BELLINGHAM, Wash. – With four of five fall programs advancing to the NCAA Championships, Western Washington University recorded a top 10 finish in the Learfield Directors' Cup NCAA Division II standings.

 

WWU scored 200.0 points during the fall season with men's and women's cross country, volleyball and women's soccer advancing to the NCAA Championships to tie for 8th place. A total of 154 schools scored points during the fall season, with nearly 300 schools competing at the NCAA Division II level in 2025-26.

 

The Vikings were the top fall finisher among GNAC schools and ranked first in the West Region just ahead of Cal Poly Pomona (10th place, 197.5 points).

 

The men's cross country program led the way placing 9th at the national championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin, marking the fifth top 10 finish in 15 trips to nationals at the NCAA level. Fueled by four runners in the top 100, WWU was the top finishing West Region squad placing well ahead of 15th-place and regional champion Chico State (431 points). Junior Jared Alderfer and sophomore Jonah Billings led the way finishing side-by-side in 55th and 56th place, just missing All-America honors.

 

The women's cross country team finished 18th in their third consecutive trip to nationals. WWU was led by an 83rd-place finish by junior Ella Edens, completing the 6K course in 21:39.9. Both cross country teams advanced to nationals for the third consecutive season and 11th time in program history since joining the NCAA level in 1998.

 

The women's soccer team earned points advancing to the NCAA West Regional for the 14th time in program history and 12th in the last 13 seasons. The Vikings were eliminated in regional semifinal round falling in a penalty kick shootout to Azusa Pacific. WWU finished the 2025 season with a 14-1-7 overall record and won its 11th GNAC regular season title going undefeated at 11-0-3 in conference play. Senior forward Morgan Manalili earned First Team All-America honors and was selected as the West Region and GNAC Player of the Year contributing 17 goals and eight assists.

 

The Western volleyball team made its return to the NCAA Championships as the No. 6 seed in the West Region. The Vikings finished the campaign with a 19-7 overall record and 13-5 GNAC mark. Senior Devyn Oestreich and junior Delaney Speer earned All-America and First Team All-GNAC honors to highlight the team's all-around success during the 2025 season. Oestreich was selected as the GNAC Player of the Year honors during her senior season that featured a double-double in 18 of 26 matches and team-best statistical marks of 3.87 kills, 3.81 digs per set and 44 service aces.

 

WWU is coming off a 43rd-place finish in the 2024-25 Learfield Directors' Cup Standings with 11 programs advancing to the NCAA postseason. It marked the 19th top 50 finish in the last 20 seasons with Western also winning its fourth consecutive GNAC All-Sports Trophy.

 

GNAC programs finishing behind WWU in the top 100 in the fall standings include Alaska Anchorage (63rd, 83.5), Central Washington (69th, 75.0), Simon Fraser (69th, 75.0) and Northwest Nazarene (98th, 54.0). WWU was the top placing West Region program out of the GNAC, CCAA and PacWest with Cal Poly Pomona (10th, 197.5), Point Loma Nazarene (16th, 181.0), Chico State (35th, 130.5) and Stanislaus State (38th, 128.5) placing in the top 50.

 

Here is a look at the top 30 teams in the fall standings for the 2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup standings. WWU is tied for 8th place in the standings with 200.0 points, leading all programs in the GNAC and West Region. A total of 154 schools scored points during the fall season, with nearly 300 schools competing at the NCAA Division II level in 2025-26.

 

 

 

Here is a look at the WWU point breakdown for the Fall Learfield Directors' Cup standings, with four teams earning points. The scoring structure is explained at length on NACDA.com:

 

• Men's Cross Country – 69.0 Points (9th)
• Women's Cross Country – 56.0 Points (18th)
• Women's Soccer – 50.0 Points (17th)
• Volleyball – 25.0 Points (33rd)

 

WWU has placed in the top 50 in the Directors' Cup standings in 21 of the 25 seasons at the NCAA Division II level dating back to the first year in 1998-99, which includes 10 years in the national top 30. WWU's highest finish was 6th place in 2009-10 and 7th in 2010-11.