ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Four CCAA softball student-athletes can proudly call themselves All-Americans following the conclusion of the 2026 season.
 
Cal State San Marcos' Jillian Albayati earned first-team honors on both the D2CCA and the NFCA All-America teams. Cal State East Bay's Marissa Quintero joined Albayati on the NFCA first team, and she added third-team D2CCA honors.
 
Cal Poly Humboldt's Shelby Shanks collected third-team D2CCA honors as an at-large selection. Cal State San Marcos' Daleah Cardenas was a third-team D2CCA selection as a pitcher.
 
Jillian Albayati was the 2026 CCAA and D2CCA West Region Player of the Year after hitting .517 with 26 doubles, 19 home runs, 80 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 191 total bases. She set multiple CCAA records, including batting average (.517) and runs batted in (80) while leading Cal State San Marcos to its second NCAA West Region Championship in four seasons. The Anaheim native registered a 22-game hitting streak, and she reached base in 38 consecutive games. Albayati would go on to reach base in 65 of the Cougars' 68 games.
 
Marissa Quintero earned CCAA and West Region Pitcher of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. The junior right-hander posted a 1.44 earned run average to rank sixth in NCAA Division II. She went 28-8 with four saves, a 1.06 WHIP, and 24 complete games. Those 28 wins ranked her fourth in the country, and her five shutouts ranked among the national leaders. Quintero was also top 10 in the country in pitching appearances (third, 47) and innings pitched (seventh, 228.2). This was the second consecutive season Quintero has earned both NFCA and D2CCA All-American honors.
 
Shelby Shanks was one of the most feared hitters in the CCAA. The senior shortstop ranked second in the CCAA with a .435 batting average, and she was third with a .505 on-base percentage. Shanks had 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, and 47 RBI. She also scored 42 runs while posting a .505 on-base percentage and a .694 slugging percentage. The Stockton native struck out only 11 times while drawing 27 walks. She reached base in 30 consecutive games and helped lead Humboldt to its first postseason win since 2017.
 
Daleah Cardenas went from CCAA Freshman of the Year to an All-American, all in 2026. The right-handed pitcher was 20-6 with a 1.92 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP across 153.1 innings. She recorded 72 strikeouts and allowed just 17 extra-base hits. Cardenas also added four saves, and she was named NFCA first-team all-region.
 
The four NFCA All-Americans are the most for the CCAA since 2022. 
 

NFCA All-America Team
First Team
P	Marissa Quintero	Cal State East Bay
UT/NP	Jillian Albayati	Cal State San Marcos
Third Team
P	Daleah Cardenas	Cal State San Marcos
At-Large (SS)	Shelby Shanks	Cal Poly Humboldt
D2CCA All-America Team
First Team
UT/NP	Jillian Albayati	Cal State San Marcos
Third Team
P	Marissa Quintero	Cal State East Bay