"Different Here" Warriors Build for a Strong Future
Women’s Soccer
With the theme “Driven by Devotion, Defined by Discipline,” the women’s soccer team produced stellar performances by Skyler McNamara ’28, who led the team in goals (5); senior co-captain Amelia Villa with the most assists (4); and senior defender and co-captain Makenna Meyers. In her first year, Head Coach Lauren Dorr Matthias ’16 led the Warriors to victory in five of six games in October, including two wins in Hawaii. The team came up short in their final regular season match and failed to advance to the PacWest Tournament, finishing 5-11 overall and 5-5 in the PacWest. “The best is yet to come for the program,” Matthias said.
Men’s Soccer
Kicking off the season with the theme “Brotherhood,” taken from a painting by Rob Ring ’90, men’s soccer lost only one of six games in September. Erik Guerrero ’26 paced the Warriors with 7 goals and 6 assists, while Weston Ash ’29 scored in four of the last six games to finish with 6 goals for the season. Redshirt goalkeeper Aidan Strickler ’28 shut out the opposing team in the final match of the season, which the Warriors won 3-0. They finished 6-9-2 overall and 2-7-1 in the conference.
Volleyball
Volleyball won its first three and last four matches of the season, including a conference sweep of Azusa Pacific. Outside hitter Maddie Finnegan ’28 led the team in kills (267), setter Sierra McClure ’29 posted the most assists (506), Rylee Elias ’28 tallied the team high in digs (358) and Camila Cornejo-Farmer ’28 made 84 blocks. They posted a record of 12-14 overall, 6-6 in the conference. “We sought all season long to embrace both grit and gratitude,” says Head Coach Ruth McGolpin. “This team always stayed together.”
Swimming
Led by a theme of “unshakable,” the Warriors dove into the 2025-26 season by finishing first among NCAA DII teams with 182 points at Pepperdine. They beat Fresno Pacific by claiming first in 11 of 14 events in its first dual meet of the season. At a double-dual meet at Cal Lutheran, Madi Edwards (2:15.62) and Kate Spraul (2:18.59) finished in first and second in the 200-yard individual medley. Head Coach Jill Lin, now in her seventh year, is preparing her team for the PCSC Championships in February in Monterey Park and the NCAA DII Championships in March in Indiana.
Men’s and Women’s Golf
In their last fall season match, women’s golf finished second among six PacWest teams in the East Bay Fall Invitational at Stonebrea Country Club. Kyla Layman ’28 led the way and tied for 24th place (+16) after 54 holes. Competing at the Wasatch Golf Tournament hosted by Westminster (Utah), the Warriors finished second, one stroke shy of Westminster, earning honors as the PacWest Women’s Golf Team of the Week. Santiago Lopez finished second and Fernando Jimenez tied for third at the Danish Classic in Solvang for the men’s golf team. In his second season, Head Coach Leo Maes has welcomed Harley Richardson, a new assistant coach.
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Cross Country
Men’s cross country competed at the NCAA DII West Regionals in Monmouth, Oregon, finishing in 15th place out of 23 schools in the 10K. The core of the men’s team consists of one junior, one sophomore and three freshmen. “I’m excited for the ways this young team will continue to grow and develop in the future,” said Coach Chris Hanessian. Both the men’s and women’s teams ran under a rising Hawaii sun in the 2025 PacWest Championships. For the men, a pair of All-PacWest runners highlighted a fifth-place finish out of 10 teams, while the women came in eighth out of 12. In the women’s 6K, Molly Sandridge ’27 emerged as Westmont’s top-finisher. In the men’s, 8K Samuel Nealon and Hunter Skoglund sprinted to the final two All-PacWest honors.
New Coach to Lead Women’s Tennis Team
Sheila Snyder, who compiled 438 coaching victories as the women’s head tennis coach at Wayne State in Michigan for 35 years, joins the Warriors to lead the women’s tennis team.
“Coach Snyder has built an impressive history with a successful Division II women’s tennis program, developing leaders and fostering excellence,” says Robert Ruiz, Westmont’s director of athletics. “She brings a deep desire to mentor athletes and to invest in the development of a strong team culture.”
Snyder’s record of wins ranks ninth in NCAA DII women’s tennis history. In the last 19 years at Wayne State, her teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament 14 times. In the 2022-23 season, the team won its first Round of 16 match and advanced to the quarterfinals. Three times, Snyder earned recognition as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year as well as the ITA Regional Coach of the Year.
“I’m excited to join a faith-based community where I can help the students grow not only as athletes but in their character and spirit,” Snyder says. “I look forward to molding the young women on my team, mentoring them and hopefully maintaining a life-long relationship with them.
“We’re going to work hard, compete and get better every day, and we’re going to have fun doing it. I try to create a family atmosphere – that family away from home.”
Snyder earned a Master of Science in exercise physiology and a Bachelor of Science in physical education, both from Wayne State.
The ninth head coach of women’s tennis, Snyder will guide the program into its 52nd year. Alumna Ava Verchimak ’23, who played for the Warriors as a student, joins Snyder on the coaching staff.
Announcing New Westmont STUNT Program
The nation’s fastest‑growing female sport comes to Westmont in fall 2026. Since its NCAA Division II debut as an emerging sport in 2023, STUNT has blended the athleticism of cheer, dance and gymnastics into a high‑impact competition celebrating teamwork, precision and power. “We’re excited to create another thriving athletic program that attracts amazing student‑athletes who want to succeed at Westmont,” says Athletic Director Robert Ruiz. “We can become a strong regional competitor and take it to the highest level of NCAA DII.”
Learn more at westmont.edu/stunt.