Two Pirate Pairs Named Top Flight by AVCA
The Pirate beach volleyball team has two pairs who have earned the Top Flight Award presented by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Kayla Murdoch and Autumn Rojelio were honored in Flight 1 while Kylie Ibbotson and Alba Romanos Gracia earned the award in Flight 2. The pairs were among six community college level duos selected for the national award.
The Pirate beach volleyball team has two pairs who have earned the Top Flight Award presented by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Kayla Murdoch and Autumn Rojelio were honored in Flight 1 while Kylie Ibbotson and Alba Romanos Gracia earned the award in Flight 2. The pairs were among six community college level duos selected for the national award.
The Top Flight program, now in its sixth year, recognizes beach pairs who compete in at least 15 matches together at a specific flight and win at least 75 percent of their matches. This year, 58 pairs representing 32 schools—from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA and Two-Year Colleges—have earned Top Flight status. (Pair records are before the 2024 3C2A Championship, so they only include matches before April 29.)
Murdoch and Rojelio, VC's top pair, were one of the top teams in the state from the beginning of the season. They went 12-2 against community college competition before Murdoch had her season come to an end with an injury at the end of March. Rojelio then teamed up with Bryce Swain to win 16 more matches in placing second in the Western State Conference Tournament and tied for ninth in the 3C2A State Pairs Tournament
Meanwhile, Ibbotson and Romanos Gracia accumulated an 15-5 mark overall heading into post season play as VC's No. 2 pair. They finished in sixth place in the WSC tournament and tied for fifth in the state tournament.
The Pirates were 19-7 overall in 2024, advancing to the 3C2A State Tournament for the second straight year. VC also posted an 11-1 mark in WSC play, securing the program's second straight conference title, their fourth in seven complete seasons of play since 2016.