Since I got to Point Loma Nazarene University in 2022, and even well before then, the Sea Lions have been a force to be reckoned with in Division II athletics. As another year of PLNU athletics winds down, here’s a look at how each team performed in its respective season.
Volleyball
Head Coach Jonathan Scott and the women’s volleyball team have been stalwarts for PLNU. After a season that ended in the West Regional semifinal last year, the Sea Lions came back even stronger, going 28-5 and making it all the way to the NCAA Division II semifinal game, winning the PacWest and West Regional Championship along the way.
Hitter and 2025 alumna Abigail Nua solidified a historic career with her best season yet, leading the PacWest in kills and points, with the next closest player being nearly a full point behind. Nua was named National Player of the Year by the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association. She was named to the All-American First Team, while third-year setter Sophia Baugh — who led the PacWest in assists — made the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Second Team and D2CCA’s Third Team. Fourth-year libero Macy Reynolds led the PacWest in digs and was named to the AVCA Third Team.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer team accumulated double-digit wins (10-4-5) and a PacWest Championship win en route to the NCAA tournament, ultimately losing in the first round to Azusa Pacific. The season had its fair share of electric moments, though the best of them was when first-year Maddy Saruwatari netted a goal off a corner kick in double overtime to beat Dominican for the PacWest title.
Similar to last year’s team, much of the Sea Lions’ success was a result of their defense, only allowing 13 goals in 19 games, with nine of those games being shutouts. Three players represented PLNU in the D2CCA All-West Region Second Team: fourth-year defender Zoe Crockett, third-year midfielder Grace Nelson and second-year forward Priya Torres.
Men’s Soccer
It was a historic season for Phil Wolf and the men’s soccer team. Going 16-4-2, the Sea Lions amassed their highest win total in the NCAA era, their first PacWest tournament title, and the deepest postseason run for a men’s soccer team in program history, making it to the NCAA quarterfinals. The team also grabbed its third consecutive PacWest regular-season championship.
This year’s team was powered by its high-octane offense, netting 65 goals in 22 games. The three leaders in goals scored in the PacWest all came from PLNU: third-year forward Emmett Layman (15), fourth-year transfer and midfielder Cole Friesen (14) and third-year forward Elijah Langford (13). Friesen earned D2CCA All-American First Team honors, and Layman Second Team. They’re the first pair of PLNU teammates to get All-American honors in the same season since PLNU went from NAIA to NCAA.
Cross Country
The cross country team continues to improve with each season. Placing second in the PacWest in the PacWest Championships, it’s the best finish for the team since 2018, and since Jake Poyner took over the program.
Fourth-years Maddie Reeves and Zaila Smith finished in the top 10, with Reeves grabbing third and Smith 10th. PLNU then went on to take sixth place at the NCAA West Regional, propelling the team to be ranked No. 30 nationally according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Reeves broke her own school record for the 6K and went on to represent the Sea Lions at the NCAA National Championships, placing 43rd, which is the second-best finish in program history.
Women’s Basketball
Similar to other teams this season, the PLNU women’s basketball team had a historic one. For the third consecutive year, the Sea Lions made it to the West Regional quarterfinal. And for the second straight season, the team notched 20 wins. Both of those accomplishments are unprecedented for the program.
Fourth-year forward Eiley Tippins and third-year guard Izzy Navarro had standout seasons. Tippins led the team in scoring, averaging nearly 14 a game while also grabbing almost six rebounds a game. Tippins’ 56.7% from the field put her atop the PacWest. Navarro led the conference in both assists and steals, averaging 1.3 more steals than the next closest player and almost one full assist more than the rest of the conference.
Men’s Basketball
Justin Downer and the men’s basketball team reached familiar territory this season. After a dominant regular season, the Sea Lions made it to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years, but lost to California East Bay. Downer’s prowess in recruiting players and navigating the transfer portal showed this season, as five of the nine main rotation players were either transfers or first years.
Andrew Nagy, a second-year forward and transfer from Cal State Long Beach, scored 15.5 points per game on 62.3% shooting while also grabbing 6.1 rebounds per game, enough to win him PacWest Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. He was also named to the D2CCA All-West Region First Team. The future still looks promising for Downer, as guard James Nobles is the only listed fourth-year on the team, but starting point guard Jaden Matingou — who led the PacWest in assists — announced his transfer to the University of Hawaii. However, Downer nabbed Otto Landrum, a forward from Boston University, for the 2026-27 campaign.
Track & Field
This past week, PLNU took home a few wins at the PacWest Championships, propelling them to a fourth-place finish, the team’s best since 2019. Fourth-year Elizabeth Satterlee took home the win for the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and third-year Danielle Gould Leu won the pole vault title. Reeves continued to reset the bar for PLNU track and field, breaking multiple of her own school records. Her most recent 10K time of 33:52 places her fourth in all of Division II and broke her previous record by 36 seconds. She also broke the record for both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter. Reeves wound up finishing in second place at the PacWest Championships in the 1,500-meter and third in the 5,000-meter.
Third-year Rowan Cebulski cleaned up in her respective events, placing third in both the heptathlon and high jump. Fourth-year Reagan Cole ran a personal best time of 1:00.78 in the 400-meter hurdles to grab second place. Cole, along with second-year Angelica Gomes, second-year Sarah McGarry and first-year Abby Patton, placed second in the 4×400 meter relay. PLNU will be competing in the Steve Scott Invite on May 1 and 2 and the Franson Last Chance on May 8 and 9 in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Women’s Tennis
Coming off a PacWest title-winning and 20-plus-win season, the PLNU Women’s Tennis Team had high hopes for a crew with multiple returners and a few new faces. They’ve continued that high level of play, as the team is 17-4 and nearly won back-to-back PacWest titles, losing to APU in the championship match.
The Sea Lions have been nearly impeccable in the doubles department, going 41-8 overall in their doubles matches. Third-year Perla Conde Vendrell has led the charge in both singles and doubles record-wise, attaining a record of 14-5 and 17-1, respectively. She became the first Sea Lion ever to win PacWest Newcomer of the Year. Fourth-year Alina Kupfer (12-7) was named to the All-PacWest First Team for singles, and Conde Vendrell and third-year Emely Valencia Andrejeva (13-6) were both named to the Second Team. The doubles pairings of Conde Vendrell and Kupfer (17-1) and Andrejeva and third-year Anna Pallencaoe were named to the All-PacWest Second Team for doubles. PLNU now awaits seeding for the NCAA West Regional, to be played on May 8 and 9.
Men’s Tennis
Though there’s been a slight dip in record for the men’s tennis team (9-11), the team reached the same heights in the PacWest tournament as last year’s team, winning the third-place match and putting them in a better position for a chance at an at-large bid for the NCAA West Regional.
After a 4-10 record through 14 matches, the Sea Lions have gone on to win five of their last six. The revelation for this year’s team is fourth-year transfer, Stanislas Noel. Alongside Nagy and Conde Vendrell, Noel brought home the award for PacWest Newcomer of the Year while also being named All-PacWest first team for both singles and doubles. Second-year David Fisinger finished on the Second Team for singles. Noel’s doubles partner, third-year Finn Kirschner, joins him on the First Team for doubles, and Fisinger and his partner, first-year Marcos Alogo-Piqueras, landed on the Third Team. If PLNU gets an at-large bid for the NCAA West Regional, it’ll be played on May 11 and 12.
Golf
After a down year in 2025 that saw them place ninth in the PacWest tournament, the PLNU Golf Team finds itself near the top of the PacWest Conference, placing second this year. Even more impressive is the path they took to get there. After the first round, the Sea Lions were 16 shots behind the leader. But nobody outpaced PLNU in the last two rounds, and they came within two shots of the PacWest tournament winners, Hawaii Hilo. Three PLNU golfers finished top 10 individually: first-year Allie Nguyen finished sixth (+6), third-year Annika Yturralde seventh (+8) and third-year Bella Gunasayan tenth (+11). Nguyen and Gunasayan led the charge on the comeback attempt, as they both tied for the best final round score in the field at even par. Now, the Sea Lions hope for an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA Super Regionals in Pueblo, Colo., from May 4-6.
Baseball
One thing remains consistent about PLNU baseball: They’re going to win, and they’re going to win a lot. The Sea Lions are primed for another deep playoff push, and they’ve already clinched the PacWest regular season championship for the fourth time in five years. At 36-9, the team has the highest winning percentage since the 2022 squad that made the Division II College World Series. Head Coach Justin James is doing it with a largely different core from last year’s team, though. Each member of the starting rotation is a new face.
The three-headed monster of Derek Silva, Vaughn Neckar and Glen Huggins has been a lethal one, as the team ERA of 4.07 is miles ahead of the next closest in the PacWest at 5.30. The offense is no slouch, either, as the Sea Lions lead the PacWest Conference in batting average, runs scored and runs batted in. Second-year infielder Josiah Rodriguez has been a constant force and finds himself third in the conference in batting average (.419). Fifth-year transfer and outfielder Tristan Moore has provided a lot of pop, as he’s third in the conference in on-base plus slugging and first in doubles (19), triples (4) and total extra base hits (34). The pair of redshirt juniors Hank Smith and Aiden Arriaga also boast an OPS north of 1.000. The star-studded group has one more four-game set against Biola before the PacWest Championships from May 6-8, played in Santa Barbara.
Belen Palomino Young