Point Loma, the 2025 Pacific West Conference tournament champion, is the coach's selection to win the 2026 conference title.

The Sea Lions received 95 poll points and six first-place votes from the ten conference coaches. Concordia was next with 84 points and one first-place vote, followed very closely by Hawai`i Hilo with three first place votes and 81 points. Dominican rounds out the top four with 66 poll points. 

Point Loma finished third in the PacWest standings in 2025, after winning the regular season title in 2023 and 2024. But they surged through the conference tournament defeating Hawai`i Hilo and upstart Dominican on penalty kicks to advance to the NCAA regionals. They finished 10-4-5 on the year, and return 15 players from that squad--including all-conference selections Grace Nelson (MF, Sr., 1^st Team All-Conference), Gianna Masinter (MF, Jr., 2^nd Team All-Conference), Nikki Ross (MF, Sr., 2^nd Team All-Conference), Priya Torres (F, Jr., 1^st Team All-Conference), and Maddy Saruwatari (MF, So., 3^rd Team All-Conference). 

Head coach Kristy Kiely (9th season) also has four Division I transfers to bolster that roster. 

Concordia would have qualified for the conference tournament last year, if they were in any other league. The Golden Eagles went 10-3-4 overall and were 5-2-3 in PacWest play, which has become one of the top women's soccer conference's in the country. CUI just missed the cut, but the PacWest coaches have them very much in the hunt in 2026.

Head coach Chris Gould (17th season) has seven starters back from last Fall, including three all-conference players--Bella Barrett (Sr., PacWest Co-Player of the Year, First Team All-PacWest); Sloane De Torres (Sr., D, Second Team All-PacWest); and Ashley Grubert (Sr., MF, Third Team All-PacWest). Barrett led the conference with six game-winning goals and had eight overall, despite missing time early in the season with an injury. 

Perennial contender Hawai`i Hilo is expected to be right in the mix again. Head coach Gene Okamura (11th season) has 17 players back including all-conference picks Kalaya Havellana (D, Sr., 3^rd Team All-Conference), Lydia Keller (GK, R-Jr., 1^ST Team All-Conference, Goalkeeper of the Year), and Delaney Barbee (FWD, Jr., 3^rd Team All-Conference). Okamura also has eight transfers on the roster, including five Division I players and three Division II standouts. 

Dominican, the surprise team of the 2025 season, made the tournament last Fall after being tabbed to finish eighth in the preseason poll. Kelly Coffey's (12th season) team went 9-2-9 last year and 5-1-4 in the PacWest, and then upset conference champion Azusa Pacific in the first round of the tournament. After two overtimes, they would fall in the title bout via penalty kicks to PLNU. Janae Swan (First Team) and Tahlia Smith (Third Team) lead a group of 21 returnees for Coffey. 

Vanguard checks in at fifth (61 poll points). Head coach Emily Reynolds (4th season) has a whopping 19 players returning from a squad that went 4-4-2 in their first PacWest season last year. That includes six starters. Westmont is right behind the Lions with 50 poll points and have 25 players back, including all 11 starters. That large list includes Second Team All-Conference selection Skylar McNamara, a junior forward. Head coach Lauren Matthias is in her second season with the Warriors.

Biola follows (38). Head coach Brett Croft, in his fourth season, has 18 players back, including Second Team All-Conference selection Briley Phelps. Head coach Michelle Richardson (14th season) leads Chaminade (34 poll points) into 2026. The Silverswords have 13 players back and Richardson also signed a half dozen Division I and Division II players. Rival Hawaii Pacific (27), under second-year coach Connor Artigue, has seven returning starters and seven transfers. Jessup rounds out the group of ten teams (17 points) with head coach Amsalu Fantahun (4th season) working with 14 returnees. 

Action for all ten PacWest teams begins on Thursday, August 27. Non-conference action continues until PacWest play begins on September 23. Each squad will play nine conference games and the top four teams at the end of that slate will qualify for the PacWest Championships, to be held Nov. 5-7 in Hilo.