Beach VB has four pairs earn AVCA Top Flight Award

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 Beira Boyso all earned distinction from the national coaches organization.

The Top Flight program, now in its eighth 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, 80 pairs representing 35 schools—from all three NCAA divisions, NAIA, and Two-Year Colleges—earned Top Flight status. Win-loss records for the awards were nominated before the 2026 NCAA Championship, including matches before April 27.

Daniels and Barrios finished the season with a 30-4 record, winning the WSC Pairs Tournament and earning the conference Pair of the Year award. They were regional runners-up and finished ninth in the state. Lishman and Alfar, meanwhile, earned first team All-WSC honors and posted an overall season mark of 23-5. They advanced to the 3C2A Southern California Regionals before falling one match short of qualifying for state.

Ramessar and Olson were 14-4 at the cutoff for the award, finishing the season at 15-7 including the WSC Pairs Tournament and 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs playing at the No. 3 spot while Mierau and Boyso came in 13-4 to earn their Top Flight Award in the No. 4 slot, finishing the year with a 15-9 mark, including the WSC Tournament and the SoCal Regionals.

In team play, Ventura finished 15-7 on the season, advancing to the 3C2A Southern California Regionals for the sixth straight season. They were 8-4 in WSC play, tying for third in the conference.

See AVCA Top Flight Award Winners