Moorpark College sophomore Karissa Flack and Moorpark College coach Steve Burkhart earned the top honors when the All-WSC North women's volleyball team was announced earlier this month.

Flack, a 6-foot middle blocker from Newbury Park High, was voted the Player of the Year after leading the WSC in kills (364), hitting (.463) and solo blocks (61).

Burkhart, who guided the 12-0 Raiders to their ninth WSC North championships, was named WSC Coach of the Year for the fifth time. Moorpark became the first WSC team in more than 30 years to sweep its division without dropping a game.

The All-WSC North first team also included Moorpark sophomore setter Jessica Soprano, sophomore libero Michelle Tanaka and freshman middle blocker Gabriella Luciani, as well as Ventura freshman outside hitter Dejiana Rubio.

The second team included Moorpark sophomore setter Taylor Frederick and sophomore outside hitter Brooke Mataele; Ventura sophomore middle blocker Alexandra Joyce and sophomore libero Leandra Romero; and Oxnard sophomore middle blocker Brooke Reed.

Honorable mention included Moorpark sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Del Sesto and sophomore libero Jasmine Sagisi; Ventura freshman middle blocker Jeanette Gonzales and sophomore setter Kryssy Koziel; and Oxnard freshman outside hitter Mirella Esparza and sophomore middle blocker Mary Grace Edrada.

Ventura College sophomore Samantha Ebberson and Ventura College coach Mary Giles
earned the top honors when the All-WSC North women's water polo team was announced earlier this month.

Ebberson, a 5-foot-8 sophomore driver from Pacifica High, was voted co-Player of the
Year for the second straight season after piling up 37 goals, 19 assists and 47 steals.
Giles, who guided the Pirates to their unprecedented fourth straight WSC title, was named WSC Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season and sixth overall since 2001.

The All-WSC first team also included freshman Olivia Barry, who had a team-high 65 steals and 18 field blocks; freshman Jenna Cutino, who had a team-high 36 assists, freshman Anais Geysmonion, who had a team-high 67 goals; freshman Susan Galbawy and sophomore goalie Andrea Mallul, who made 259 saves

The second team included Ventura sophomore Vanessa Magallanes, sophomore Raylene Morales and freshman Emily Pinsky.

Ventura freshman Jessica Ball and sophomore Jenny Paulsen were among the honorable mention.

Oxnard College coach Ross Greaney was honored as co-Coach of the Year when the WSC men's soccer

The first team included Oxnard sophomore defender Dagoberto Gonzalez, sophomore defender Salvador Mendoza, sophomore holding midfielder Ivan Mirkovic and sophomore attacker Jesus Landeros, as well as Moorpark sophomore midfielder Juan Herrera.

The second team included Oxnard sophomore attacker Javier Marquez, sophomore fullback David Torres and sophomore winger Sigifredo Torres; as well as Moorpark sophomore holding midfielder Edwin Rivas and Moorpark freshman midfielder Nicholas Sabbatella.

Sophomore midfielder Tomas Araujo and sophomore goalkeeper Osvaldo Vallodolid of Oxnard and freshman defender Theerawat Chanoroiet and freshman goalkeeper Jose Miguel Gomez of Moorpark were among the honorable mention.

Santa Barbara City defender Roberto Santana was voted Player of the Year.

Nine local products were included in the first team when the All-WSC North team was unveiled earlier this month.

The Ventura quintet of sophomore midfielder Megan Erskine, sophomore defender Evelyn Medina, freshman striker Daisy Cardona, freshman attacker Stephanie Hernandez and freshman attacker Yasmin Lepez were joined by the Moorpark trio of sophomore striker Marilyn Alvarez, sophomore forward Lynnae Davis and sophomore defender Samantha Gavirati; as well as Oxnard sophomore defender Jessica Martinez were first-team selections.

The second team included Ventura sophomore goalkeeper Raelene Moreno, freshman attacker Breanna Naranjo, freshman midfielder Shayna Petterson, sophomore midfielder Hannah Richie; Moorpark sophomore defender Mariiana Linares; Oxnard sophomore midfielder Alma Izquierdo and freshman striker Brittany Dubin.

Sophomore defender Kylee Haughton and freshman defender Rachel Jonas of Ventura; freshman midfielder Ryann Appell and freshman midfielder Taylor Hennings of Moorpark; and freshman goalkeeper Maria Lazano and freshman forward Megan Williams of Oxnard were among the honorable mention.

Three Ventura College student-athletes were named to the first team when the All-Western State Conference honors were announced earlier this month.

Freshman driver Zach Graper, who led the WSC with 102 goals, was a first-team selection, along with sophomore defender Darin Weltsch, who had 38 goals, 36 assists and 26 steals, and sophomore goalie Cody Womack, who made 174 saves.

The second team included freshman center Antonio Barros, sophomore driver Jacob Smith and sophomore driver Cole Swaffar.

Freshman driver Cole Baratte, whose season was cut short by injury, was included among the honorable mention.

Cuesta's John Marsh and Eric Marsh earned Coach and Player of the Year honors, respectively.

Sixteen local runners were honored when the All-WSC team was announced earlier this month.

Ventura duo of sophomore Luis Guevara and freshman Garrett Baker was named to the men's first team. The Moorpark trio of sophomore Andrea Barrera, freshman Megan McNally and freshman Clarissa Wentworth was named to the women's first team.

Moorpark sophomore Gabriel Guzman and freshman Julio Tellez-Vega were named to the men's second team. Moorpark sophomores Alexis Pichardo and Ashley Hamilton, Oxnard freshman Karla Leos and Ventura freshman Maria Robles were named to the women's second team.

Moorpark's Martin Arreola was among the men's honorable mention. Emily Kelly and Sujey Amarillas of Moorpark, Cristal Gutierrez of Oxnard and Victoria Olaiz of Ventura were among the women's honorable mention.

Mizrael Mendez of Glendale and Scott Fickerson of Santa Barbara City were named WSC men's Athlete and Coach of the Year. Karen Rosas of Glendale and Eddie Lopez of Glendale were named WSC women's Athlete and Coach of the Year.

The Ventura College women's basketball team will end the calendar year as the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in both the Southern California and state coaches' polls. The 14-1 Pirates, who have topped both polls since Nov. 28, earned all 22 first-place votes in the final December edition of both polls Dec. 19.

VC hosts the three-day Ventura Optimist Club Holiday tournament, which includes No. 3 San Bernardino Valley and No. 14 Los Angeles Valley, this week. VC opens with No. 12 El Camino (6-3) Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Moorpark College women (7-5) open the Fullerton tournament against Consumnes River (7-3), the No. 6-ranked team in Northern California, today at 2 p.m.

The Ventura College men's basketball team (7-7) will face Antelope Valley (9-2), the No. 4-ranked team in Southern California, in the first round of the Cougar Holiday Classic at College of the Canyons today at 1 p.m.

The host Pirates, who remain unranked but are No. 16 in the state in RPI, lost to Antelope Valley, 83-78, Nov. 11. In its last game, Dec. 18, VC routed 2009 state champion Riverside, 92-63.

The Western State Conference season opens Jan. 4.

It's been a good couple of days for Sigifredo Torres.

First, the Oxnard College sophomore was part of a Ventura County Fusion team that was able to play a friendly against CD Chivas de Guadalajara's Under-20 team.

"My dad and I root for Chivas," said the Pacifica High product. "It's a really important club in Mexico. So it was really nice playing against them."

Then, when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's final rankings were released Tuesday, the Oxnard College men's soccer team was recognized as the No. 8-ranked team in the country.

"That was big," said Torres, a winger who had seven goals and eight assists as a sophomore. "I was so excited when I found out."

Oxnard (15-2-6) won two postseason games for the first time in school history and pushed defending and eventual undefeated state champion Mount San Antonio, 2-0, in the Southern California regional finals Nov. 26.

"It's a small recognition of where the program is and the work that the players and coaching staff has put in over the past couple of years," said Oxnard coach Ross Greaney. "Oxnard has come a long way. All the other schools in the Top 10 are big, known schools. For a small school like Oxnard to be recognized like that means a lot."

Oxnard athletic director Jonas Crawford wasn't afraid to ask for more.

"I'm extremely proud of the student-athletes and the staff," said Crawford. "I'm ready to hang a state (championship) banner in the near future.

"They were close this year. He's got the facilities, he's got players in the area and he has a reputation now."

The Ventura College women's soccer team was one spot away from finishing Top 10 in the nation for the third straight year.

The Pirates (18-4) followed up No. 7 and No. 9 finishes of 2009 and 2010 with a No. 11 ranking when the final NSCAA national coaches' poll was released this week.

"We would have liked to have been in the Top 10 for the third straight year, but 11th is pretty good when you look at the number of schools there are out there," said Ventura coach Steve Hoffman. "It's great for the kids."

Hoffman was even more pleased that the 2010 team, with a 3.39 GPA, was honored by the NSCAA as the first Academic All-American team in program history.

Sophomore midfielder Megan Erskine and freshman forward Daisy Cardona, both Buena High products, have been nominated for the All-American team.

Pacifica High product Yadira Toraya, a VC forward from 2009-10, was named NSCAA second-team All-American for her play this fall at Kansas Wesleyan.

The Ventura College football team was ranked No. 25 in the final JCFootball.com national poll released Monday.

The Pirates finished 7-4, tied for second in the SCFA Northern Conference and beat College of the Desert, 17-16, in the SCFA Beach Bowl, sponsored by Joe Kapp Real Estate.

There were five other Southern California teams in the poll, including SCFA champion Mount San Antonio at No. 4, 11-0 Riverside at No. 5 and Northern Conference champion Cerritos at No. 13.

City College of San Francisco, which held off defending champion Mount SAC 52-42 for the state title Saturday, earned the No. 1 ranking and mythical national title.

Destinee LaFountain, a sophomore forward with the Ventura College women's basketball team, was honored as the Western State Conference Player of the Week this week after earning Most Valuable Player honors at the Russell Monarch Classic last weekend at Los Angeles Valley College.

LaFountain, from Royal High, averaged 13.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks in wins over San Diego Mesa, San Bernardino Valley and L.A. Valley.

After sharing the state's No. 1 ranking with City College of San Francisco last week, the Ventura College women's basketball team (12-1) was restored to sole possession of the top spot this week.

Ventura earned 14 of the 18 first-place votes. Mount SAC, Foothill, San Francisco and Santa Rosa rounded out the Top 5. San Francisco and No. 8 Cerritos (9-3), who handed VC its only loss, earned the other first-place votes.

Moorpark (7-3) dropped out of the regional poll.

Click the jump for the full polls.

The Ventura County Fusion will host CD Chivas de Guadalajara's Under-20 team in a friendly 7 p.m. Friday night at Ventura College

The Fusion are expected to use a lineup that will feature a reunion of many of the players that won the 2009 Premier Development League championship, including midfielder Rodrigo Lopez, strikers Artur Aghasyan and Hagop Chirishian and defenders Dylan Riley and Manny Guzman.

Although current Fusion players like goalkeeper Brian Rowe, midfielder Andy Rose and forward Reed Williams are reading for the NCAA College Cup with UCLA, goalkeeper Sam Hayden and defender Mickey Daly are available for the Fusion, as well as Oxnard College products Ivan Mirkovic, Emigdio Ramirez and Mathayo Huma, and Cal Lutheran forward Raul Yepez.

Chivas is the most successful team in Mexican history, having won 11 first division titles and reached the final of the 2010 Copa Libertadores. It has produced world-renowned players like Javier "Chicarito" Hernandez, Carlos Vela and Carlos Salcido.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children and can be ordered at http://www.vcfusion.com or by calling (805) 830-8027.