Rock Valley College Athletics

After serving on the Rock Valley College softball coaching staff for the past three seasons, two-time Rock Valley College softball All-American and 2022 RVC Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Vivi Marquez will join head coach Darin Monroe as co-head coaches of the Rock Valley College softball program beginning in the 2022 season.

"Vivi is an up and coming star in this profession and is very deserving of this promotion," Monroe said. "She loves RVC, our athletes and our program as much as I do. I felt that this move was important for the future of our softball program so that we may continue to work alongside one another and maintain our program as one of the premier Junior College softball programs in the country."

Marquez played for Rock Valley College during the 2013 and 2015 seasons and served as a student assistant for the Golden Eagles while sitting out the 2014 season due to injury. Marquez was named the 2015 NJCAA Division III Player of the Year, cap stoning an illustrious career that included honors as two-time NFCA NJCAA DIII National Catcher of the Year, two-time NJCAA All-American, two-time N4C Conference MVP and two-time All-Region IV selection, and an appearance on the NJCAA International All-Star team in the summer of 2015 at the Canadian Open.  Marquez would transfer to play at NCAA Division I Horizon League member Wright State University (Dayton, OH), earning All-Horizon League honors in 2016.

Since returning to Rock Valley in her role as a full-time Assistant Coach, Marquez has helped guide the Golden Eagles to NJCAA DIII National Championships in 2019 and 2021 as well as N4C Conference Championships and Region IV Championships in 2019 and 2021—the 2020 season abruptly ended after 20 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  RVC overall has a record of 125-23 during her three seasons on staff where Marquez has served as both the hitting and catching coach while also being heavily involved in the recruiting process.  In 2021, Marquez was named the NFCA National Assistant Coach of the Year, was inducted into the Region IV Hall of Fame as a player in 2019 and will be inducted into the 2022 RVC Athletics Hall of Fame in April 2022.

"Thank you Dr. Spearman, Dr. Peyer and Athletic Director Darin Monroe for this opportunity," said Marquez.  "Rock Valley has made a huge impact on my life both as a student-athlete and a coach.  The experiences I have been given continue to strengthen my love for this institution, athletic department and program.  I am driven to provide the same experiences to our current and future student-athletes as I work alongside Coach Monroe."

Marquez played for Rock Valley College during the 2013 and 2015 seasons. She sat 2014 and was a student-assistant because of injury.   The 2015 NJCAA Division III Player of the Year was also a two-time NFCA NJCAA DIII National Catcher of the Year, two-time NJCAA All-American, two-time N4C Conference MVP and two-time All-Region IV selection.  She represented Rock Valley College as a member of the NJCAA International All-Star team that played in the Canadian Open in the summer of 2015.

She went on to play at NCAA Division 1 Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where she was a 2-year starter and All-Horizon League performer in 2016.  In her career at Wright State, she hit .292 with six home runs, 22 doubles, and 48 RBI.

After graduation, she spent one season as the Graduate Assistant on Brent Matthias' staff at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.  At Simpson, she was in charge of the day-to-day operations of the softball program, as well as recruitment and development of players.

"Vivi will be a great addition to our staff, as she understands hitting and catching as well as anyone I have ever met.  She will work hard to continue to grow our program at a national level and will be a great avenue for our players, as she understands junior college and the benefits of choosing this level and moving onto the four-year level after," said Monroe.