Ventura College freshman transfer Alex Kalmbach has signed a scholarship to continue her academic and athletic careers at NCAA Division I Pepperdine University this fall. Kalmbach, who transferred to VC from Oregon State where she redshirted in 2014-15, will have three years of eligibility with the Waves of the West Coast Conference.
For the 12th time in the past 13 seasons, the VC women's basketball team has earned recognition on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for junior and community colleges.
Two-year All-State point guard Aubri Smith has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and basketball careers next year at Cal State Monterey Bay. The 2015 Western State Conference MVP started every game of her Pirate career, helping lead Ventura to a combined 52-11 record over her two seasons, including a perfect 24-0 mark in conference play.
Pirate sophomore Aubri Smith has been named first-team All-State for the second consecutive season by the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The Buena High School product averaged 11.2 points, 5.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game for the Pirates, who posted a 26-5 overall record, including a perfect 12-0 mark the Western State Conference for the program’s 26th straight conference crown.
Six Ventura College women’s basketball players have been named to the All-Western State Conference team for the 2015-16 season. Earning first-team nods were the five Pirate sophomore starters: Makenna Murray, Carolyn Ruffino, Aubri Smith, Amani White and Brooke Zamora. Freshman Kyleesha Green was named honorable mention All-WSC by the conference coaches.
The Pirates' women's basketball team did not have their best game, but they kept scratching, clawing and fighting to save the season. An Aubri Smith lay-up gave the Pirates a two point lead with 2:50 remaining in the game, but Ventura could not hold on, falling 72-65 in he CCCAA SoCal Regional Quarterfinals. The loss ends Ventura's season with a 26-5 record.
The Pirates' women's basketball team has earned the No. 3 seed in the 2016 CCCAA Southern California Regional Playoffs. VC will host Pasadena or Rio Hondo on Saturday Feb. 27 at 7:00 pm at the Athletic Event Center. This is the fifth year in a row, and eight time in the past nine seasons, that Ventura has earned a top-4 seed in the regional bracket.
What is rare is commonplace at Ventura College. The Pirates' women's basketball team closed out its 20th perfect Western State Conference campaign in the past 26 years, all WSC championships, with a 61-49 victory at Oxnard College Saturday afternoon. Aubri Smith had 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals while Amani White posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards to lead the way.
An up and down season for the Pirates' women's basketball team took a decidedly upward swing on Wednesday. Behind strong performances from Kyleesha Green and Brooke Zamora, VC defeated visiting Santa Barbara 88-54 on sophomore night at the Athletic Event Center. Ventura played fast, strong and together as the regular season entered its final week with the post-season looming on the horizon.
The California Community College Athletic Association has announced its academic awards for the 2014-15 year, and the Ventura College is home to two State Scholar Team recipients. Both the women's basketball and men's tennis teams earned the highest academic team achievement given annually by the CCCAA.
The struggle continued Wednesday for the VC women's basketball team, but a strong second half performance turned a 10-point halftime lead into a 69-32 runaway at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. VC trailed 15-14 midway through the second quarter before turning things around in the victory. With the win, and a loss by second-place Oxnard College, the Pirates claimed outright their 26th consecutive Western State Conference championship.
Rhiana Dougan came off the bench to score 11 points, and Lexy Hinojosa had seven points in the second quarter to spark the Ventura past Los Angeles Pierce 58-37 Saturday night on Barbeque Night at VC. The game was held in conjunction with the 17th Annual Men's and Women's Basketball Barbeque Fundraiser hedl in the VC Sportsplex.
The final score read Ventura 62, Moorpark 47, but the victory did not feel good. Over the years, the Raiders and Pirates have played some great games with VC coming out on top 56 straight times in the past 26 years, but Wednesday's result at the Athletic Event Center left something to be desired. Ventura turned in a sub-par effort as the season's journey moved to its final full month.
The Pirates' women's basketball team used a strong second half to surge past host Cuesta College 75-34 Saturday night in San Luis Obispo. VC led 30-23 at halftime before hitting their first five shots of the third quarter, outscoring the Cougars 45-11 in the final 20 minutes. Rhiana Dougan led the way with 16 second-half points and Brooke Zamora had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Pirates have relied on team balance for much of their success this season. That balance was on full display Wednesday as seven players scored seven or more points in Ventura's 77-57 victory over surging Oxnard College. VC used a decisive 32-11 second quarter to defeat the Condors, putting them, and the rest of the Western State Conference field at least two games back in the standings through one round of conference play.
A strong third quarter helped push the Ventura College women's basketball team to a 77-67 victory at Santa Barbara City College Saturday night. Aubri Smith led the effort with 19 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor along with six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Amani White threw in a double-double of 11 points and 13 boards in the win for the Pirates.
There was no playing around on Saturday night for the Pirates. Aubri Smith assisted two Brooke Zamora 3-pointers on the first two possessions helping VC jump out to an early 12-0 advantage, leading to a 77-32 victory of Allan Hancock College at the Athletic Event Center. Zamora finished the night with 20 points and Smith handed out nine assists in the game for Ventura.
Each year, every member of the sophomore class of the Ventura College women's basketball team selects a "Favorite Teacher" based on their own personal criteria. 2015-16 is the 11th year in which the team has honored their favorite teachers, and 62 awards have been presented, including this year.
VC freshman Alex Kalmbach had one of her best outings of the year, leading the Pirates with 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists in their 79-39 win over Los Angeles Pierce College Wednesday in Woodland Hills. Felicia Magana recorded 12 points and three steals while Makenna Murray had 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals in the victory.
For 26 minutes of play, it was an uncomfortably close contest for the VC women's basketball team Saturday at Moorpark, but a late rally led to a 63-40 win for the Pirates at raider Pavilion. Moorpark, who lost to Ventura 66-26 in a December non-conference tournament game, was within 33-32 with 4:05 remaining in the third quarter before the Pirates closed the game on a 30-8 run.
The Pirates' women's basketball team opened a big lead in the first quarter and never looked back in their 77-44 victory over visiting Cuesta Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center in the Western State Conference opener for both teams. Carolyn Ruffino hit five 3-pointers for a team-high 15 points while Aubri Smith had 14 points, seven assists and two steals in the game.
One thing was clearly evident from Wednesday's overtime thriller in the championship game of the VC-Optimist Club Holiday Tournament, the Pirates' women's basketball team can play with anyone in the state. VC pushed No. 1-ranked and undefeated Mt. San Jacinto College to the edge, and had a shot to win in regulation and a shot to tie in overtime in the 82-79 heartbreaking loss.
It has become a recurring theme this season for the Pirates that a player off the bench comes up big in a VC win. Tuesday it was Kyleesha Green with 16 points and four assists and Alex Kalmbach with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots leading the charge in Ventura's 59-47 victory over Antelope Valley in the semifinals of the VC-Optimist Club Holiday Tournament.
Maybe it was too many presents, or too much Christmas ham, but the Pirates cooked their own goose for 20 minutes Monday night before breaking out in their 64-45 win over Rio Hondo in the first round of the VC-Optimist club Holiday Tournament. makenna Murray had 17 points and seven rebounds while Amani White had an In-N-Out double-double with 15 points and 12 boards to lead the way.
The Pirates' women's basketball team used a stingy defense and another balanced scoring attack to defeat Moorpark 66-26 Sunday afternoon in the finals of the Wild West Shootout at West Los Angeles College in Culver City. Aubri Smith was named he tournament Most Valuable Player with 13 points, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the win.
It was certainly not a contest for the faint of heart. In a physical test, the Pirates' women's basketball team prevailed over a tough Santa Ana team 75-56 Saturday evening in the semifinals of the Wild West Shootout at West Los Angeles College in Culver City. Aubri Smith led the way with 18 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals while Mary Shirley came off the bench to score 10 points with seven boards.
The Pirate bench scored 47 combined points Friday afternoon, led by Rhiana Dougan's team-high 17 as the Ventura College women's basketball team defeated Mira Costa 72-30 in the first round of the Wild West Shootout at West Los Angeles College in Culver City. Dougan shot 5-7 from 3-point land and added three steals on defense to lead the Pirates.
The Ventura College women's basketball team is a work in progress. Sunday afternoon was certainly not a masterpiece, but the effort and result were sufficient for the Pirates to rally from a six point deficit in the third quarter to a 52-53 victory over San Bernardino Valley in the championship game of the Buddy's All Star LAVC Classic.
VC sophomore Marissa Hurtado had a big second half with nine points, six rebounds, a block and a steal to help lead the Pirates past a relentless Cypress Charger team 70-62 Saturday night in the semifinals of the Buddy's All-Star LAVC Classic. Aubri Smith had 17 points for Ventura, who advances to the tournament final Sunday at 4:00 pm against San Bernardino Valley.
The Pirates ended a brief two-game losing streak with a 68-42 win over Citrus in the first round of the Buddy's All-Star LAVC Classic Friday afternoon in Valley Glen. Amani White led the Pirates with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds with a blocked shot, shooting 9-13 from the floor in the game.