SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Five different teams won a major award as the West Coast Conference announced its 2023 Women’s Soccer All-Conference and Major Awards on Wednesday. All six individual awards and the All-WCC teams were voted on solely by the Conference’s nine coaches.
The All-WCC First Team is comprised of a specific position format of three forwards three midfielders three defenders, one goalkeeper and one "wildcard" spot given to the student-athlete remaining with the most votes regardless of position.
Claiming its first WCC Women's Soccer Championship with a program-best six Conference wins, Gonzaga head coach Chris Watkins was tabbed the WCC Coach of the Year. This is the second time Watkins has won the award since sharing it with Jerry Smith of Santa Clara in 2020. Two of Watkins' Zags made the WCC All-Conference First Team in forwards Kelsey Oyler and Giana Riley, who netted a hat trick in the championship-clinching victory at Pepperdine last Saturday. The Bulldogs are the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host Idaho on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Pepperdine picked up two of the major awards with Tori Waldeck winning WCC Offensive Player of the Year and Julia Quinonez garnering WCC Freshman of the Year. Waldeck was also named to the all-conference first team, while Quinonez was tabbed to the all-conference second team. Waldeck finished the season with 27 points, which ranked second in the WCC, while her 11 goals were tied for second. Quinonez's rookie campaign finished with her coming in second on her squad with 15 points and her six goals tied for second with fellow All-WCC Second-Team selection Tatum Wynalda. Pepperdine will make its 13th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, heading to No. 2 seed Stanford on Friday at 6 p.m.
Annie Karich of Santa Clara won WCC Defender of the Year. Behind Karich's strong defensive presence, the Broncos only allowed three goals during Conference play. In addition, Karich and the Santa Clara defense notched 10 shutouts in 2023. SCU will make its 33rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament when the Broncos host Arizona State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
You can't discuss defense in the WCC in 2023 without talking about Bre Norris of Portland, the WCC's Goalkeeper of the Year. Norris and the Pilots amassed 11 shutouts, ranking fifth in the nation. The nine goals allowed this season were the fewest goals allowed since 2008. Norris led Portland to a goals-against average national ranking of No. 16.
San Francisco's Marissa Vasquez won WCC Midfielder of the Year. Vasquez paced the Dons in scoring with team bests in points (15), goals (7) and shots on goal (34). Her shots on goal tied for first in the WCC with Waldeck. Vasquez scored twice against Saint Mary's and she ended the season netting goals in two of the last three matches.
Santa Clara led the way with three all-conference first team selections (Farrah Walters, Sally Menti and Karich), while Gonzaga (Oyler, Riley), Pepperdine (Waldeck, Quinonez) and Portland (Norris and Camille Ashe) sported two players on the first team. Vasquez and Makena Carr of Saint Mary's also received first-team recognition. Vasquez and Karich picked up WCC All-Conference First Team honors for the second straight year, while Waldeck earned the recognition for the second time overall.
2023 WCC Women's Soccer Award Winners
| WCC COACH OF THE YEAR |
| Chris Watkins |
Gonzaga |
| WCC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR |
| Tori Waldeck |
Pepperdine |
Sr. |
| WCC DEFENDER OF THE YEAR |
| Annie Karich |
Santa Clara |
So. |
| WCC MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR |
| Marissa Vasquez |
San Francisco |
Jr. |
| WCC GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR |
| Bre Norris |
Portland |
Jr. |
| WCC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR |
| Julia Quinonez |
Pepperdine |
F |
ALL-WCC FIRST TEAM
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
POSITION |
YEAR |
| Camille Ashe |
Portland |
D |
Sr. |
| Taylor Bloom |
Pepperdine |
D |
So. |
| Makena Carr |
Saint Mary's |
D |
Sr. |
| Annie Karich |
Santa Clara |
M |
So. |
| Sally Menti |
Santa Clara |
M |
Jr. |
| Bre Norris |
Portland |
GK |
Jr. |
| Kelsey Oyler |
Gonzaga |
F |
Jr. |
| Giana Riley |
Gonzaga |
F |
So. |
| Marissa Vasquez |
San Francisco |
M |
Jr. |
| Tori Waldeck |
Pepperdine |
M |
Sr. |
| Farrah Walters |
Santa Clara |
F |
So. |
ALL-WCC SECOND TEAM
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
POSITION |
YEAR |
| Colby Barnett |
Santa Clara |
M |
Jr. |
| Maddie Kemp |
Gonzaga |
M |
Sr. |
| Chelsea Le |
Gonzaga |
M |
Sr. |
| Sophia Mattice |
Portland |
M |
Sr. |
| Jaida Nyby |
Pacific |
M |
Sr. |
| Julia Quinonez |
Pepperdine |
F |
Fr. |
| Briana Salvetti |
Saint Mary's |
F |
So. |
| Nedya Sawan |
Portland |
F |
Sr. |
| Cally Togiai |
Portland |
F |
Jr. |
| Lauren Towne |
Gonzaga |
GK |
Jr. |
| Tatum Wynalda |
Pepperdine |
M |
So. |
ALL-WCC FRESHMAN TEAM
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
POSITION |
| Jordyn Crosby |
Santa Clara |
F |
| Peyton Leonard |
Pepperdine |
D |
| Olivia Lukrofka |
San Francisco |
M |
| Sydney Middaugh |
Saint Mary's |
F |
| Mailin Orozco |
Santa Clara |
F |
| Julia Quinonez |
Pepperdine |
F |
| Violet Rademacher |
Portland |
M |
| Shelby Runje |
Gonzaga |
F |
| Ava Verplancke |
Pepperdine |
M |
| Emelia Warta |
Gonzaga |
M |
| Malia Yamamoto |
Santa Clara |
D |
ALL-WCC HONORABLE MENTION
| NAME |
SCHOOL |
| Alyssa Bourgeois |
Santa Clara |
| Grace Courter |
Gonzaga |
| Marissa Garcia |
Gonzaga |
| Karina Gonzalez |
Pepperdine |
| Jackie Koerwitz |
San Francisco |
| Lucy Mitchell |
Santa Clara |
| Katana Norman |
Portland |
| Alexis Pashales |
Pacific |
| Savannah Schwarze |
Saint Mary's |
| Anaya Shelton |
Pacific |
| Olivia Stone |
San Diego |
| Genevieve Watkins |
LMU |