Bring your ball gown and tuxedo, everyone. It's time for an awards ceremony.
Since I've got nothing better do during the break, I figured I might as well have some fun and give midseason awards. Not only should this be an opportunity for me to recap the PACWEST at the season's midway point, it'll also be fun to revisit when the actual awards are given after the season.
Each award will have one winner, as determined by me, as well as up to three finalists. Players may be finalists for multiple awards, but I'll try to give each award a unique winner.
Before I name any awards, I want to reiterate that while I'm taking an unbiased and objective view in my selection process, this is all based on my opinion and mine alone. I did not collaborate with anyone at VIU, the PACWEST, or the CCAA in making this, so if this offends you, don't give them grief for it.
With that out of the way, let's get this party started.
Most Valuable Player
This award goes to the player deemed to be most valuable to their team. Emphasis is placed on players with both high offensive and defensive stats, as well as how much they contribute to their team's success.
M - David Finch, Camosun Chargers
Just when you thought he couldn't get any better.
In his fourth season with the Chargers, David Finch is on track to set career highs in almost every major stat. Points, assists, rebounds, you name it.
He's also served as the face of the Chargers in the 2020s, helping forge their identity as a no-nonsense, grit and grind-esque team that thrives in the paint. Finch has gotten it done from anywhere on the court, whether it be in the midrange, from deep, or on the defensive end.
Whether Finch returns to the Chargers for a fifth year is still to be determined, but even if he doesn't, his spot in Chargers history has never been more secure. A statue on Interurban Road is in his future.
Other nominees: Phil Holmes (OKA), Derrick Monroe (DOU), Kye Kotapski-Tinga (VIU)
W - Mackenzie Dalphond, Douglas Royals
Brief as Dalphond's career has been to this point, she's one of the most decorated players in the PACWEST.
While she isn't the best player in any stat, she's one of the best all-around players in the conference.
Third in points.
Second in rebounds.
Third in blocks.
All of this while being the centerpiece of Douglas' high-octane offense makes Dalphond one of the elite players in the conference and a potential national hero if the cards fall right.
Other nominees: Maddy Coffin (CAP), Kagari Tomita (CBC), Antonella Luraghi (OKA)
Most Improved Player
This award goes to a player, often in their second year with their team, who made the greatest improvement from the year prior. This is most often measured in points per game, but other factors, such as defensive contributions and leadership, hold significance.
M - Dane-Dre Anglin, CBC Bearcats
When I spoke about CBC's roster back in August, I said that they had talent, but they needed to put it together if they didn't want to end up in the PACWEST's cellar.
Methinks they put it together.
Dane-Dre Anglin went from a bench player in 2024-25 to the conference's leading scorer at the break, with his fellow guard D'andre Palmer-Ormsby right behind him. Palmer-Ormsby's absence to start the season forced Anglin to step up, and he's filled his shoes quite nicely.
In addition to his league-best 22.4 points per game, Anglin is also averaging 7.3 rebounds and just under a steal per game, and is on pace to double his total points from last season.
The sophomore wing is having a season to remember in Abbotsford, and is on his way to being one of the all-time greats to wear the blue and red.
Other nominees: Kye Kotapski-Tinga (VIU), Patrick Robinson (LAN), Owen Jones (CAM)
W - Kiayra Hohlweg, VIU Mariners
Last season, Hohlweg was your quintessential bench guard: Didn't start any games, but saw lots of time on the second unit and could hit the occasional three.
This season, Hohlweg has seen not just an increased role, but a different one entirely. Harriette Mackenzie's departure left a power vacuum at center, where Tony Bryce tabbed the soon-to-be fourth-year wing to fill in.
So far, it's worked wonders. She's had to battle for frontcourt minutes with Sarah Cook and the young Annabelle Neufeld, but she seems to have a grip on the starting center spot.
Key's made the most of it, averaging 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while posting multiple double-doubles. Her guard DNA is still present, as she's capable of attacking the basket from anywhere.
Small ball has its downsides in a big-dominant conference like the PACWEST, but Hohlweg and the Mariners have found the key to making it work.
Other nominees: Hyewon Hwang (CBC), Trista Thorn (VIU), Coti Lopez (OKA)
6th Man of the Year
This award goes to a player who has started less than 60% of their team's games, but regularly plays meaningful minutes.
M - James Zongo, Langara Falcons
James Zongo can score.
I mean, he can really light it up.
Famous for his 56-point game with Tupper, Zongo has had a similar offensive impact for the Falcons. Despite only having one start to his name, the Vancouver native is averaging just under 13 points per game.
He forms the muscle of Langara's guard rotation, where his skillset is complemented especially well by the more traditional point guard Luka Subotic and defensive specialist Keito Kusaki.
For those in the back, he's a true freshman.
Langara has found their replacement for Cameron Vaughn in their own backyard. If all goes to plan, he could be the face of the Falcons for half a decade.
Other nominees: Jesse Connoly (DOU), Tyler Synesael (CAM), Levi Van Egdom (VIU)
W - Kaia Simpson, VIU Mariners
VIU and the state of North Carolina have had a good relationship as of late.
Only a year removed from Makayla Kimble's graduation, her fellow countryman Kaia Simpson has taken her place, both in output and leadership. She leads the PACWEST in free throw percentage while headlining VIU's second unit.
She hasn't started a single game this season, yet has led multiple games in scoring, including crucial tilts against Capilano and Camosun.
With the Mariners poised to go on another playoff run, the time is right for Simpson's last hurrah north of the border.
Other nominees: Sarah Cook (VIU), Lucia Lopez (CAP), Isabell Nicholson (LAN)
Rookie of the Year
This award goes to the player in their first year of eligibility deemed to have the largest impact on their team's success.
M - Alfonso Reyes, Capilano Blues
Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition.
Not even Douglas, who fell victim to Alfonso Reyes' 24-point, 8-rebound debut.
Reyes' first season in the PACWEST has been outstanding. The 6'6 forward has established himself as one of the stronger rebounders in the conference, sitting fourth in boards per game while leading the Blues in blocks per game.
Mind you, he's doing all of this while playing mostly on Capilano's second unit.
The Blues have a history of developing strong players, such as Tyrone Asenoguan and Denver Sparks-Guest. Reyes looks to be the next in a line of excellence for the defending PACWEST champions.
Other nominees: Olan Smith (DOU), Trevon Roots (OKA), Thomas Beames (CAM)
W - Antonella Luraghi, Okanagan Coyotes
As rough as the first semester was for the Coyotes, at least they have one thing to smile about.
Luraghi led the conference in scoring deep into November, and while Maddy Coffin overtook her in the final week of the semester, she still leads the conference in three point percentage and assists while averaging the second most rebounds per game out of any player.
Not bad for a first year point guard.
Given her prior experience at the club level in Paraguay, this isn't surprising. If the Coyotes can turn the corner and make a run for the playoffs, Luraghi could be in the conversation for MVP.
Other nominees: Maliyah Mendoza (CAM), Lucia Lopez (CAP), Aysia Kumar (VIU)
Grad of the Year
This award goes to the player in their final year of eligibility that demonstrates the best combination of skill and leadership.
M - Peter Li, Capilano Blues
By now, we've all seen Kevin Durant's infamous article in the Players' Tribune following his controversial decision to sign with Golden State. Many VIU fans feel the same way about Peter, especially in the wake of VIU's loss to Capilano in last year's conference title game.
Blues fans hold no ill will towards the Kitsilano alum, and his stellar play has a lot to do with that. Li's supporting cast is the strongest it's ever been, and that's saying something for someone whose teammate won MVP last season. He's currently averaging career highs in points and assists while riding shotgun with Kash Lang, who leads the conference in field goal percentage.
Just as Zach Klim has become a leader for Capilano's forwards, Li is the same for the Blues backcourt, made even more impressive by his short service time in North Vancouver, only four months at the time of writing.
Li doesn't lead through speeches, he leads through example and stellar play. Everyone on the Blues, from the guards to the forwards and even the coaching staff and redshirts, is made better through Li. He knows what it means to win, and is determined to be on the right side of history this time.
Other nominees: Kai Leighton (VIU), Kash Lang (CAP), Zach Klim (CAP)
W - Elissa Vreugdenhil, CBC Bearcats
No other player has been as consistently good this decade as Elissa Vreugdenhil. She epitomizes what it means to be a CBC Bearcat: Determined to win, no matter the cost.
The two-time reigning PACWEST MVP was originally on CBC's coaching staff to begin the year, but has since returned to the court. With Kayanna Jackson arriving over the summer, she's had a decreased role so far; Vreugdenhil has played in only eight games, none of them starts.
In those eight games, she's been as strong as ever. Her nine rebounds per game are the third most in the conference.
Let's not forget the leadership aspect: CBC is well prepared for Elissa's impending departure, as they've grabbed their center of the future in Brooklyn Klim. As both a player and coach, Vreugdenhil can be trusted to develop Klim into the kind of player Capilano imagined when they signed her in 2024.
Despite CBC's shaky end to the semester, they're not going away any time soon, and Vreugdenhil is a big reason why. It may be time for city officials to think about renaming a street or two in her honor.
Other nominees: Mackenzie Cox (VIU), Lauren Tomlinson (CAP), Laini Glover (DOU)
Best Offseason Add
This award goes to a player in their first season with a team, freshman or otherwise, deemed to have the largest impact to their team.
M - Aaron Ungprasert, Langara Falcons
Aaron took some time to develop, but it was time well spent. The former VIU and Capilano commit has made the most of a starting gig with Langara, averaging 14.2 points per game while being fifth in blocks. He's eclipsed the 20-point plateau twice this season, scoring 24 points in an overtime loss to VIU before dropping 26 on the Blues one week later.
As Langara's starting power forward, most of their interior offense runs through him and fellow sophomore Nixon Owusu. Between the two of them, Ungprasert has shouldered more of the offensive load.
Don't let Langara's record fool you. They're a dangerous team when at their peak, and Ungprasert is a big reason why.
Other nominees: Derrick Monroe (DOU), Phil Holmes (OKA), Zach Hamed (CAP)
W - Sammy Shields, VIU Mariners
Shields has had a strange career to this point. The talent has always been there; you don't score 38 points in middle school by accident.
Unfortunately, college coaches didn't seem to agree, as her stays at Calgary and San Jose State were rather uneventful.
At VIU, Shields finally gets to show her potential, and what potential it is. She only trails Trista Thorn in points per game on the team, but has a firm grip on a starting role as a do-it-all guard.
VIU's stingy defense leads the league in steals, while Shields is third among all players in that category.
Shields is a leader on one of the CCAA's youngest teams, and her seamless transition to the PACWEST game has the Mariners in prime position to defend their conference title.
Other nominees: Jayci Chase (CAM), Annabelle Neufeld (VIU), Kendal Dueck (CBC)
Defensive Player of the Year
This award goes to the player with the strongest defensive impact. Emphasis will be placed primarily on steals and blocks, though rebounds and forced turnovers will also be considered.
M - Lakeeb Hughes, CBC Bearcats
Hughes faced a tall task in replacing Spencer Dododza on the defensive end, but he more than lived up to it.
The Baltimore native is averaging over a block per game and is the backbone of a fierce starting lineup alongside Dane-Dre Anglin and D'andre Palmer-Ormsby.
Given CBC's defensive struggles this season, Hughes' numbers look even stronger in comparison. If he can get some help on that side of the ball, the Bearcats could very quickly become a team no one wants to face when March rolls around.
Other nominees: Winston Cole (VIU), Ryan Bastian (VIU), Phil Holmes (OKA)
W - Jayci Chace, Camosun Chargers
Connections go a long way in life. In Jayci's case, that connection is John Dedrick, who's molded her into the kind of player that others see in their nightmares.
Chase's stats speak for themself: She's the only player in the PACWEST averaging over a block per game, and is no slouch offensively, being third on the Chargers in points per game.
Her strong play has the Chargers in conversation for a playoff spot, where her ability to shut down some of the stronger players in the conference will go a long way if the Chargers want to win their first PACWEST title since 2009.
Other nominees: Lauren Clements (DOU), Kaia Simpson (VIU), Lauren Tomlinson (CAP)
Coach of the Year
This award goes to the coach deemed to have the largest impact from both a tactical and motivational standpoint.
M - Dino Gini, Okanagan Coyotes
Around this time last year, the Coyotes were at rock bottom. In the midst of a two-win campaign, they were the joke of the conference.
This year, they've already doubled last year's win total and are a dark horse for a PACWEST championship.
A big reason for that is Dino Gini, the only coach the Coyotes have ever known. Many of Okanagan's top contributors, such as Noah Steingart and Phil Holmes, weren't on the Coyotes last year, yet have played like they've been in a Gini system since birth.
Gini deserves credit for not only recruiting these players, but utilizing them to the height of their powers.
Just goes to show that Okanagan's old dog is still learning new tricks.
Other nominees: Matt Kuzminski (VIU), Jake Wilmott (CAM)
W - Tony Bryce, VIU Mariners
Rebuilding? Yeah, right.
VIU's roster turnover has been well publicized. The losses of several players, including two key forwards in Mackenzie Hall and Colleen Nkrumah, led many to believe that the 2025-26 season for the Mariners would be a rebuilding year.
At the break, the Mariners aren't too far off from that. They're the top team in the PACWEST, getting contributions from all around the lineup while having a bench player lead multiple games in scoring.
Nothing special.
The general youth of VIU's roster has allowed Bryce to mold them in his image. He made a point of acquiring strong two-way guards, such as Aysia Kumar and Mikella Campanile. His focus on defense is evidenced by the Mariners conference-best steals per game.
If this is what he can do with kids pulled right out of high school, bright days are on the horizon in Nanaimo.
Other nominees: Chris Weimer (CAP), Steve Beauchamp (DOU)
