IRVINE, Calif. (August 12, 2021) – Long Beach State is the preseason favorite to win the 2021 Big West women’s soccer title according to a vote of the eleven head coaches in their annual preseason poll Thursday.

The Beach collected 106 votes and one first place vote to claim the favorite’s role. Cal State Fullerton, winners of the 2019 Big West regular- and post-season championship titles, finished second in voting with 104 points and two first-place votes. UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara tied for the third spot with 94 points. The Anteaters received four first place votes, while the Gauchos received two.
 
Long Beach State swept the Big West regular- and post-season titles in 2018 and was selected atop the preseason poll in 2019. The 2020 Big West women’s soccer season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The full poll is as follows:
 
2021 BIG WEST WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL The coaches selected 11 players representing 8 teams to the 2021 preseason All-Big West Women's Soccer Team. The team consists of three seniors, four juniors and four sophomores.  Cal State Fullerton, Hawai’i and UC Irvine lead the way with two representatives each.
 
The trio of Hawai’i midfielder Eliza Ammendolia, her teammate forward Kayla Ryan and Cal State Fullerton defender Megan Day are the three returning players who claimed All-Big West First Team honors in 2019. Day was also tapped as 2019 Big West Freshman of the Year in 2019, netting three goals while anchoring a Titans defense that led the Big West, allowing only four goals in eight conference matches. The full of honorees is as follows:
 
2021 WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Name                                    School                                    Position                      Year
Eliza Ammendolia                 Hawai‘i                                     Midfielder                    Junior
Haley Brown                         Cal State Fullerton                   Midfielder                    Senior
Scarlett Camberos                UC Irvine                                 Midfielder                     Junior
Gianna Creighton                 UC Irvine                                  Midfielder                    Sophomore
Megan Day                           Cal State Fullerton                   Defender                     Sophomore
Amanda Delgado                  CSUN                                      Goalkeeper                  Junior
Leslie Fregoso                      UC Davis                                 Midfielder                     Sophomore
Kaitlin Fregulia                      Long Beach State                   Defender/Forward        Senior
Claire Grouwinkel                 UC Santa Barbara                   Forward                        Junior
Camille Lafaix                       Cal Poly                                   Midfielder                     Sophomore
Kayla Ryan                            Hawai‘i                                    Forward                        Senior
 
 
About The Big West
The Big West is an NCAA Division I member with 11 members with the shared goal of empowering every student-athlete in competition and in life and uniting its university communities through championship experiences. Formed in 1969, The Big West membership consists of Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, Hawai‘i, Long Beach State, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. The Big West is united in the pursuit of boundless opportunities, enduring integrity, bold activism, fearless innovation and the pacific spirit of freedom, exploration and progress. 

The Big West sponsors 18 sports at the NCAA Division I level: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s beach volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field and women’s water polo.

For more information, visit BigWest.org or follow The Big West on Twitter @BigWestSports.