BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's basketball team is ready for March Madness, set to compete in the NCAA II West Regional Championship as the No. 2 seed in Ellensburg.

 

Coming off a GNAC regular-season title, WWU heads into the NCAA Tournament with a 24-7 overall record, winners of nine of the last 10 games and is 12-2 over the last 14 games heading into Friday's match-up against No. 7 seed Point Loma.

 

This marks the fifth time in the last six possible seasons, and 21st overall in program history, WWU is dancing in the NCAA Tournament. The Vikings postseason presence includes playing in the conference, regional or NCAA championships in 51 of 54 seasons in program history. Western is 21-19 all-time in NCAA tournament play, recording at least one victory in 12 of 19 prior regional appearances, recently playing in the 2022 national title game in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

The Vikings face Point Loma (21-8) on Friday in the 2:30 pm quarterfinal game with a live (and free) webcast via the NCAA Champs Pass. The game will be played in Nicholson Arena in Ellensburg with No. 1 seed Central Washington University serving as the host for the eight-team regional.

 

The Vikings feature three players that earned All-GNAC honors, including first-team selections senior forward Olivia Hodges and junior guard Libby Stump, and honorable mention pick junior guard Demi Dykstra. Hodges is the NCAA Division II leader averaging 13.2 rebounds per game and with 23 double-doubles. Stump and Hodges were also selected to the GNAC Championships All-Tournament Team. Carmen Dolfo was selected as the GNAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time.

 

 

Here are some handy links on how to follow the 2026 NCAA II Championships West Regional:

 

• Regional Website
• Free Webcast via NCAA Champs Pass (available on Smart TVs)
• Live Stats
• NCAA Bracket
• NCAA Statistics

 

Here is a look at the West Regional bracket, with a link to the Field of 64 NCAA II Championships Bracket by clicking on the image.

 

 

The Vikings are making their 21st NCAA Championships appearance in 27 possible seasons (since 1998-99) and fifth trip to the NCAA West Regional Tournament in the last six possible seasons. WWU has advanced to the postseason (conference, regional, NCAA) in 51 of 54 possible seasons of program history and has won three regional championships to advance to the Elite Eight in 2000 (Pine Bluff, Arkansas), 2013 (San Antonio, TX) and 2022 (Birmingham, AL). The Vikings own an all-time 21-19 record in NCAA tournament play, recording at least one win in 12 of 19 prior regional appearances (with a game played). Below is a game-by-game listing of WWU in NCAA Tournament play with the regional host site listed next to the year:

 

1998-99 (Davis, CA): 

Defeated Seattle Pacific, 77-69 (OT) 

Lost to Montana State Billings, 70-48 

 

1999-2000 (Pomona, CA):

Defeated Alaska Anchorage, 78-59 

Defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 84-66 

Defeated Slippery Rock, 84-67 – Elite Eight

Lost to Northern Kentucky, 80-74 – Final Four 

 

2000-01 (Pomona, CA): 

Defeated Central Washington, 74-66 

Lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 91-85 

 

2001-02 (Pomona, CA):

Defeated Sonoma State, 71-60 

Lost to Cal Poly Pomona, 71-70 

 

2002-03 (Seattle, WA):

Lost to Northwest Nazarene, 83-79 

 

2003-04 (Seattle, WA):

Defeated Sonoma State, 85-71 

Lost to Seattle Pacific, 80-66 

 

2004-05 (Seattle, WA):

Defeated CSU Dominguez Hills, 82-74 (OT) 

Lost to Chico State, 85-75 

 

2005-06 (Bellingham, WA):

Defeated Northwest Nazarene, 66-54 

Lost to Seattle Pacific, 70-50 

 

2006-07 (La Jolla, CA):

Lost to UC San Diego, 78-45 

 

2008-09 (Seattle, WA):

Lost to Humboldt State, 74-64 

 

2009-10 (Seattle, WA):

Lost to Chico State, 79-68 

 

2010-11 (Pomona, CA):

Lost to Alaska Anchorage, 55-48 

 

2011-12 (La Jolla, CA):

Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 65-58 

Lost to UC San Diego, 81-66 

 

2012-13 (Bellingham, WA):

Defeated Academy of Art, 70-50 

Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 71-63 

Defeated Simon Fraser, 75-58 

Defeated Nova Southeastern, 80-76 (OT) – Elite Eight

Lost to Ashland, 66-54 – Final Four 

 

2013-14 (Pomona, CA):

Lost to Simon Fraser, 77-70

 

2016-17 (Anchorage, AK):

Defeated Cal State East Bay, 74-48

Lost to Cal Baptist, 80-68

 

2019-20 (Honolulu, HI):

vs. Alaska Anchorage, DNP (COVID-19)

 

2021-22 (Hayward, CA):

Defeated Alaska Anchorage, 76-64

Defeated Central Washington, 64-58

Defeated Cal State East Bay, 73-59 – West Regional Final

Defeated Valdosta State, 58-55 – Elite Eight

Defeated North Georgia, 74-68 – Final Four

Lost to Glenville State, 85-72 – National Championship Game

 

2022-23 (Carson, CA):

Lost to Azusa Pacific, 62-46

 

2023-24 (Azusa, CA):

Defeated Cal Poly Pomona, 66-61

Lost to Cal State San Marcos, 62-56

 

2025-26 (Ellensburg, WA):

vs. Point Loma, 2:30 pm

 

Senior forward Olivia Hodges earned First Team All-West Region honors from the D2CCA, putting her name among an elite list of players from the Region. Hodges enters the NCAA Tournament averaging a team-best 16.0 points per game, and is the NCAA II national leader with 23 double-doubles and 13.2 rebounds per game. Hodges has recorded eight consecutive double-doubles.

 

The Vikings had three players earn All-GNAC honors for the 2025-26 season. Senior forward Olivia Hodges and junior guard Libby Stump were first-team award winners, with junior guard Demi Dykstra selected honorable mention. Hodges was a unanimous first-team pick and the GNAC Newcomer of the Year. Head coach Carmen Dolfo earned her sixth GNAC Coach of the Year award.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2025-26 season:

 

 

Senior forward Olivia Hodges has set the WWU single-season record with 23 double-doubles and is the current NCAA Division II national leader in the statistical category. Hodges is now aiming at the GNAC single-season record established by former CWU All-American Samantha Bowman (26 in 2021-22 and 2022-23).

 

 

Here is where WWU ranks in the NCAA Division II statistical rankings (top 50) among the 290 programs across the country. The Vikings are 3rd in rebound margin (+12.9), 10th in blocked shots per game (4.8) and 18th in scoring defense (55.1 points/game).

 

 

WWU won the GNAC regular season title in 2025-26 going 15-3 in league play to claim the seventh GNAC title in program history (2001-02, 2005-06, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2021-22, 2022-23).

 

The Vikings were hard to beat at home this season in Carver Gym, going 12-1 on WECU Court. WWU won 12 consecutive home games prior to dropping the GNAC title game last Saturday vs. Montana State Billings. WWU has won 63 of its last 72 games on WECU Court combining to go 63-9 since the 2019-20 season.

 

Senior Olivia Hodges has reached a pair of career milestone this season, passing the 1,000-point and 1,000-rebound mark for her collegiate career. Hodges spent the previous three seasons at Cal State LA and has put together an All-America worthy 2025-26 season with the Vikings scoring 495 points and grabbing 409 rebounds. For her career – spanning 111 games – Hodges has scored 1,077 points (9.7 per game) and recorded 1,007 rebounds (9.1 per game). The 409 rebounds are 2nd-most in WWU history behind 425 by Gina Sampson in 1995-96 and the 495 points are currently 9th-most in single-season history by a Western player.

 

Four Vikings earned GNAC All-Academic honors for the 2025-26 season. The four award winners were led by three-time selection senior guard Anna VanderYacht, who has recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.94 while nearing her degree in inclusive education. This award marks VanderYacht's first GNAC All-Academic from basketball, with the previous two earned as a volleyball student-athlete at WWU. Senior forward Aspen Garrison (3.36, Kinesiology) and junior guard Demi Dykstra (3.95, Elementary Education) became two-time selections to the conference all-academic team (2025, 2026). Junior guard Libby Stump (3.70, Inclusive Education) rounded out the All-Academic selections with her first GNAC award.

 

Senior forward Aspen Garrison returned home to Bellingham as a transfer from Saint Mary's College and has spent the last three seasons in the program…getting the chance to play for her mother, longtime head coach Carmen Dolfo. Aspen is a product of Sehome High School and spent two seasons at SMC prior to transferring back home for the 2023-24 season. In 31 games this season Aspen is averaging 9.0 points 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game. The Cascadia Daily News published a great story on the family connection that is worth a read by clicking on the photo below:

 

Over the last seven seasons (since 2019-20), the Vikings have combined to go 143-44 for a .765 winning percentage (81-25 in GNAC play). WWU won back-to-back GNAC regular-season championships in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and added another GNAC regular-season title this season. WWU has won back-to-back GNAC Tournament championships in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and played in the 2022 NCAA II National Championship Game.

 

Head coach Carmen Dolfo is in her 35th season leading the program with an all-time record of 733-280 (.724) to rank amongst the active and career leaders at the NCAA Division II level for career wins and winning percentage. Dolfo joined elite company in NCAA basketball coaching in her 1,000th career game earlier this season. Dolfo has led the Vikings to 21 trips to the NCAA Championships and a trio of Elite 8 appearances. She became the winningest coach in WWU Athletics history when she collected victory No. 519 on Dec. 3, 2015 vs. Alaska to pass former men's basketball coach Brad Jackson (518-279). She was named the 2025-26 GNAC Coach of the Year, her sixth GNAC honor and 13th Coach of the Year accolade overall. Dolfo was also a volleyball and basketball student-athlete at WWU in the 1980s.

 

The 2025-26 coaching staff includes 14th-year assistant head coach Stacey Turrell, assistant coach Katrina Gimmaka and volunteer assistants Aliyah Hunter and Mike Li.

 

Two WWU women's basketball coaches have more than 400 career victories, with current head coach Carmen Dolfo amassing 733 wins and Hall of Fame coach Lynda Goodrich totaling 411 wins leading the Vikings for 19 seasons from 1971-1990. The program owns an all-time record of 1165-415 for a career winning percentage of .737.

 

Here is a game-by-game look at the 2025-26 schedule and results: