ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - After setting the CCAA records for batting average and runs batted in during a season, Cal State San Marcos' Jillian Albayati has been named the 2025-26 CCAA Female Athlete of the Year by the 12 sports information directors throughout the conference.
 
Albayati constructed one of the most legendary seasons this storied conference has ever seen, and she did it from the first pitch of the season all the way through until the last.
 
The Anaheim native set the CCAA single-season records for batting average (.517), doubles (26), runs batted in (80), and slugging percentage (.914). She is second in hits (108) and on-base percentage (.591). The utility player (non-pitcher) registered a 22-game hitting streak and reached base in 38 consecutive games. She would go on to reach base in 65 of the Cougars' 68 games.
 
Albayati won the first two CCAA Player of the Week awards after being named the Most Valuable Player in the first two tournaments of the season. She would go on to be selected as the CCAA and D2CCA West Region Players of the Year, before capping her career by being voted to the NFCA and D2CCA All-America first teams.
 
Her outstanding year helped fuel the Cal State San Marcos softball team to one of the best seasons in program history. The Cougars put together a 20-game winning streak and won their second CCAA regular season championship with a 28-4 record. They went on to capture the NCAA West Region title in three games.
 
CSUSM advanced to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., where it won two games and reached the NCAA semifinals to finish the season with a 57-12 record (.826 win%). Albayati was named to the all-tournament team after hitting .333 with three home runs, a double, five RBIs, five runs scored, and a .438 on-base percentage.
 
The four-time All-CCAA selection finished her career third in CSUSM history in batting average (.374), and second in hits (261), and home runs (36). She was also third in doubles (52) and fourth in RBI (170).
 
Albayati joins Jaime Jacob (2018-19) as the only Cougars to earn CCAA Female Athlete of the Year honors. She is the first softball student-athlete since 2017-18 (Haley Gilham, Chico State). Click here to see the full list of past CCAA Male and Female Athletes of the Year winners.