BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's soccer team tied for the lead among West Region programs with four players earning All-West Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches.
 
Sophomore forward/midfielder Morgan Manalili was one of 12 first-team award winners, becoming a consensus All-West Region player also earning first-team honors from the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) for the 2023 season. Manalili was a second-team All-Region selection during her freshman season by USC.
 
Also joining Manalili on the All-West Region team was second-team award winners senior goalkeeper Claire Henninger and sophomore defender Asia Hardin, both Second Team All-West Region honorees by the D2CCA. Senior midfielder Payton Neal capped WWU's selections as a third-team selection.
 
WWU's 2023 All-West Region Selections by United Soccer Coaches:

• Morgan Manalili (F/M) – 1st Team
• Claire Henninger (GK) – 2nd Team
• Asia Hardin (D) – 2nd Team
• Payton Neal (M) – 3rd Team

 
WWU's four selections equaled Cal State LA, Cal Poly Pomona and Concordia University Irvine for the most All-Region selections in the West. The Vikings led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's 11 award winners with Seattle Pacific gathering three awards.
 
Manalili (Shoreline, WA/Shorecrest) led the Vikings and tied for second in the GNAC with six goals and paced the conference with four game-winning goals to also tie for the most amongst West Region players. In two collegiate seasons the midfielder has combined for 40 points on 16 goals and eight assists in 46 games (39 starts). Manalili has now earned four All-West Region awards, including back-to-back first-team selections from the D2CCA and moving up to the first team by USC after being a second-team pick last season.
 
Henninger (Sequim, WA) was a consensus second-team All-West Region player after also earning the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year award. Henninger led the conference and ranked fifth in the West Region with a 0.607 goals against average, and was also tied for the GNAC lead with nine shutouts. Henninger ended her career with 21 shutouts to tie for fifth in program history and sixth with a 0.59 goals against average. In addition to her strong performance on the field, Henninger also served as a team captain and was a four-time GNAC All-Academic selection.
 
Hardin (West Linn, OR) helped anchor one of the top defenses in the region with a 0.762 goals against average (7th in West). Hardin started all 21 games and played in 1,875 out of a possible 1,890 minutes during the season. In two collegiate seasons Hardin has missed just one game and played the full 90 in 44 of 45 starts. The defender was a consensus second-team All-West Region selection, in addition to earning First Team All-GNAC, All-GNAC Academic and Academic All-District honors.
 
Neal (Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet) capped her five-year career by earning her first All-West Region award. The Second Team All-GNAC pick was a third-team selection to the all-region team by the United Soccer Coaches. In 2023 Neal started all 21 games, scoring one goal with three assists from her midfield position. Neal finished her collegiate career appearing in 90 games to tie for 9th-most in WWU history and in the top 15 in GNAC history.
 
The Vikings completed the 2023 season with a 12-5-4 overall record and placed second in the GNAC with a 9-2-3 conference mark. WWU advanced to the GNAC Championships Final for the 11th consecutive season, but fell short of a seventh title in a 2-1 loss to Simon Fraser. The Vikings had its string of 10 consecutive seasons advancing to the NCAA Championships snapped just missing a spot in the West Regional.