Pepperdine University
Azusa Pacific University
10/27/2026 12:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women's basketball welcomes Azusa Pacific to Malibu and Firestone Fieldhouse Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in the squad's sole exhibition match before officially opening the season on the road.
The contest will feature free admission for all fans, with live stats available here.
LAST SEASON
• Finishing the year 21-13 (10-8 WCC) the Waves tied program history for the longest postseason run, ending the historic season in the Super 16 of the WNIT.
• In her second season at the helm, head coach Katie Faulkner led Pepperdine to the best start in 45 years and fourth best ever.
• Earning the most wins in seven years, the Waves hosted the first ever postseason games in Malibu, going 2-0 at home in the WNIT, in the final full season in Firestone Fieldhouse.
• Returning junior Elli Guiney cracked the top-10 in multiple categories, coming in at second all-time for threes made in a season with 72, including 37 in conference play (also second all-time).
GAME NOTES
• Returning seven players, including three starters, Elli Guiney and Lina Falk were slated on the All-WCC Preseason Team.
• Making Waves in the WCC last season, Falk finished fourth in the conference in three point percentage at .400, followed closely by Guiney who finished with a .399 percentage.
• Guiney led the squad in scoring last season, averaging 15.0 points per game while Falk was second, averaging 11.7 ppg.
• Taija Sta. Maria, who kept the season alive last year in her buzzer beater against UC Davis in the first round of the WNIT, led the team in assists with the second-most minutes on the squad.
• Seleh Harmon also returns to the Waves after an impactful freshman year, averaging 6.7 points per game, shooting .373 from deep.
• As a team, last season marked the most threes ever made in a season with 252.
• The five newcomers this season are made up of three freshmen and two transfers.
• Maggie Mendelson, a transfer from Penn State, comes to Pepperdine after playing a year of professional volleyball with the Atlanta Vibe in the 2026 season.
• Mendelson was originally recruited as a dual-sport athlete to Nebraska, transferring to Penn State and honing in on volleyball before winning the 2024 NCAA National Championship with the Nittany Lions.
• Keandra Koorits, the second transfer on this year's squad, comes to Malibu from former WCC-opponent Washington State.
• Koorits played in all 34 games last season for the Cougars, starting in two games with an average of 6.7 points per game throughout the year.
• The three freshmen joining the Waves in Malibu this season are Freya Bijkerk, Landrie Callahan, and Evelyn Martyn.
• Bijkerk and Martyn are from Australia while Callahan comes to Pepperdine stateside from Morris, Illinois.
• Outside of the United States, the Waves represent five different countries in Canada, Romania, Germany, Australia, and Estonia.
• Faulkner is the only head coach in the West Coast Conference who is also a mother, with her three children Baker, Laney, and Cali Jo.
• The Waves will begin the season with four total games in Firestone Fieldhouse before transitioning to The Mountain at Mullin Park in December.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
• Last season, Azusa Pacific finished the year 23-10, including 17-5 in the PacWest Conference.
• The Cougars are a young team, made up of 10 freshmen and only four upperclassmen.
• Dan Ploog is in his second year at the helm of the Cougars, clinching a spot in the NCAA West Regional Championships in his first season.
Tipoff for Wednesday's exhibition is set for 6 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse. The game, which unofficially begins the start of the season before the season opener on the road Monday, Nov. 2, will have live stats available on www.pepperdinewaves.com.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine women's basketball has made four NCAA postseason appearances in its history, having won the WCC regular-season four times and the WCC Tournament on three occasions. With six All-American selections in program history, the Waves have also seen recent success in the WNIT which included runs to the Super Sixteen in 2019 and 2026.
TICKETS
Single game tickets are on sale now, starting as low as $11! Season tickets are also on sale with the opportunity to become a founding season ticket member for the Mountain at Mullin Park starting at $85. For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's basketball news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWBB.
