Women's Soccer

WCC Announces 2023 Women’s Soccer Honors

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