COSTA MESA --- Vanguard Athletic Director Jeff Bussell has announced that softball Head Coach Sydney Lahners has stepped down from her role after leading the program for three seasons. Assistant Coach Gabriela Sandoval has been named the Interim Head Coach
 
 A national search for the next VU softball coach will begin immediately and all interested applicants should apply using the following link that takes you to Vanguard Human Resources.
 
"I am beyond grateful for my time at Vanguard," said Lahners.  "This was a very difficult decision for myself, but ultimately, I am leaning on the Lord and choosing what's best for my family. I have enjoyed being a part of the community built within our department. The environment at Vanguard is unlike any other. I'm honored to have been a part of this program for the last five years. I grew in my faith, developed as a coach, and most importantly, found my second family. This softball program has transformed my life in more ways than one. Thank you, Vanguard, for everything."
 
Over the course of three years, Coach Lahners secured two trophies, one NAIA All-American, seven all-conference players, one GSAC Player of the Year, one GSAC Pitcher of the Year, one GSAC Freshman of the Year, five GSAC Gold Glove Winners, 17 NAIA and GSAC Scholar-Athletes, one NAIA Scholar-Team honor, and five College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections.
 
"Coach Lahners has led the softball program with an uncommon faith, commitment and attitude," said Athletic Director Jeff Bussell.  "We've been blessed to witness her growth as a leader through our transition from the NAIA to the NCAA DII. She had a steady commitment to transforming student-athletes in all aspects of their lives. Her impact has been significant in a short amount of time, and we are sincerely grateful for the strong foundation she has laid for the future of our program at the NCAA DII level. Family is very important, and we respect her decision to put the family first. She will always remain a part of the Lions' family and wish her many blessings in the future."
 
Coach Lahners joined the Vanguard family for the 2021 season as an assistant coach and helped the squad through two seasons. The Lions finished second in the Golden State Athletic Conference in both of those campaigns, but the the call to join the NAIA National Tournament never came.  On June 24, 2022  Lahners was announced as the Head Coach, becoming the sixth coach in program history. Over the next three seasons, Coach Lahners guided the Lions to a 91-73 record and made back-to-back apperances at the National Tournament.

The team won 23 regular-season games in her first season at the helm but the time put into development in the 2023 season paid off in the GSAC Tournament.  Vanguard was the #4 seed entering the event, but the Lions won three-of-four games to take their first GSAC Tournament since 2017 and the first title of any kind since 2019.  VU beat Hope International twice, 1-0 in the opener and 3-1 in the final game, with a 4-3 win over Arizona Christian sandwiched in the middle of those contests.  VU received an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament as a result, the team's first appearance since 2019, and was sent to the University of Southern Oregon bracket.  VU shocked the hosting Raiders 8-4 in the opening game, the final time the eventual national champions would lose that year, but the Blue and Gold were defeated in the next two subsequent games to end the year at 27-30.
 
2024 was the best campaign of Lahners' tenure, as the Lions rocketed to a 42-13 record and a second-place finish in the regular season.  VU won nine of its final 10 games and finished the year with the eighth-most wins in a season in program history.  The squad blasted through the GSAC Tournament with three wins in a row, beating HIU 3-2, knocking Jessup out of the dance with a 4-1 decision, and claiming the trophy with a 2-1over Hope to make it back-to-back GSAC Tournament titles, the first time in VU history.  The Lions were sent to Oregon Tech for the NAIA Tournament Opening Round and beat St. Thomas (Fla.) 8-5 and the hosting Owls 8-2 to need just one more win to head to Georgia and NAIA World Series.  Unfortunately, the Owls won the next two over VU to bring the campaign to a close.
 
The Lions faced a tough slate of opponents in 2025 but ended 22-30 and concluded the first Pacific West Conference season in VU history in seventh place with a 17-19 mark in league play.  The Blue and Gold got its first NCAA Division II win over then #2 Western Washington at the CUI Kickoff Classic on February 1 and went 3-2 at the Stanislaus Tournament of Champions soon thereafter.  The squad picked up its first PacWest series win against the Academy of Art over March 29 and 31 and its first series sweep against Menlo on April 18-19.  The Lions gave Lahners a perfect cap to the season, as the seniors powered their way to 1-0 and 3-2 victories on April 25 over APU before the 2025 class said their goodbyes to the program. 
 
Before she commenced her coaching career, Lahners was a successful player for the University of the Pacific, picking up three All-West Coast Conference laurels with a .292 career batting average.  She had 24 home runs over four years, 113 RBI, 34 doubles, and a fielding percentage above .975 for the Tigers.