STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
The Pirates' women's basketball team is on a hot streak, winners of their last four games. Leading the way for Ventura has been freshman forward Kayla Lumas. The Oxnard High School product has averaged 16.3 points per game during the winning streak while shooting 45 percent from the floor (19-42) and 83 percent from the free throw line (24-29). Against East Los Angeles on Nov. 22, Lumas scored a season-best 30 points on 11 field goal attempts (making nine) and a perfect 11-11 performance at the charity stripe.
The VC men's basketball team is off to a great start for the 2025-26 season. The Pirates were 7-1 in November and ranked No. 12 in the state, No. 7 in Southern California, in the latest CCCMBCA poll. Leading the way has been transfer sophomore Jerimiyah Smith. The Rancho Cucamonga High School product is averaging 19.1 points per game this season, shooting 60 percent from the floor, and 8.6 rebounds per outing. He has scored 104 points in the last four games, all Pirate victories, while connecting on 40-56 field goal attempts (71.4 percent).
The Pirate football team posted its first-ever home playoff win Saturday, coming back from a 16-point deficit to defeat Cerritos 41-37 at the VC Sportsplex. Quarterback Braesen Leon led the charge, engineering three late scoring drives to bring Ventura back from the brink to advance to the SCFA semifinals on Nov. 29 at Golden West in Huntington Beach. The freshman from Gilbert, Ariz. completed 32 of 39 pass attempts for 427 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Additionally, her ran the ball nine times for 38 yards and another trip to paydirt.
The Pirate volleyball team is heading to the post-season on a hot streak. Winners of five in a row, Ventura won all three matches in the final week of the regular season, including a 5-set thriller against Desert. Leading the way for VC has been Addison Olson. The freshman from Bakersfield finished the week with 17 blocks, 16 kills, 10 digs, two aces in the three outings. Additionally, she led the team in +/- per set at +2.3 for the week.
Redshirt sophomore Wyatt Dingman has been wit the VC men's water polo team for three seasons. This past week he helped lead the Pirates to their first Western State Conference championship in 16 years as VC defeated Cuesta 13-12 in the WSC title game. The experienced team leader from Nordhoff High School in Ojai leads the team with 47 assists on the season, including three in the title game Saturday. His defense also stands out as he delivered the field block at the end of Saturday's game to preserve the crown for Ventura.
The VC men's water polo team head into this week's Western State Conference Tournament at the Ventura Aquatic Center on a hot streak as the Pirates have won six of their last eight games, including five wins over ranked opponents. Sophomore Owen Patterson surpassed the 100-goal mark for the season this past weekend with 10 goals for VC in their four games at the Día de los Muertos Tournament at Southwestern College in Chula Vista. On the year, Patterson's 107 total goals ranks second in the state. Additionally, the Strathmore, CA is second on the team in steals and is also among the team leaders in assists and ejections drawn.
For the 13th straight season, and at least the 20th straight year VC has had a men's cross country team, the Pirates have advanced to the Southern California Regionals as a team on their performance in the Western State Conference Championships. Freshman Henry Fulk led the 2025 effort last week, finishing as the top man for VC in 20th place overall as the team came in seventh to advance to the regionals. Fulk ran the 4-mile course at Moorpark College in 21:34 to earn second-team All-WSC honors.
The Pirate football team is off to a great start at 7-0, ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 2 in Southern California. This past week, the Pirates defeated No. 17 Citrus 31-17 to maintain their undefeated run. Freshman defensive back Marcellus Brigham helped lead the effort with seven solo tackles and a big-time interception in the end zone in the second half. The Augusta, GA native's oskie ended a Citrus scoring threat late in the third quarter, leading to a long Pirate drive that put the game away.
The VC women's water polo team captured a pair of wins last weekend at their own tournament at the Ventura Aquatic Center. First-year Pirates Julia Glukhovsky led the effort against Modesto and Pasadena with a combined 11 goals and three assists in the two games. The Louisville High School product also had five steals defensively and drew 10 ejections against the Pirates and Lancers, respectively. On the season, Glukhovsky leads the team with 48 goals and 38 ED's in 13 games played.
Winners of three straight and five of the last six, the Pirate soccer team is red hot atop the Western State Conference standings. Sophomore Cristal Vargas has been a major contributor to VC's resurgence after a slow start to the season. The Hueneme High School product is back after an injury a year ago and leading the Pirate offense from the front of the attack. She has scored twice with an assist in the past five games, including a goal last Friday as the Pirates defeated Cuesta 2-0.
The VC women's soccer team had some bad breaks in the early season, including an injury to returning All-American center back Leslie Torres. Sophomore team captain Alondra Sanchez has stepped right in and anchored the VC defense from her center back position, helping Ventura hold opponents to one goal or less in six of the Pirates 10 matches. The Santa Clara High School product has led Ventura as the team has recently gotten their groove back, winning four of the past five outings, including a 3-2 victory at Moorpark last Friday in the Western State Conference opener.
After an incredibly difficult early season schedule, the Ventura College volleyball team climbed back into the state rankings this week with a pair of victories. Leading the charge has been sophomore Josephine Rausch, who is leading the team with 96 kills in 10 matches this season. Against Antelope Valley and Citrus this week, the Tehachapi High School alumna had a combined 24 kills with a .321 hitting percentage and 18 digs defensively. She also had four blocks at the net against the Owls.
The Pirates' men's water polo team is off to a great start in 2025. They have won six of their first nine games with four wins by nine goals or more in earning a No. 9-ranking in the state in the first CCCWPCA poll. Leading the charge for VC has been Patrik Bötkös, a freshman from Budapest, Hungary. In four games last weekend at the Golden West Tournament, Bötkös had seven goals and drew 14 ejections in the four games. On the season he has 14 goals with a team-best .560 shooting percentage. He has drawn 27 ejections with eight steals for VC.
The VC football team is off to a 2-0 start in 2025. Sophomore quarterback Devin Tate has led the charge for the Pirates in victories at Palomar and at home against Fullerton as the College celebrated 100 years of Pirate Athletics. Saturday against the Hornets, the Oaks Christian alumnus from Oxnard was 15-22 in the air for 226 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball 15 times for another 69 yards and another score as VC defeated Fullerton 45-42 at the Sportsplex.
The VC women's cross country team began the 2025 season on Friday hosting the Pirate Invitational on the difficult Arroyo Verde Park course. First-year runner Brianna Richards took on the challenge head-on, finishing third in the race setting high expectations for the remainder of the season. The Oxnard High School product covered the 5k course in 21:25 to begin the new season on a high note.
All-American swimmer Jaiden Monroe and All-American soccer defender Leslie Torres have been named the Ventura College Pirates' Athletes of the Year for the 2024-25 academic year. They were both recognized on May 4 at the annual VC Athletics Hall of Fame Induction and Student Athlete Recognition Banquet.