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.
Knowles, who became the program's first All-American honoree a year ago, repeated the honor with another stellar season. The Pirates' do-everything setter/outside hitter won her second consecutive WSC Player of the Year award and was listed among the state's leaders in hitting percentage, assists, and service aces. The Ventura High School grad consistently had matches in which she produced outstanding numbers in digs and blocks as well.
Murdoch, meanwhile, becomes just the second Pirate to earn All-American accolades. The 2021 Ventura County High School Player of the Year from Thousand Oaks High School lived up to her billing as a dominant force at the net for Ventura in 2022. Murdoch was listed among the state leaders in kills and kills/set and also played solid defense for VC.
The Pirates claimed their third WSC title in the past four seasons in 2022. They also tied the program record for least losses in a season and posted the second-most victories in the Ventura College record books.