This continues our a series of daily articles previewing each men's and women's college conference. All the conference previews can be found here.

Big West

When the top defense in the conference loses the Goalkeeper of the Year (Coral Hoover) and Defender of the Year (Julianne Grinstead) it has some serious holes to fill, and that’s precisely the case with Cal Poly. Returners like Morgan Miller and Julie McKee will be vital, but if the Mustangs hope to improve upon their loss in last year’s conference title game they’ll need some emerging star power.

Cal State Northridge(w) has the most quality returners of any team in the conference. The program is stacked on both sides of the ball with leading scorer Farryn Townley back in tow and Freshman of the Year Cynthia Jacobo, a talented goalkeeper. The Matadors have to be considered a conference favorite alongside …

UC Santa Barbara, the reigning Big West Tourney champions. Having gained valuable postseason experience last year and with senior all-conference strikers Kailyn Kugler and Kylie McDonald leading the way, it should be another strong year for the program.

Dynamic scoring freshman Dana Sanderlin and Mar Rodriguez highlight the exciting and potent UC Irvine Anteaters, not to mention dangerous senior forward Tanya Taylor. It will be another year of goals for Irvine, but the team’s success will depend on the play of solid goalkeeper Danielle deSeriere and the rest of the defense.  
 
Another strong offensive program in Pacific should continue rolling with top scorer Maricela Padilla and last year’s Midfielder of the Year Angelica Figueroa who spent some of her summer in Germany playing for the Mexican National Team in the U20 Women’s World Cup.

Last in most of the conference’s offensive categories in 2009, Cal State Fullerton will need a spark from its large freshmen class that includes standouts Kaitlyn Mendoza and Janali West. Senior defender Tamara Dewey returns.

Three one-conference win teams from last year Long Beach State, UC Davis and UC Riverside. The absence of the conference’s top scorer in 2009, Rochelle VanBuskirk, will make it hard for UC Davis, while Long Beach(w) will try to restore the glory from 2008 with returners Shawna Gordon and Lindsay Bullock.
 

BYU's Carlee Payne (right). Photo by BYU Athletics.

Mountain West

Well the BYU Cougars did lose four-time all-conference player Andrea Willis, but they’ll still be the team to be the standard in the Mountain West. The 2009 Freshman of the Year Carlee Payne could have just as easily been the Offensive Player of the Year, and she returns in all her glory alongside top goalkeeper McKinzie Olson and attacker Kassidy Shumway.

Offensive Player of the Year Cat Walker will lead the San Diego State Aztecs in what should again amount to a two-team race for the conference. San Diego knocked off the Cougars in the title game in 2009 – will they have enough to repeat the feat this season?

The Utah Utes were one of the more balanced attacking teams around last year and a couple graduations will hurt them, but striker Erin Dalley is a dangerous player to watch and will be joined by midfielder Lauren Porter.

The rest of the conference features a collection of intriguing players, but likely no programs that will seriously compete for the title. New Mexico’s Jennifer Williams is one of the purest scores in the conference, while Bridgett Murphy will hope to lead Air Force to its first conference win in some time.

Tomorrow: Southland & Ohio Valley Women