The VC beach volleyball team is headed back to the state tournament. The 2023 state runners up posted a pair of victories Tuesday in the 3C2A Southern California Regionals to qualify for the final day of the team season next week. The No. 2-seeded Pirates beat No. 10 Rio Hondo 4-1 before winning the first three matches in a 3-2 defeat of No. 7 San Diego Miramar. VC's 4's, Skylar Rutherford and Liz Schalde, their 3's, Gracie Piro and Gabby Raines, and the 1's, Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain, all won a pair of matches on the day.
The Ventura College golf team placed fourth overall in the 36-hole Western State Conference Championships Monday at Knollwood Country Club in Granada Hills. The Pirates shot 389 in the morning round to finish fourth, and turned in a382 in the afternoon, also finishing in the middle of the pack. The 771 total for the day also placed VC in fourth place, qualifying them for the Southern California Regionals next week. AJ Ryland and Logan Gonzalez led Ventura earning All-WSC honors.
VC's doubles pair of Rafael Matias and Julian Tellez finished the 2024 season Sunday in the 3C2A State Doubles Final Four at The Ojai Tournament. The Pirates' men's tennis team, meanwhile, was awarded the Gorham Cup for the overall California Community College team champion during the four day of singles and doubles play to close the season.
The Pirates' No. 1 duo of Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain took second place on the final day of the Western State Conference Pairs Tournament in Santa Monica Saturday. Meanwhile, VC's No. 2 duo of Alba Romanos Gracia and Kylie Ibbotson placed sixth in the tournament as both teams qualified for the 3C2A Southern California Regionals May 3 and 4.
The Pirate baseball team ended its 2024 campaign Saturday afternoon with a 14-2 setback at Compton College. Evan DeVally was 2-2 at the plate with a run batted in and Aaron McLeod also recorded a pair of hits. Peter Dufau had an RBI while David King and Bryce Elias each scored runs in the season finale.
VC's No. 1 singles player Cody Ray Emery advanced to the semifinal round of the 3C2A State Championships before bowing out Saturday while the Pirates No. 2 doubles pair of Rafael Matias and Julian Tellez qualified for Sunday's state doubles semifinals at The Ojai Tournament.
The Pirate beach volleyball team advanced two duos into the quarterfinal round of the Western State Conference Pairs Tournament Friday in Santa Monica. Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain along with Kylie Ibbotson and Alba Romanos Gracia each qualified for next weekend's Southern California Regiionals by moving into the Round of 8.
The Pirate baseball team rallied in the top of the ninth inning to post a 6-3 victory at Los Angeles Pierce College Friday in Woodland Hills. Peter Dufau hit a solo home run in VC's final at-bat to begin the three-run frame for the margin of victory. Mason Reid had a two-RBI triple and David King belted out three hits, including a double, with one run batted in. Anthony Cuevas scattered seven hits over six innings on the mound, giving up one run in his quality start for Ventura (19-18, 11-13).
The Pirates' men's tennis team advanced two singles players and two doubles teams into the quarterfinal round of the 3C2A State Tournament at The Ojai on Friday. Cody Ray Emery and Robinson Pelluault will face off in a Round of 8 match Saturday morning while the doubles pairs of Emery and Lucas Abreu along with Rafael Matias and Julian Tellez will play quarterfinal matches on Saturday afternoon.
The Ventura College women's and men's track and field team placed third and fourth, respectively in the Western State Conference Championships that concluded Friday in Bakersfield. Sophia Godina continued her strong season winning the 1500m and placing in the 800m and 5000m to lead the Pirate women and Cassandra O'Reilly claimed gold in the shot put. Erick Tienda paced the men with a 1500m win and by earning points in the 800m and 5k events.
The VC baseball team kept its post-season hopes alive Thursday with a 7-3 victory over Hancock in Santa Maria. Pirate ace Luca Staiano scattered four hits and yielded two runs while striking out four over seven complete innings of work. Bryce Elias had a solo home run among his three hits and he scored three runs to lead the offense and Mason Reid had three hits and a run batted in for the Pirates (18-18, 10-13).
Ventura College alumnus Derick Pugh '92 has been named the Pirates' head men's basketball coach for the 2024-25 season. He begins his second stint on the bench with the Pirates as he was an assistant coach on VC's state championship teams of 1995 and 1996, helping Ventura to a combined 73-3 record. Pugh brings 16-years of coaching experience to Ventura College.
A day after capturing the state team title, the VC men's tennis team was back at it on the opening day of the 3C2A State Singles and Doubles Championships at The Ojai Tournament. Five VC singles players and three doubles teams were perfect on the day with all moving forward to day two of the draw, including Robinson Pelluault, who came from behind to win his Round of 64 match at Rio Mesa High School.
The VC women's tennis season came to a close Thursday as sophomores Bella DeRosa and Bella Moga competed in the 3C2A State Championships at The Ojai. Moga competed in the singles competition and the duo played in the doubles draw on the final weekend of the season.
On a picture-perfect day for tennis, the Ventura College men’s tennis team had a picture-perfect ending to their 2024 season with a 5-0 sweep over American River College from Sacramento in the 3C2A State Championship at the VC Tennis Center. Julian Tellez clinched the winner for the Pirates (18-6) in No. 4 singles after Rafael Matias had recorded a love and love win in the No. 2 slot. The title is the third for VC under longtime head coach Nelson Emery, their first since 2010.
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will host its 16th Hall of Fame Induction and Student Athlete Recognition Banquet on Sunday May 5, 2024 at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. Four distinguished honorees will be introduced as the newest Hall of Fame members and each of the Pirates' 19 intercollegiate sports will send their best and brightest to be recognized for outstanding achievement on the playing field and in the classroom.
The Pirate softball team closed he 2024 season with a bang, posting a 14-3 triumph at Santa Monica Tuesday afternoon. Savanna Higgins had a double and a triple with a run scored and two runs batted in and Jennie Jacinto had three hits and a walk with one RBI and three runs scored. Chelsea Trejo allowed three runs, one earned, over seven innings worked in the pitcher's circle for Ventura, who finished the season with seven wins in their final 13 games.
The Pirate golf team came in fifth in the Western State Conference event at Bakersfield Country Club Monday and seventh in the Rig City Invitational played simultaneously and hosted by Bakersfield College. Logan Gonzalez shot a 3-over 75 to lead VC, tying for ninth in the WSC competition and 14th in the invitational. Ian Chapital carded a 4-over 76 and AJ Ryland shot a 5-over 77 for Ventura.
The VC baseball team dropped a 7-4 decision at Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon. Haiden Letzing had three hits and scored a run to lead the effort for the Pirates (17-18, 7-11) while Jacob Tostado also recorded a hit and scored a run.
Lucas Abreu had a pretty good day Saturday. After teaming up with Cody Ray Emery to win at No. 1 doubles for the Pirates men's tennis team against Glendale in the 3C2A Southern California Regional Final, the VC sophomore clinched the match against the Vaqueros with a come-from-behind win in singles to propel Ventura to the state championship match on Wednesday April 24. Edgar Ploquin also produced a pair of victories as the Pirates advanced to the state final for the first time since 2013.
The VC men's and women's swimming and diving teams produced more strong performances Saturday to conclude the Western State Conference Championships at the Ventura Aquatic Center. Ella Montano claimed her second gold medal of the meet Saturday while Nick Santander won silver. Michael Soho and Luigi Trave each claimed bronze medals Saturday to lead the VC men to a second place team finish. The Pirate women came in fourth in the championships.
The VC beach volleyball team claimed its second straight Western State Conference championship Friday with a 3-2 win over Santa Monica and a 4-1 triumph over Bakersfield at the Ventura Harbor Cove Courts. Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain claimed a pair of wins as the No. 1 pair to lead the way, along with two wins by Alba Romanos Gracia and Kylie Ibbotson at no. 2 and Gracie Piro and Gabby Raines at No. 4.
The VC baseball team dropped an 11-9 decision to visiting Oxnard in their final game of the season at Pirate Park on Friday. David King had a pair of hits and three runs batted in while Evan DeVally hit a single and a double with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Mason Reid scored three runs for the Pirates (17-17, 9-12) as their post-season hopes took a hit against the Condors.
The VC men's and women's swimming and diving teams continued to produced strong performances Friday on the second day of the Western State Conference Championships at the Ventura Aquatic Center. Ella Montano won gold in the 100-yard breast stroke while Cameron Habib and Nick Santander each claimed silver in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke events, respectively.
VC's men's and women's track and field teams had a strong day Friday at the Western State Conference Prelims at Antelope Valley College. Brianna Torres captured gold in the women's 10k final and Trevor McCarthy won the men's javelin final to lead Ventura in the competition. Numerous other Pirates turned in strong performances to qualify for the WSC Finals coming up April 26.
The VC baseball team traveled to San Luis Obispo Thursday and came home with a pair of victories over Cuesta. VC defeated the Cougars 7-6 in the continuation of a suspended game from March 4, needing just one inning and Aaron McLeod beating out a possible double-play ball to score Bryce Elias for the win. In the regularly scheduled game, Peter Dufau hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh to provide the game-winning scores for the 8-7 triumph.
The VC softball team scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh and had the potential game-tying run at the plate with no outs before falling to Allan Hancock 6-4 Thursday in their 2024 home finale. Haylie Lopez had a pair of hits, including a two-RBI single in the final at-bat to lead Ventura. Chelsea Trejo and Jennie Jacinto also recorded two hits each in the setback.
The Ventura College men's and women's swimming and diving teams are hosting the Western State Conference Championships with the men in second place and the women in fourth after the first of three days of competition at the Ventura Aquatic Center. Michael Soho and Ella Montano led their respective teams, each earning individual silver medals while swimming legs on two different relay teams for the Pirates.
The VC golf team came in fourth again Wednesday at the Western State Conference No. 7 match hosted by College of the Canyons at Palmdale's Rancho Vista Golf Course. The Pirates' Logan Gonzalez and Daniel Darwin each tied for 11th individually, each posting scores of 2-over 74.
Pirate starting pitcher Luca Staiano had a great outing Tuesday, limiting Moorpark to three hits and two runs, one earned, through seven innings of work at Pirate Park. The VC offense could not pick up the tab, however, recording just three hits in Ventura's 5-1 setback against the Raiders. Yuki Kawashima had a pair of hits, including a double and scored the only run of the game for the Pirates (15-16, 7-11).