Women's Basketball 11/3/2025 1:00:00 PM

The Big West Leads Nationally with Nine Kay Yow Servant Leader Award Recipients

Kay Yow release >>> | Meet the 2025-26 National Servant Leaders

Nine Big West women’s basketball student-athletes have been selected as Kay Yow Servant Leader Award honorees for the 2025-26 season. The award, presented by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, recognizes women across all NCAA divisions who exemplify leadership, selflessness and service in the fight against all cancers affecting women.

The 2025-26 Big West Kay Yow Servant Leader Award honorees are:

Institution	Student-Athlete	Year	Pos.	Hometown
Cal Poly	Alana Goosby	R-So.	G	Allen, Texas
Cal State Bakersfield	Alli Dioli	Jr.	G	Half Moon Bay, Calif.
Cal State Fullerton	Madelynn Muniz	R-So.	G	Phoenix, Ariz.
Hawai’i	Kira-May Filemu	So.	G	Wattle Grove, New South Wales, Australia
Long Beach State	Kennan Ka	Jr.	F	San Diego, Calif.
UC Davis	Ryann Bennett	So.	G	Long Beach, Calif.
UC Riverside	Maya Chocano	Jr.	G/F	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
UC San Diego	Rosa Smith	R-Jr.	G	Kirkland, Wash.
UC Santa Barbara	Martha Pietsch	Sr.	G	Berlin, Germany

“The Big West stands for excellence in academics, athletics and leadership through service to others in the communities we so proudly represent,” Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said. “The fact that The Big West leads the nation with nine deserving student-athletes is a testament to our shared commitment to servant leadership. We applaud these honorees for continually putting others first.”

All nine Big West honorees will wear a special Servant Leader patch on their game jerseys and will take the lead in driving The Big West’s Tough Like Tammy campaign throughout the 2025-26 season.

In its third year, Tough Like Tammy, a partnership between all 11 Big West women’s basketball programs, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund (KYCF) and Big West broadcaster Tammy Blackburn has raised over $25,000 to support research and access to care in the fight against all cancers affecting women.

To date, KYCF has funded 20 cancer researchers and given close to $10M in grants. These grantees have published over 3,300 scientific papers and their leadership has extended to 59 clinical trials and 19 patents, helping to advance new discoveries and treatment options for patients everywhere.

Tough Like Tammy’s mission in 2025-26 is securing a $50,000 grant to assist women in underserved communities in southern California. Currently, the program is over 60% of the way towards reaching the goal.

Fans are encouraged to assist in securing the grant through one-time donations in any amount or pledges for each offensive rebound secured during the final month of the Big West women’s basketball season. For more information, or to donate, go to BigWest.org/TLT.

A check for all monies raised will be presented during halftime of the women’s championship game of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Women’s Basketball Championship at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada on March 14, 2026.

This years’ class of Servant Leaders will be celebrated during a special event at the end of the season, where for the ?rst time KYCF will also name a Servant Leader of the Year.

“These young women are living out Coach Yow’s legacy every day,” said Jenny Palmateer, CEO of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. “From leading service projects and raising awareness about cancer, to mentoring teammates and inspiring their fans and communities, they show us what it means to lead with a servant’s heart.”