Sports Briefs
Ventoza named WWU assistant
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Jessica Ventoza, a Seattle Christian graduate who played on the University of Washington national fastpitch softball championship team in 2009, has been named assistant coach at Western Washington University.
“I could not be more excited to welcome Jessica to our coaching staff,” said head coach Amy Suiter in making the announcement. “Jessica has a passion for softball and coaching that will be contagious to our student-athletes. Her knowledge of the game and experience at the highest level will help our program here at WWU reach the next level.”
Ventoza was the head coach at Decatur High School last spring and directed the Federal Way Mosquito Select Team for three seasons (2011-13) while working as an information specialist for the National Cancer Institute based in Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Research Center from 2010 to 2013.
In 2010, Ventoza served as a graduate assistant coach at Central Methodist University (Fayette, Missouri) while completing her master’s degree in education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the UW in 2009.
Ventoza was a two-year letter winner for the Huskies, playing on a 51-12 team that won a national title as a senior.
The 26-year-old Ventoza was a regional all-star infielder at Western Nebraska CC in 2007. She hit .652 at regionals to earn all-tournament recognition.
As a freshman, Ventoza was a first-team Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Western Region all-star at Highline CC, hitting .475.
Ventoza was a three-sport standout at Seattle Christian High School, twice being the school’s Female Athlete of the Year. She was a three-time, first-team all-conference pick in softball, being named the league’s MVP as a junior. And she was an all-state pick in both soccer and basketball.
Ugwoaba earns big assist
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Western Washington University scored twice in a 1:21 span early in the first half then survived a second-half onslaught to claim a 2-1 triumph over Notre Dame de Namur University on Thursday in men’s soccer action at Orca Field on the Whatcom CC campus.
Troy McCarty (Fr., Snohomish) and Andrew Weishaar (Sr., Puyallup) scored for WWU, which improved to 2-1-0.
NDNU fell to 1-2-0, Jack Ewert scored in the 41st minute for the Argonauts.
McCarty opened the scoring in the 11th minute, heading home a free kick from the left by Jeremy Wentzel (So., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway).
A little over a minute later, the Vikings scored again. A long ball by Uche Ugwoaba (So., Burien/Highline) from nearly the same spot as Wentzel’s free kick found Weishaar, who headed the ball back across the goal for a 2-0 lead.
Leading 2-1 at halftime, Western then was on the defensive for an extended period of the second half as the Argonauts had a 6-0 advantage in shot attempts through the first 34 minutes.
NDNU’s final good opportunity came in the 83rd minute, when Adam Hughes got free behind the Viking defense but fired wide from 15 yards out.
“Today was a team effort,” said first-year WWU head coach Greg Brisbon. “Everyone did a job, and sometimes in different places from where they would usually play. We had two fantastic goals to open the game that really helped us.”
WWU entertains Hawaii Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 14 (7 p.m.).
McPherson scores eight kills
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. --- Setter Taylor Dillard (Jr., Milton/Fife) had a match-high 41 assists as Western Washington University had five players with eight or more kills in a sweep of Cal State Stanislaus, 25-12, 25-15, 25-17, to begin first-day action Friday at the seventh Sonoma State University Seawolf Spike Invitational Volleyball Tournament being held on the SSU campus.
The Vikings, ranked No.12 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll, improved to 5-0. They have not lost a game yet this season.
Cal State Stanislaus fell to 1-4.
“I was very pleased with our set distribution,” said WWU coach Diane Flick (14th year, 278-74). “We had a super balanced offense and Taylor did a good job of distributing and putting the ball in the right place at the right time.”
Rachel Roeder (So., Sammamish/Issaquah) led the Vikings with 10 kills and a .409 attack percentage. Kelsey Moore (Jr., Bellevue/Newport), Emily Boerger (Sr., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck) and Kayla Erickson (Jr., Gig Harbor/Peninsula) each had nine kills and Jennica McPherson (So., Seattle/Kennedy) eight.
Boerger was credited with five blocks (1 solo and 4 assists) and Erickson four (1 solo and 3 assists). Bryce Larson (R-Fr., Mukilteo/Kamiak) had 12 digs, and Moore and McPherson 11each.
WWU, the defending tourney co-champions, had runs of six and seven straight points to break open the first game. The Vikings began game two by scoring nine of the first 11 points, and broke open the third game with a 9-3 run.
