Volleyball and beach volleyball standout Kayla Murdoch and baseball star Reiss Calvin have been named the 2022-23 Ventura College Athletics Athletes of the Year. Recognized at the VC Athletic Hall of Fame and Student Athlete recognition Banquet last month, the pair each had record-setting seasons in their respective sports to earn the Pirates' top athletic honor.
Murdoch, a Thousand Oaks High School product, was a two-sport star earning All-American honors in volleyball in the fall and beach volleyball in the spring.
As VC's top outside hitter in the fall, she led the Western State Conference in kills, kills per set and hitting percentage while recording the third-most solo blocks in the WSC-N. She set a school record for kills and finished second all-time in hitting percentage. Murdoch was fourth overall in the state in kills per set (4.94) and ninth in total kills (385) and hitting percentage (.367). She earned first team All-WSC, first team All-State and first team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American accolades. The Pirate freshman led VC to a 23-2 overall record, the program's third WSC title in four seasons and the top-seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs, advancing to the SoCal Regional Finals.
On the beach, Murdoch continued to shine with partner Autumn Rojelio Moreno. The Pirates' No. 1 duo were 20-6 in dual matches on the year, leading VC to the state championship finals, claiming the runner-up spot after a razor-thin 3-2 defeat. The pair led Ventura to the WSC title and the team earned the No. 1 seed in the Southern California Regionals for the first time in program history. The pair were finalists in the WSC Championships, advanced to the SoCal Regional Final Four, and finished the year in the CCCAA State semifinals. They were named as a Top Flight Award winner in Flight 1 by the AVCA.
Calvin, the Pirates' shortstop from Woodbury, Minn., had a record-breaking season on th diamond for the Ventura College baseball team. The sophomore established a new program record for career batting average (.406) and times on base (200), combining his two seasons at Pirate Park. He also tied the career record for total hits (140). In 2023 Calvin set single-season records in batting average (.435), hits (74) and times on base, (104), while tying school marks for hits in WSC play (45) and total bases (69). He was named the Most Valuable Player in the WSC North Division, earned first team All-State honors, and was named a first team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Calvin has signed a scholarship to play at the University of California Santa Barbara and is also a top prospect for the Major League Baseball draft later this month.
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