MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Hawai’i took home the 2026 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship, reigning supreme in an All-Big West finale against UC Irvine. This marks the sixth national championship for The Big West in the eight years a title has been awarded since sport sponsorship began in 2018.
With Big West champion Long Beach State also claiming a spot in the Final Four, The Big West made up 75 percent of the field at Pauley Pavilion, and 25 percent of the expanded 12-team bracket after UH and UCI secured at-large bids to the national postseason making 2026 an historic #ThreeBidBigWest season.
UC Irvine first-year player Andrej Jokanovic earned the AVCA’s Newcomer of the Year, along with Big West Freshman of the Year honors after guiding the Anteaters to a national runner-up finish.
All six league programs were ranked in every poll throughout the season and finished up in the AVCA listings as: No. 1 Hawai'i, No. 2 UC Irvine, No. 4 Long Beach State, No. 10 UC Santa Barbara, No. 11 UC San Diego and No. 18 CSUN.
Including honorable mention selections, a total of 22 Big West men’s volleyball players earned recognition on the AVCA’s All-American listings. Four men representing three member-institutions were named to the first team, and Hawai’i setter Tread Rosenthal was a finalist for AVCA Player of the Year.
A total of seven men’s volleyball student-athletes representing four member-institutions were tapped for the CSC Academic All-District listings.
GOLF
The Long Beach State men enjoyed an historic season, winning a fourth consecutive Big West title in record-breaking fashion. The Beach bested the field by 47 strokes, the largest margin of victory in a 54-hole championship contested in Big West history. Another Big West first, LBSU went one through five in the individual standings as one program comprised the entirety of the All-Tournament team for the first time in conference history.
LBSU went on to earn a No. 4 seed in the regional field, where the team finished seventh to narrowly miss advancing to the Championships final site.
Big West individual medalist Steen Zeman took fifth at the NCAA Columbus Regional to punch his ticket to Omni La Costa, the first man to advance in the Championships since 2019. Including the recent successes on the women’s side, this marks four straight seasons that a Big West golfer or team has advanced through regional play to represent the conference on the national stage.
LBSU’s Zeman and Big West Golfer of the Year Alejandro de Castro Piera were both named to the PING All-West Region team, with de Castro Piera claiming Honorable Mention All-American status.
Entering the 2026 Big West Women’s Golf Championship as the No. 5 seed, Cal Poly was able to earn their fourth title in the last six seasons at the Royal Ka’anapali Course on Maui. Individual honors went to Long Beach State’s Madison Le, who led wire-to-wire.
With the Cal State Fullerton women selected as an at-large entrant into the regional field, The Big West saw two teams in the national postseason in back-to-back seasons with the Mustangs, Titans and Le all competing at the Stanford Regional.
Two-time Big West Golfer of the Year Davina Xanh of Cal State Fullerton was selected as one of 16 amateur golfers to compete in the prestigious Curtis Cup competition where the United States takes on Team Great Britain and Ireland. Xanh is the first known Big West athlete to represent their country in the event established in 1932.
A total of six men’s and eight women’s golf student-athletes representing five member-institutions were tapped for the CSC Academic All-District listings.
TENNIS
No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara swept No. 2 seed UC Irvine 4-0 to win its 15th Big West Men's Tennis Championship title in program history.
The Gauchos represented The Big West in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship bracket.
In October, Azuma Visaya of Hawai‘i (singles) and UC Santa Barbara’s Conrad Brown and Miguel Avendano won The Big West’s fall event and earned automatic bids into the ITA Conference Masters.
UC Santa Barbara’s Lucca Liu and Dominique Rolland punched tickets to the 2025 NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championship by virtue of making it to the semifinal round of the ITA West Sectional Championships. Liu made it to the round of 32, while Rolland exited in the round of 64.
Coming down to the No. 6 court, No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara defeated No. 2 seed Cal Poly by a narrow margin of 4-3 to win the 2026 Big West Women’s Tennis Championship. It was the Gauchos’ 12th overall title and sixth in last 10.
UC Santa Barbara competed in the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championship.
In the fall, Long Beach State’s Pamela Badillo (singles) and UC Santa Barbara’s Raphaelle Leroux and My-Anh Holmes (doubles) won The Big West’s bids into the ITA Conference Masters Event.
A total of 24 Big West men’s and women’s tennis student-athletes representing six member-institutions were named to the CSC Academic All-District teams.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Top-seeded Cal Poly captured the 2026 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship on its home sand, sweeping second-seeded Long Beach State, 3-0, to claim the program's first conference title since 2022.
For the fifth consecutive season, The Big West placed multiple teams into the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship field. Automatic qualifier Cal Poly and at-large selection Long Beach State represented the conference in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Cal Poly opened the NCAA Championship with a 3-0 victory over Grand Canyon before falling to third-seeded UCLA in the second round. Long Beach State pushed eighth-seed California to the limit in a tightly contested 3-2 first-round defeat.
Four Big West pairs earned AVCA All-America recognition. First team honors went to Ella Connor and Erin Inskeep of Cal Poly alongside Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah of Long Beach State. Second team recognition was awarded to Izzy Martinez and Logan Walter of Cal Poly, as well as Julia Lawrenz and Izadora Stedile of Hawai'i.
Connor and Inskeep, along with Gementera and Hagenah, were selected to train with the 2026 Beach Collegiate National Team during the summer.
Eight student-athletes representing six Big West member institutions earned CSC Academic All-District recognition as part of the 2026 CSC At-Large Teams.
WOMEN’S WATER POLO
Top-seeded Hawai'i captured its third consecutive Big West Women's Water Polo Championship, defeating second-seeded Long Beach State, 14-9, in the title match at the Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center.
Making its 10th National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Championship appearance, Hawai'i advanced to the national postseason before falling to fourth-seeded California in quarterfinal action.
The Big West placed 12 student-athletes on the 2026 ACWPC All-America Teams, highlighted by second team selections Agatha Weston of Hawai'i and Elisa Portillo of Long Beach State. Six member institutions were represented among the conference's All-America honorees.
Six Big West programs finished the season ranked in the final CWPA Poll, led by Hawai'i at T-No. 5, T-No. 7 Long Beach State, T-No. 10 UC Irvine, No. 14 UC Davis, T-No. 16 UC San Diego, T-No. 25 CSUN.
A total of 29 women’s water polo student-athletes earned CSC Academic All-District honors.
SOFTBALL
Top-seeded Cal State Fullerton captured its first Big West Softball Championship title, defeating third-seeded UC Santa Barbara, 1-0, in the championship game behind a dominant pitching performance and complete-game shutout.
Big West champion Cal State Fullerton earned a victory in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional, rallying for a dramatic 3-2 walk-off win over California Baptist before concluding its postseason run later that evening against South Carolina.
Four Big West student-athletes earned NFCA All-West Region recognition. Jamie McGaughey of Hawai'i garnered second team honors, while Taryn Irimata (Hawai'i), Sarah Perez (Cal State Fullerton), and Maalia Cherry (UC San Diego) earned third team distinction.
A total of 18 Big West baseball student-athletes representing seven member-institutions were named to the CSC Academic All-District team.
BASEBALL
No. 2 seed Cal Poly secured the 2026 Big West Baseball Championship for the second-straight year with a 4-3 victory in the if-necessary title game. The Mustangs won the league’s automatic bid into the national tournament.
Cal Poly, winners of the Big West Championship, and regular-season co-champion UC Santa Barbara represented The Big West in the 2026 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.
Cal Poly won the Los Angeles regional, hosted by No. 1 national seed UCLA. The Mustangs defeated Virginia Tech and St. Mary’s, twice, to advance to the Morgantown super regional.
At the Austin regional, UC Santa Barbara fought back from the loser’s bracket to make it to the regional final, falling to host Texas.
No less than 19 former Big West baseball players suited up for Opening Day of the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Cal Poly catcher Ryan Tayman and UC Santa Barbara pitcher Jackson Flora received ABCA All-West Region First-Team accolades. Cal State Fullerton outfielder Paul Contreras, Hawai’i starting pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno, Cal State Fullerton starting pitcher Mikiah Negrete and Cal Poly closer Nick Bonn were placed on the second team.
The Big West had four All-Americans in Cal Poly closer Nick Bonn, UC Santa Barbara starting pitcher Jackson Flora, Hawai’i starting pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno and Cal Poly catcher Ryan Tayman earning spots on various lists.
UC Santa Barbara starting pitcher Jackson Flora was named National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation (Hall of Fame) and Perfect Game.
A total of 13 Big West baseball student-athletes representing five member-institutions were named to the CSC Academic All-District team, and UC Davis pitcher Rowen Barnes earned Academic All-American distinction.
TRACK & FIELD
The Cal Poly men and UC Irvine women captured titles at the 2026 Big West Track & Field Championships. For the Mustangs, the win came in three-peat fashion after totaling 201.5 points. The Anteater women earned their second title in as many season, compiling 187.5 points for the win.
The Big West sent an impressive batch of 98 overall qualifiers to the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships First Round in Fayetteville, Ark. The figure is down from 116 last year, but an improvement from 84 in 2024, 62 from 2023, 47 from 2022, and 41 from 2021.
The Big West had 19 qualifiers at the 2026 NCAA Championships.
The Big West took seven slots on the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America First and Second Teams.
Three Big West student-athletes were podium finishers at nationals. 200m – Ian Dossman (Cal State Fullerton), Decathlon – Ryan Gregory (Long Beach State), Triple Jump – Chelsea Aninyei (UC Riverside).
A total of 46 Big West track & field student-athletes representing seven member-institutions were named to the CSC Academic All-District team.