Pepperdine Athletics Celebrates Student-Athletes & Team Achievements at 2026 PEPP ESPYS
4/23/2026 4:30:00 PM | General
The event brought together student-athletes, coaches and staff to honor the top performances, accomplishments and contributions, both on and off the field, from the past year.
Highlighting the evening were the "Athlete in a Starring Role" awards, given to Sonja Zhiyenbayeva of women's tennis and Cole Hartke of men's volleyball. The "Supporting Role" honors went to Kyra Murphy (women's soccer) and Lasse Poertner (men's tennis).
Team achievements were also recognized, as women's soccer and men's volleyball earned "Moment of the Year" honors on their respective sides, celebrating their conference championships from the past year.
Among additional individual honors, Mia Skuraton (track) and Patrick Thomas (cross country/track) along with Aidan Tune (men's volleyball) shared "Wave of the Year" honors, an award given to those who best embody and represent what it means to be a Pepperdine student-athlete.
Newcomers making an immediate impact were also honored, as Emma Eden (beach volleyball) and Csanád Bella (water polo) were named Female and Male Newcomers of the Year, respectively.
Academic excellence remained a central focus of the evening as Delainey Pisaruk (swim and dive) and Aidan Tune (men's volleyball) earned Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, recognizing their achievements in the classroom alongside athletic success.
On the team side, women's swim and dive and men's volleyball were recognized with Academic Team Excellence Awards for posting the highest team GPAs this past semester.Â
The Maurice Hilliard Award was also given in honor and memory of Pepperdine's late athletics chaplain, going to the student-athletes that best exemplify the attributes of Christian faith, character and leadership. Swim's Anna Ryan and track's Patrick Thomas were this year's recipients.
A full list of award winners is below:
Best Athlete in a Supporting Role – Female — Kyra Murphy, Women's Soccer
Best Athlete in a Supporting Role – Male — Lasse Poertner, Men's Tennis
Best Athlete in a Starring Role – Female — Sonja Zhiyenbayeva, Women's Tennis
Best Athlete in a Starring Role – Male — Cole Hartke, Men's Volleyball
Best Moment of the Year – Women's Team — Women's Soccer
Best Moment of the Year – Men's Team — Men's Volleyball
Newcomer of the Year – Male — Csanád Bella, Water Polo
Newcomer of the Year – Female — Emma Eden, Beach Volleyball
Wave of the Year – Female — Mia Skuraton, Track
Wave of the Year – Male — Patrick Thomas, Cross Country/Track and Aidan Tune, Men's Volleyball
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Male — Aidan Tune, Men's Volleyball
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Female — Delainey Pisaruk, Swim and Dive
Academic Team Excellence Award – Female — Swim and Dive
Academic Team Excellence Award – Male — Men's Volleyball
Maurice Hilliard Award — Anna Ryan, Women's Swim and Dive and Patrick Thomas, Cross Country/Track
Outstanding International Athlete — David Fix, Men's Tennis
Team Spirit Award — Water Polo
Best Game Face — Jose Gomez, Men's Volleyball
Best Gameday Hair — Carlos Gonzalez, Athletic Trainer
Tallest — Grant Lamoureux, Men's Volleyball
Shortest — Ava Schall, Women's Soccer
ABOUT PEPPERDINE ATHLETICS
Pepperdine University boasts one of the most successful athletic programs in the country for a school of its size. The Waves have claimed 10 NCAA Division I team championships and 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Pepperdine is a Christian university committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership.
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