Athletics News
Ventura College football head coach Steve Mooshagian has announced that 12 transfers have joined 11 Pirates who signed early, totaling 23 student athletes from the 2025 Northern Conference champion VC football team who will be matriculating to four-year schools across the country this fall. Many early signees were mid-year transfers and worked out with their new teams this past spring. of the 23 transfers for 2026, 13 have matriculated to NCAA Division I schools, nine in the Football Championship Series, two to the Division II level, two to Division III schools and five to NAIA programs.
The Ventura College Athletic Department capped its celebration of 100 years of competition with another top finish in the 2025-26 all-sports National Association of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Ron Case Cup standings. Pirate Athletics placed 23rd among California community college athletic departments. It is the 19th Top-25 finish for VC in the 27-year history of the award.
VC's No. 1 doubles team of Caua Coimbra and Abladj Mondroha have been named 3C2A All-Americans by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The pair are coming off the 2026 season in which they finished as state runner-up at The Ojai Tournament in late April.
Ventura College head women's soccer coach Steve Hoffman has been tabbed for induction into the US Youth Soccer Hall of Fame. The announcement was made by Cal South, the official youth and adult state soccer association of the United States Soccer Federation, US Youth Soccer, and the United States Adult Soccer Association. The 30-year veteran Pirate coach was also the Director of Coaching Education and Player Development for the organization for 28 years before his retirement in 2024.
Ventura College hosted its 2026 graduation at the VC Sportsplex Friday morning. Ventura County Community College District board members and administration joined the VC administration, faculty and staff leading hundreds of 2026 graduates, including numerous Pirate student athletes, to the celebration. A total of 137 Pirate student athletes have qualified for graduation with course work completed through the fall 2025 semester, or with classes scheduled to be completed in the spring or summer of 2026.
VC swimming standouts Jaiden Monroe, Olivia Badaracco and Faith Marshall all earned individual 3C2A All-American accolades as published by the California Community College Swim & Dive Coaches Association. Monroe was named All-American in six individual events and as part of three relays while Badaracco earned All-American honors in five individual events and with four relays. Marshall is a two-event All-American individualy and in four relays.
Ventura College sophomores Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios have been named to the first ever American Volleyball Coaches Association two-year college beach volleyball team. The Pirate duo are listed among eight teams from around the country, six from california, to be listed on the organization's inagural honors.
The Ventura College Athletic Department inducted five distinguished alumni and/or contributors into the VC Pirate Athletics Hall of Fame on Sunday May 17, highlighting the 18th Hall of Fame Induction and Student Athlete Recognition Banquet at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. All 20 Pirate sports were represented in the evening's activities as the department honored the achievements of the 2025-26 academic year.
The Ventura College beach volleyball team had four pairs win the Top Flight Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the 2026 season. The Pirates' No. 1 duo of Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios, No. 2's Sadie Lishman and Jocelyn Alfar, the No. 3 team of Monaye Ramessar an Addison Olson, and the 4's pair of Madison Mierau and Biera Boyso all earned distinction from the national coaches organization.
VC's No. 1 beach volleyball duo of Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios have been named the Western State Conference beach volleyball Pair of the Year for the 2026 season in voting by the conference coaches. Meanwhile, the Pirates No. 2 team of Sadie Lishman and Jocelyn Alfar were also named first team all-conference for their play during the season.
The VC golf team competed in the 3C2A State Championships Sunday and Monday at Silver Rock Resort in La Quinta, finishing in sixth place as a team. Freddie Carcamo and Donovan Chappell each totaled a 4-over 148 in the 36-hole event to tie for eighth place individually. The Pirates posted a team score of 612 in their second straight state tournament appearance.
VC's No. 1 beach volleyball pair of Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios rolled through the first day of the 3C2A State Pairs Championships Friday before falling in heartbreaking fashion Saturday in the Round of 16 at Mt. San Antonio. The Pirate duo won three matches, all in straight sets, in pool play before their 3-set, 2-point setback in their final contest of the year.
VC's Brianna Richards qualified for the 3C2A State Championships Saturday in the regional finals of the 1500m run at Bakersfield. Meanwhile, the Pirate men's 4x100m relay team of Makaio Thompson, Max Daniel, Ja'Varien Salter and Jeremiah Penny just missed an automatic qualification for the final meet of the year, settling for an alternate position.
First-year Pirate pitcher Emma Estrella has been named to the 3CFCA All-State Team. The Fillmore High School product was also name dthe Western State COnference North Division Pitcher of the Year after overcoming early season injuries to lead VC to a perfect 12-0 conference mark and into the 3C2A Southern California Playoffs.
The Pirate golf team took full advantage of playing close to home Monday, placing third as a team in the 3C2A Southern California Regionals, earning a berth to next weeks state championships. Freddie Carcamo tied for medalist honors in the 36-hole event, but came up short in the first playoff hole to earn runner-up honors. The third place team finish ties for the program's best finish ever in a regional, matching the team result in 2009.
VC pitcher Emma Estrella was named the Western State Conference North Division Pitcher of the Year while Baylany Magana, Samantha Soto and Erika Sanchez all earned first team All-WSC honors in voting by the conference coaches. Pirate head coach Julia Tamai was voted the WSC North Coach of the Year after leading Ventura to its second straight conference crown with a 12-0 record, the program's first undefeated WSC season since 1981.
