BIG WEST RELEASE

IRVINE, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton women's soccer senior Isabella Cruz has been nominated for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year award. She was nominated along with Bernadette Doyle of the University of Hawai'i women's water polo team as the Big West Conference's two selections for the NCAA Women of the Year award.  

Isabella Cruz made an immediate impact since joining the Titans as a freshman in 2022.  She has appeared in 54 games, starting in 37 of them.  She has scored seven goals and tallied nine assists so far during the first three years as a Titan. She was named to the All-Big West First Team in 2023 and 2024.  She was also named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Third Team in 2024.

A second-generation Latina and standout student-athlete, Cruz has exemplified excellence both on and off the field. She completed her bachelor's degree in communications in just 2.5 years, graduating summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Professional Communications while competing in her final season of NCAA eligibility. As a team captain for the CSUF women's soccer program, she has led with integrity, building a team culture centered on inclusivity, support, and growth. 

Beyond athletics, she serves as the team's representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), advocating for the student-athlete experience across campus. Her commitment to service is evident through her volunteer work with Football for Her, campus engagement efforts like promoting voter participation, and community-driven initiatives such as food drives and holiday gift collections. 

In addition to her academic and service contributions, Cruz has gained hands-on experience in sports marketing as an intern with Orange County Soccer Club, and currently serves as the social media manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), using digital storytelling to foster connection and purpose. 

Her nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year reflects a deep commitment to empowering others through sport, education, and leadership. She continues to be a role model for young athletes—especially women from underrepresented backgrounds—proving what's possible when passion meets purpose. 

Conference offices will now select up to two nominees from the institutional pool to move forward in the process. The Woman of the Year Selection Committee will then choose the top-30 honorees (10 from each division) from the conference-level nominees. The selection committee will then determine the top three in each division with the nine finalists being announced in November.
 
Since 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year program has recognized graduating student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership throughout their college careers.

A record-breaking 619 student-athletes were nominated by NCAA member schools for the 2023 Woman of the Year award. This year's nominees represent a diverse set of well-rounded student-athletes with 24 different sports across all three NCAA divisions. Within that nomination pool, 264 competed in Division I, 128 in Division II and 227 in Division III.

SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitansTickets.com. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday. 

WATCH THE TITANS ON ESPN+
Titans fans can now watch every home event exclusively on ESPN+. Cal State Fullerton has built a top-tier production studio to give the viewers an ESPN quality production for all games at Titan Stadium. Additionally, all schools in the Big West Conference are committed to producing ESPN quality streams which will allow fans to watch the Titans on ESPN+ for all road conference games.

FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), and Instagram (FullertonTitans). In addition, the women's soccer team has established its own Twitter (@FullertonWSOC) and Instagram accounts (@FullertonWSOC).