LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's golf team raked in top 2025-26 Mountain West accolades, with junior Zi Yu Foong earning Golfer of the Year and Amy Bush-Herzer being named Coach of the Year, the conference office announced Friday. This is the first time the Rebels take home both honors in the same season since 2018.

Additionally, Foong and sophomore Amber Chen both received MW all-conference honors as first-team selections. They each make the all-conference team for the first time in their careers.

Hailing from Salangor, Malaysia, Foong sat atop the Mountain West with a career-best 71.75 scoring average and a league-best-tying five top-5 finishes through 10 tournaments. In her second season at UNLV, she earned her first career victory at the Colonel Wallenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic, posted three second-place finishes (Dick McGuire Invitational; Lady Luck Invitational; Jackrabbits Invitational) and tied for third at the MW Championship, where she secured the team title with a birdie on the final hole. Foong also recorded a career-low tournament score of 7-under 209 (Westbrook Invitational), a career-low round of 5-under 67 twice (Ram Classic; Westbrook Invitational), as well as 14 under-par rounds and eight par-or-better tournament scores on the year.

"Zi has been outstanding all season, and seeing her deliver that championship-winning shot on the 18th (at Mission Hills Country Club) was a testament to her growth and composure," said Bush-Herzer. "She has consistently put herself in the top of leaderboards all year. Her being recognized as the best in the conference is so well-deserved. She leads by example, and her passion for this team is what makes her special."

Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, Chen tied for second in the MW with three top-5 finishes and ranked among the league's top 10 with a career-best 72.87 scoring average through 11 tournaments. During her breakout 2025-26 campaign, she picked up her first career win at the Jackrabbits Invitational, a third-place finish at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic and tied for third alongside Foong at the Mountain West Championship. In addition to her finishes, Chen's season saw her tie a program-record low round with an 8-under 64 (Cowgirl Classic), a career-low tournament score of 10-under 206 (Cowgirl Classic) to go along with 12 under-par rounds and four par-or-better tournament scores.

"Amber has been an absolute force for us this year and seeing her earn first-team all-conference honors is a testament to the incredible work she puts in every single day. She has a unique ability to stay patient and disciplined on the course, which has led to some remarkable consistency across our tournament schedule. Her presence at the top of our lineup provides so much stability for the rest of our team, and I'm just so incredibly proud to see her talent and dedication recognized by the conference," said Bush-Herzer.

Bush-Herzer, meanwhile, garnered recognition as the league's coach of the year for the second consecutive season and fifth time in her career. This season, she guided the program to a MW Championship repeat, its ninth MW team title overall and the sixth in her 15 years at UNLV. Additionally, Bush-Herzer's Rebels have posted two victories (Jackrabbits Invitational; Mountain West Championship) and have finished fourth place or better as a team five times this season.

2025-26 Mountain West All-Conference Teams
First Team
Leia Chung, Jr., Boise State
Alexis Vakasiuola, Fr., Grand Canyon
Ema Narita, Jr., San Diego State
Amber Chen, So., UNLV
Zi Yu Foong, Jr., UNLV
 
Second Team
Kara Kaneshiro, Jr.,  Colorado State
Ava Cepeda, Fr., New Mexico
Kleopatra Kozakiewicz, Fr., San José State
Regina Roldan, Fr., San José State
Kiley Reisner, Fr., Wyoming

2025-26 Mountain West Women's Golf Awards
Golfer of the Year: Zi Yu Foong, Jr., UNLV
Freshman of the Year: Alexis Vakasiuola, Grand Canyon
Coach of the Year: Amy Bush-Herzer, UNLV