THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran placed 12 student-athletes across six sports on the 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District At-Large Team, recognizing excellence both in competition and in the classroom.

The Kingsmen were represented by men's golf, men's volleyball, and men's water polo, while the Regals earned selections from women's golf, women's lacrosse, and women's water polo. Three honorees — Brendan Hom, Braden Gonzales, and Izzy de Souza — were also selected to advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot following their standout athletic and academic achievements.

Men's golf landed two selections in sophomore Jackson Stitt and senior Ty Kuroda.

Stitt, a business administration-finance major from San Luis Obispo, California, carries a 3.90 GPA and earned the first CSC honor of his career. He competed in all nine tournaments for the Kingsmen this season, posting a 72.7 scoring average while recording three top-five finishes. Stitt captured his first collegiate victory at SCIAC No. 2 in March and later earned First Team All-SCIAC honors after tying for fifth at the conference championships. He finished the season ranked No. 72 nationally and No. 17 in the region according to SCOREBOARD powered by Clippd.

Kuroda, a sports management graduate from Irvine, California, earned his second consecutive CSC Academic All-District selection with a 3.72 GPA. The senior competed in all nine tournaments and posted a 73.9 scoring average while recording four top-10 finishes. His season was highlighted by a fifth-place finish at the California State Intercollegiate, where he shot seven-under par. Kuroda was also recognized as one of Cal Lutheran's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year finalists.

Men's volleyball, which advanced to its third consecutive NCAA Final Four this season, was represented by Hom, Gonzales, and Connor Crawford.

Hom, a junior marketing communication major from Torrance, California, earned his first CSC honor after an impressive season following his transfer from Lewis University. Carrying a 3.66 GPA, he led the Kingsmen with 332 kills, a .297 hitting percentage, and 39 service aces while earning AVCA First Team All-America and All-Region recognition. Hom became just the second First Team All-American in program history and will advance to the CSC All-America ballot.

Gonzales, a film and television-production graduate from Thousand Oaks, California, collected his second straight CSC Academic All-District honor with a 3.58 GPA. The senior Libero led the Kingsmen with 311 digs and was named an AVCA First Team All-American, FrogJump Libero of the Year, and Cal Lutheran Male Athlete of the Year. During his two seasons in purple and gold, Gonzales established all four major digs records in program history and will also advance to the All-America ballot.

Crawford, a business administration-finance graduate from San Carlos, California, earned the first CSC recognition of his career while maintaining a 3.51 GPA. The team captain enjoyed a breakout senior season, finishing second on the team with 288 kills while adding 153 digs and 62 blocks. Crawford elevated his play during the NCAA Tournament, earning both NCAA Regional and Final Four All-Tournament Team honors as the Kingsmen reached another national semifinal.

Men's water polo was represented by sophomore attacker Merrick Giles.

A political science major from Ventura, California, Giles carries a 3.80 GPA and earned his first CSC Academic All-District selection. He appeared in all 24 games for the Kingsmen and ranked among the team's leaders with 34 goals and 32 assists, totaling 66 points. Giles also contributed 27 steals and 18 drawn exclusions during a strong sophomore campaign.

Women's golf earned two selections in Anna Poulin and Maya Dela Rama.

Poulin, a biological sciences major from Portland, Oregon, secured her second straight CSC Academic All-District honor while maintaining a 3.95 GPA. The junior competed in all 10 tournaments and recorded a 78.8 scoring average, highlighted by her individual victory at the FST Crossing Creeks Invitational in March.

Dela Rama, a business administration-finance graduate from San Ramon, California, earned her second consecutive CSC selection with a 3.73 GPA. The senior posted a 77.1 scoring average and finished the season ranked No. 130 nationally and No. 34 regionally. A First Team All-SCIAC honoree, she recorded four top-10 finishes and helped lead the Regals to a fourth-place finish at the SCIAC Championships. Dela Rama was also named a finalist for both Cal Lutheran Female Athlete of the Year and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Women's lacrosse was represented by senior midfielder Josie Oparanaku.

A psychology graduate from Las Vegas, Nevada, Oparanaku earned her second consecutive CSC Academic All-District honor while carrying a 3.91 GPA. One of the most decorated players in program history, she earned Second Team All-SCIAC recognition for the second straight season after leading the Regals with 38 goals and 48 points. Oparanaku concluded her career as Cal Lutheran's all-time leader in goals scored with 113 while also ranking among the program's all-time leaders in points, ground balls, draw controls, and caused turnovers. She was additionally recognized as a finalist for Cal Lutheran Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Women's water polo placed three student-athletes on the Academic All-District Team in Kelsee Espitia, Izzy de Souza, and Olivia Hurley.

Espitia, a junior sports communication major from Ventura, California, earned her first CSC honor after posting a 3.90 GPA in her first season as a Regal. The transfer attacker appeared in all 26 games and led the team with 30 assists while also scoring 30 goals.

De Souza, a graduate student from Irvine, California, earned her second straight CSC Academic All-District selection while maintaining a 3.90 undergraduate GPA and a 3.85 graduate GPA. The goalkeeper became the first Regal in program history to surpass 1,000 career saves and finished her career as Cal Lutheran's all-time saves leader with 1,086. A five-time All-American and five-time All-SCIAC selection, de Souza earned ACWPC Second Team All-America honors this season and will advance to the CSC All-America ballot.

Hurley, a philosophy major from Fresno, California, earned the first CSC honor of her career with a 3.71 GPA. The junior transfer made an immediate impact for the Regals, earning ACWPC Honorable Mention All-America recognition after finishing third on the team with 43 goals while drawing 29 exclusions.

The CSC Academic All-District Team recognizes student-athletes for their combined success in competition and the classroom. To be eligible, student-athletes must be at least sophomores academically and athletically, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, and meet sport-specific participation requirements.