leading the conference in scoring at 17.8. She was in the conference top 10 in eight different categories and she eclipsed the 1,000 career point barrier this year. She had a season-best 32 points against Chaminade.

Point Loma had two First Team selections in Eiley Tippins and Izzy Navarro. For both players, this is their third all-conference selection. Tippins led Point Loma in scoring at 13.9 and she passed 1,000 points this season. She paced the PacWest in field goal percentage at .573, and scored in double figures in 21 games (15 of last 16). Navarro twice earned all-conference honors at Concordia and was the 2023-24 PacWest Freshman of the Year. This year she put up astounding numbers in assists and steals, leading the PacWest and NCAA in thefts (119) and with 186 assists, ranked first in the league and second in the nation. She also surpassed 1,000 points this season.

Second Team members included Kiefer, Darcuiel and Grider, along with Azusa Pacific's Lauren Jones, Dominican's Keyonee Neal and Westmont's Jazmyn Shipp. Third Team honorees are Micaela Hanning from Vanguard, Molly Garnand from Westmont, Kaylyn Buchanon from Dominican, Camryn Kiernan from Concordia and Point Loma's Ruby Vlahov and Hannah Golan. 

The 2026 Pacific West Conference Championships begin tomorrow (Thursday) in San Diego. To see the complete tournament schedule, along ticket information and much more, visit the Championship page here.

 

2025-26 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Player of the Year		Kaylee Byon				Vanguard
Defender of the Year		Lisa Kiefer*				Westmont
Newcomer of the Year		Laney Grider				Biola
Freshman of the Year		Asia Darcuiel				Concordia
Coach of the Year		Russ Davis				Vanguard
2025-26 ALL-PACWEST WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
Name	School		Pos.	Yr.	Hometown/Previous School
FIRST TEAM
Kaylee Byon*	Vanguard		G	Sr.	Buena Park, Calif. / Point Loma
Audrey Sayoc*	Azusa Pacific		G	Sr.	Glendale, Calif. / Providence HS
Emma Schaaf*	Vanguard		F	So.	Newhall, Calif. / Libertas Prep
Alberte Frisch*	Menlo		G	Sr.	Rungsted Kyst, Denmark
Eiley Tippins**	Point Loma		C	Sr.	Tahoe Vista, Calif. / Incline HS
Izzy Navarro**	Point Loma		G	Jr.	Tijuana, Mexico / Concordia
SECOND TEAM
Asia Darcuiel	Concordia		G	Fr.	San Diego, Calif. / Lincoln HS
Lauren Jones	Azusa Pacific		G	Sr.	Werribee, Australia / Good News Lutheran
Laney Grider	Biola		G	Jr.	Santa Clarita, Calif. / The Master’s
Lisa Kiefer*	Westmont		C	Sr.	Marburg, Germany / Univ. of Montana
Jazmyn Shipp	Westmont		F	So.	Bonney Lake, Wash. / Bonney Lk.
Keyonee Neal*	Dominican		G	Sr.	Rohnert Park, Calif. / Rancho Cotate HS
THIRD TEAM
Micaela Hanning	Vanguard		G	Fr.	Orange, Calif. / Crean Lutheran
Hannah Golan	Point Loma		F	Jr.	Novato, Calif. / Branson HS
Molly Garnand	Westmont		F	Jr.	Oro Valley, Ariz. / Pusch Ridge
Ruby Vlahov	Point Loma		F	So.	Perth, Australia / St. Mary’s
Kaylyn Buchanon	Dominican		G	Jr.	Chula Vista, Calif. / Bonita Vista
Camryn Kiernan	Concordia		G	Sr.	Orange, Calif. / Mater Dei HS

                                                                                                        *Previous All-PacWest selection