VC volleyball outside hitter Kayla Murdoch has been named as a first team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the second consecutive year. She is one of 45 players from 39 schools who made the three, 15-member All-America teams for the 2023 season. The players chosen represent all sections of Two-Year College women’s volleyball: NJCAA Division I, II, and III, the 3C2A, and the NWAC.
The VC volleyball team swept the Western State Conference North Division post-season awards after sharing the conference title, the team's third straight crown and fourth in the past five years. Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Murdoch was named he WSC North Player of the Year while sophomore Autumn Rojelio earned the Libero of the Year Award. VC head coach Brad Lyans was named the WSC North Coach of the Year. Sophomore Kylie Ibbotson and freshman Talia Behrens also earned first team All-WSC recognition.
Despite a valiant effort, the Pirate volleyball team dropped a four-set decision to defending champion Feather River in the 3C2A State Tournament Friday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. Kyla Murdoch finished her VC career with another double-double of 18 kills and 13 digs and sophomore Kylie Ibbotson had a career day with 15 winners at the net. Autumn Rojelio, also a second-year player, also posted a double-double with 21 digs and 13 assists as the Pirates completed their best season in a quarter-century at 21-4.
The third time was the charm for the Pirate volleyball team as they swept Santa Monica in three sets, the third time this season they played the Corsairs, in VC's third straight home Southern California Regional Final, breaking through for the Pirates' first trip to the 3C2A State Elite Eight in 23 years. Kayla Murdoch had a double double of 14 kills and 11 digs and Autumn Rojelio recorded 19 digs and handed out five assists to lead Ventura (21-3) to the state tournament next weekend at Mt. San Antonio College.
Buoyed by a sizable and vocal home crowd, the No. 2-seeded Pirate volleyball team swept past No. 15 Bakersfield, 16, 21 and 21, in the second round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs Tuesday. VC fed the Renegades a steady diet of Kaya Murdoch swings as the sophomore outside hitter led Ventura with 20 kills, seven digs and three blocks in the match. Autumn Rojelio led the defense with 23 digs and a 2.14 passer rating and Ashley Johnson handed out 36 assists.
The Pirate volleyball team ended the 2023 regular season with a thrilling five-set victory at Santa Monica Tuesday in a Western State Conference crossover contest. VC claimed the 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, 15-9 win to finish the year at 19-3 overall after sharing their thirs streight WSC North Division title. Kylie Ibbotson had a double-double of 16 kills and 11 digs and Kayla Murdoch recorded 24 winners with a dozen digs. Ashley Johnson handed out 39 assists and Autumn Rojelio posted 31 digs in the triumph.
Behind the strong play of Kayla Murdoch and Kylie Ibbotson, the Pirate volleyball team defeated Los Angeles Mission 23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-12 in the final Western State Conference North Division match of the season at the Athletic Event Center. With the triumph, the Ventura (18-3, 8-2) clinched a share of the conference title for the third straight year and for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
The VC volleyball team went to Santa Barbara with a mission, they came home with a share of the Western State Conference lead. The Pirates defeated the Vaqueros in four sets, 25-10, 25-19, 23-25, 25-15 for a season-sweep of SBCC to pull even with Santa Barbara and Moorpark atop the conference standings with one game remaining. Autumn Rojelio, the heart and soul of the Pirate team, led the way with 28 digs and had her best passer rating of the season from her libero position. Kayla Murdoch recorded 16 kills and seven digs while Kylie Ibbotson had 11 winners and seven digs for Ventura (17-3, 7-2). Talia Behrens had seven kills with a .375 hitting percentage in the victory.
After a slow start, the Pirate volleyball team poured it on late as VC swept past Cuesta 27-25, 25-12, 25-14 Friday evening at the Athletic Event Center. Kayla Murdoch was dominant with 18 kills and a .517 hitting percentage and Talia Behrens recorded eight winners at the net. Ashley Johnson handed out 28 assists and Autumn Rojelio turned in 10 digs as Johnson added eight.
The Pirates' volleyball team got back on track Wednesday with a sweeping victory at Los Angeles Pierce in Woodland hills, 14, 11 and 14. Ventura hit 16 service aces in the match, led by Jocelyn Montoya's seven unreturned serves. Talia Behrens led the offense with eight kills while hitting .583 and Kylie Ibbotson had seven winners, hitting .538. Ashley Johynson handed out 10 assists and Autumn Rojelio had 10 digs defensively.
At the end of the night, the Pirates' volleyball team was outscored by just seven points, 98-92, but that was enough to fall in four sets Friday to Moorpark, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21. Brianna Morrison hit a solid .462 at the net with seven kills and Ashley Johnson handed out 48 assists and recorded four blocks defensively. Autumn Rojelio had 25 digs and Kayla Murdoch hit a team-high 16 winners as VC (14-3, 4-2) dropped out of a first place tie atop the conference.
The Pirate volleyball team closed the first round of Western State Conference North Division play with a 25-20, 26-24, 25-18 sweep over Los Angeles Mission in Sylmar Friday evening. Kayla Murdoch's double double of 16 kills and 10 digs led the way while Makena Schaumloeffel recorded nine winners with five service aces. Autumn Rojelio picked up 19 digs and Ashley Johnson handed out 34 assists for the No. 9-ranked Pirates (14-2, 4-1).
The VC volleyball team played its best match of the season Wednesday, sweeping past Santa Barbara 18, 16 and 20 to vault back into a first place tie atop the Western State Conference North Division with the Vaqueros and Moorpark. Kayla Murdoch led the effort with 19 kills and a .482 hitting percentage and Kylie Ibbotson had nine winners at .318. Ashley Johnson handed out 43 assists and Autumn Rojelio recorded 22 digs defensively in the triumph.
The Pirate volleyball team took care of business on their longest trip of the conference season, sweeping past Cuesta in San Luis Obispo, 11, 16 and 13 on Wednesday. Kayla Murdoch returned after a brief injury respite to record 18 kills and Talia Behrens had nine winners at the net. Makena Schaumloeffel led the defense with 13 digs and had seven service aces while Autumn Rojelio had 11 digs. Brianna Morrison had seven blocks for VC (12-2, 2-1).
The VC volleyball team got back on track Friday with a resounding 25-12, 25-18, 25-15 sweep over visiting Los Angeles Pierce. Alba Romanos Gracia led the Pirates, who played without two starters on the front line, with eight kills while Makena Schaumloeffel recorded seven winners. Brianna Morrison had five kills in the middle with an effecient .556 hitting percentage. Autumn Rojelio recorded 18 digs and Liz Schalde handed out 17 assists in the match.
It had been something the Pirates had been able to avoid for most of the past two seasons, but it bit on Wednesday. The VC volleyball team, ranked No. 5 in the state, fell victim to an upset at No. 22 Moorpark in four sets, 14-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-23. Kayla Murdoch led VC (10-2, 0-1) with 20 kills and 14 digs while Autumn Rojelio had 24 digs and Ashley Johnson handed out 44 assists. Makena Schaumloeffel and Talia Behrens had nine and eight kills, respectively.
The shorthanded Pirate volleyball team swept past College of the Canyons Friday at the Athletic Event Center, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21. Makena Schaumloeffel had another double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs to lead the way and Kayla Murdoch recorded 12 winners with nine digs defensively. Ashley Johnson handed out 25 assists for Ventura (10-1) befoe they begin Western State Conference play.
The Pirate volleyball team had their backs to the wall. After winning the first set in Bakersfield Wednesday evening, 25-16, they dropped the next two 25-18 and 25-22. Facing defeat in the fourth set against the Renegades, they rallied 25-10 and captured the deciding fifth set 15-8 for a 3-2 victory. Kayla Murdoch had another double-double with 26 kills and 10 digs while Makena Schaumloeffel also had a double-double with 14 kills and 16 digs. Ashley Johnson handed out 61 assists in the five-set thriller.
The Pirates' volleyball team outlasted Santa Monica in a five-set marathon Friday at the Athletic Event Center, winning 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 15-9. Ashley Johnson handed out an astonishing 50 assists with 20 digs for VC, ranked No. 6 in the state, while Kayla Murdoch and Makenna Schaumloeffel also had double-doubles with kills and digs against the No. 25-ranked Corsairs. Autumn Rojelio had 21 digs to lead the defense.
The No. 6-ranked VC volleyball team played a solid match Wednesday at the Athletic Event Center, sweeping past Saddleback 25-13, 25-13, 25-13. Kylie Ibbotson led the balanced attack with nine kills and Kayla Murdoch had eight winners while hitting .667. Brianna Morrison had six kills while hitting .600 to go along with four blocks, two solo. Ashley Johnson handed out 15 assists with seven service aces and Autumn Rojelio recorded 19 digs to lead the defensive effort for Ventura (7-1).
The Pirate volleyball team bounced back from Wednesday's defeat with a pair of wins Friday at the Pasadena Quad. Ventura swept Citrus 25-13, 25-20, 25-9 in the morning before defeating Fullerton 25-22, 25-23, 25-13 in the afternoon match. Kylie Ibbotson led the way with 16 kills in the two contests and Alba Romanos Gracia recorded 11 winners on the day.
When the first rankings of the season came out on Monday, the SoCal No. 3-ranked Pirates match at No. 4 San Diego Mesa was instantly circled. Wednesday's match lived up to its billing as the Pirates played well but could not overcome the Olympians ' home court advantage falling in four sets, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 26-24. Kayla Murdoch knocked out 22 kills and Ashley Johnson handed out 39 assists while Talia Behrens hit .471 in the middle with eight winners and no hitting errors in 17 chances.
In their first match at home this season, the VC Pirate volleyball team defeated the Orange Coast Pirates in straight sets Friday at the Athletic Event Center, 25-21, 25-23, 25-16. Kayla Murdoch once again led the Pirates with 12 kills while Talia Behrens and Makena Schaumloeffel each recorded seven winners. Ashley Johnson dished out 29 assists and Autumn Rojelio led the defense with 20 digs for Ventura (4-0).
The VC volleyball team maintained its early-season momentum with a 27-25, 25-15, 25-16 sweep at Pasadena City College Wednesday. Kayla Murdoch led the way with 12 kills, seven digs and five aces while Kylie Ibbotson had seven winners offensively and recorded 10 digs on defense. Autumn Rojelio had 12 digs and Ashley Johnson handed out 27 assists in the victory for VC (3-0).
The Pirates' volleyball team completed their second sweep of the opening weekend Saturday, defeating College of the Desert 25-13, 25-18, 25-15. Kayla Murdoch led the way with 16 kills and a pair of blocks while Kylie Ibbotson recorded nine winners with a .750 hitting percentage and two blocks at the net. Ashley Johnson handed out 20 assists and Skylar Rutherford had 10 helpers while Autumn Rojelio led the defense with 17 digs and three service aces.
Behind an 11-kill, seven-ace performance by Kayla Murdoch and 18 digs from Autumn Rojelio, the Pirate volleyball team dominated its 25-11, 25-5, 25-2 season-opening match at Imperial Valley Friday. Kylie Ibbotson recorded seven winners in the match and Makena Schaumloeffel hit eight services aces in the triumph over IVC.
Ventura College student athletes excelled once again in the classroom in 2022-23, achieving an overall 3.29 grade point average in the fall and following that up with a 3.19 overall GPA in the spring semester. A total of 108 Pirates achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, earning mention on the Dean's List in the fall 2022 term while taking in 12 or more units of study, with 53 student athletes recording a perfect 4.0 GPA. In spring 2023, 110 VC student athletes were named on the Dean's List with 45 posting perfect GPA's.
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.
VC volleyball's Nevada Knowles and Kayla Murdoch were both named first team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in December. The awards for the duo come on the heels of one of the most successful seasons in program history in which the Pirates posted a 23-2 record, winning its second straight Western State Conference North Division crown, and advancing to the Southern California Regional Finals for the second straight season.
The VC women's volleyball team capped off one of the best season's in school history with seven All-Western State Conference awards. Leading the way is WSC North Division Player of the Year Nevada Knowles, the second straight PoY award for the Pirate sophomore. Meanwhile freshmen Kayla Murdoch and Autumn Rojelio Moreno each earned first team ALL-WSC honors.