The West Coast Conference finished the 2002 year with one of the most successful fall seasons ever, both academically and athletically, in league history.

The WCC, dedicated to providing opportunities for student-athletes to achieve, both on the playing field and in the classroom, sent 11 teams into the postseason in fall of 2002. Those 11 teams posted an 18-10 (.643) combined NCAA Tournament record, four advanced to Sweet 16’s, three made it to the Elite Eight and two to the Final Four, of their respective sports. Individually, 11 WCC athletes were selected to All-American teams, while four were selected as Academic All-Americans.

The 2002 fall season marked the second straight year that five WCC women’s soccer teams were selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament. For the first time in history, it was an all-WCC Women’s College Cup Final, as Portland outlasted Santa Clara in double-overtime to take home its first national title. The national soccer crown also marked the first in any sport for the Pilot’s athletic program. The Portland women’s soccer team was also recognized as an NSCAA Academic All-America Team, based on the team’s combined 3.33 grade point average for the 2002 school year. Portland’s Christine Sinclair, Lauren Orlandos, and Lindsey Huie, along with Santa Clara’s Aly Wagner and Devvyn Hawkins, were selected to the NSCAA All-American team. With five selections, the WCC tied the Big East Conference for the most players to be tabbed All-American. Sinclair and Wagner split the yearly awards given to the top collegiate women’s soccer player. Wagner became the first player to take home the newly unified M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Award, while Sinclair won the Honda Award.

Three WCC women’s volleyball teams advanced to the postseason for the third consecutive season. Pepperdine, the WCC champions received the league’s automatic bid and advanced to the Elite Eight, the farthest any WCC team has proceeded in the NCAA Tournament. Santa Clara received their fifth straight bid to the tournament, while San Diego participated in the postseason for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Becky Potter made Santa Clara history, becoming the first Bronco’s volleyball player to be named All-American, while Pepperdine’s Katie Wilkins collected her second consecutive All-American honor.

On the men’s side, three soccer teams received bids to the NCAA Tournament. Portland, the 2002 WCC regular season champions, received the conference's automatic bid, while LMU and USD received at-large bids. Loyola Marymount and Portland hosted first-round games and advanced to the second round. It was the 10th overall postseason appearance for the Pilots, while LMU made the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season, after earning the program’s first-ever bid in 2001. San Diego made the postseason for the fifth straight season, and the 10th since 1990. Loyola Marymount’s Andres Murriagui and Arturo Torres, along with San Diego’s Ryan Coiner and Portland’s Nate Jaqua, were named NSCAA All-Americans. It was the first selection for Murriagui and Torres and the second selection for both Coiner and Jaqua. It was the third time in WCC history that four players from the conference were named All-Americans.

Four WCC players earned Verizon Academic All-American honors. Jeff Kovar of LMU, Tyler Conley of San Diego, and Nate Jaqua of Portland were selected to the men’s soccer Academic All-American team while Sinclair was selected to the women’s team.

2002 FALL HONORS

ALL-AMERICANS
Women’s Soccer
Christine Sinclair, Portland
Aly Wagner, Santa Clara
Lauren Orlandos, Portland
Lindsey Huie, Portland
Devvyn Hawkins, Santa Clara

Men’s Soccer
Andres Murriagui, Loyola Marymount
Ryan Coiner, San Diego
Nate Jaqua, Portland
Arturo Torres, Loyola Marymount

Volleyball
Becky Potter, Santa Clara
Katie Wilkins, Pepperdine

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Christine Sinclair, POR - Honda Award
Aly Wagner, SCU - M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Award

TEAM AWARD
Portland women’s soccer team - NSCAA Academic All-America team

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Christine Sinclair, Portland
Jeff Kovar, Loyola Marymount
Tyler Conley, San Diego
Nate Jaqua, Portland