SARATOGA -- West Valley softball head coach Vicky Piatt was named Coach of the Year for the West Valley 2025-26 athletic season at the West Valley Scarf Ceremony. Piatt, who also won the award after the 2024-25 season, led a freshman-heavy roster to an appearance in the Super Regional for the second-straight season.
Piatt's Vikings, who finished the season with a sparkling 38-6 record, had a penchant for battling from early deficits to come through in victories. The Vikings trailed, but came back to win, 15 separate times this season, including in postseason wins against Sacramento City and Cosumnes River.
One of the most interesting parts of Piatt's tenure at West Valley is her ability to win in different ways. The 2025 team, which won 42 games on its way to a Final Four appearance, made its magic with a spectacular offense that hit .377 and slugged .543 and had six players that hit multiple home runs. In 2026, West Valley's offense had big late-game performances, but the Vikings relied on their pitching staff. Their collective 2.17 ERA was good for sixth-best in a season over the last 20 years.
In 2026, the Vikings reached as high as No. 2 in the state. They didn't pick up their first loss of the season until March 10, marking back-to-back seasons that the Vikings won each of their games in the seasons' first month.
Under Piatt, the Vikings have had incredible success sending student-athletes to the four-year level. Last season alone, two Vikings (catcher Makayla Villapando and outfielder Tyla Arbuckle) transferred after their freshman season at West Valley to the Division I level. Villapando, now at Cal Poly, played in eight games for the Mustangs and hit a double. Arbuckle, now at UC San Diego, was named All-Big West Honorable Mention while hitting .410 over 34 games.
In the 2027 season, Piatt's Vikings recoup a strong amount of talent. Starting pitcher Kaylee Kline, catcher Destiny Solis, shortstop Izzy Paskert, infielders Angie Fulkerson and Aneesa Aguon and outfielders April Price, Taylor Hanshaw and Zoe Griffin, among others, all have eligibility at West Valley. With a back-to-back Coach of the Year at the helm, the Vikings have all the pieces in place to reach a third-straight Super Regional.