Chasing Dreams: An Outfielder’s Journey From JUCO To Division I Softball
December 15, 2025 | Softball
Ava Carroll has made quite the name for herself after just one season with Husky softball.
In her first season at Washington, she was second on the team with a .321 average, having 44 runs, 33 hits and 23 RBI.
Carroll transferred to Washington after an outstanding freshman season at Mount Hood Community College, where the Saints won the 2024 NWAC (Northwest Athletic Conference) championship. Carroll was named the South Region MVP as she led Mt. Hood with a .529 average, racking up 58 RBI, 78 runs and a 1.507 OPS.
Prior to playing at Mt. Hood, Carroll had been in contact with Husky head coach Heather Tarr.
"The assistant coach of my high school team (Canby High School) played softball at Washington," Carroll said. "She got me on that radar. Her name is Lindsay Monk. She told Coach (Heather) Tarr about me, and she texted me that summer before my freshman year. Right when we won the NWAC tournament, Coach Courtney (Gano) reached out to me and asked about coming on a visit."
Campus is what sold Carroll on transferring to Washington. During her visit, she fell in love with it.
"I had talked to Portland State, and I had a visit planned after my visit with Washington, but I committed to Washington on my visit, so it never ended up happening," continued Carroll. "Having all those awards definitely helped, and I was fully committed to playing JUCO for my second year."
The Canby, Ore. native, who moved three hours away from home to play at Washington, mentioned learning a lot about herself as a person and as a player after making the switch from JUCO to Division I softball.
"The grind is a lot scarier at this level. Going from JUCO to Division I, power four, is kind of scary," said Carroll. "It was hard switching my mindset because it felt easier at JUCO. That was a challenge. I had to keep reminding myself that I was good enough to be here."
There was a specific moment last season when Carroll felt like she had finally made it, and it came against a familiar foe: Oregon.
"In our series against Oregon, I hit a home run, and we ended up winning that game," Carroll said. "Rounding the bases and my teammates cheering me on was surreal. It made me feel like 'Oh, I'm a Husky. I'm finally here; this is right.'"
Over the summer, Carroll participated in the Northwoods League in Wisconsin, alongside teammate Tia Durst. The season spanned two months and was made up of recent high school graduates to fifth-year college athletes.
Carroll talked about how the Northwoods League season was very different from her prior softball experiences in many ways, but that she still learned a lot from her time in Madison.
"We only had two practices at the very beginning of the season," Carroll said. "The rest of the two months was just games. We could warm up on our own, throw on our own, do things on our own. The coaches we had were younger coaches. The bond with them was more like a friendship bond which I thought was interesting and cool, but we were still able to show respect and be treated as players and coaches."
Carroll was third on the Madison Night Mares' team this summer, registering a .464 batting average while also raking in 65 hits, 49 runs, five homeruns and 33 RBI in 140 at-bats. They beat the Minot Honeybees in three games on route to winning the title, finishing the season with a 35-7 record.
Husky Head Coach Heather Tarr spoke highly of Carroll's work ethic and drive.
"Watching Ava go from an intense 2025 season with Husky softball to then transitioning into our fall -- she did not take a pitch off this summer competing in the Northwoods League, and she really hit the ground running this fall. She turned all of our coaches' heads when she came back from her experience this summer. We are proud of her for committing to her game and committing herself to becoming the best athlete that she can possibly be within the timeframe she has as a collegiate athlete. Her passion and work ethic are unmatched."
Looking forward to her junior season, Carroll is excited for a couple of games in particular, and to show everyone what the team is all about.
"I'm most excited to show people who we really are," Carroll said. "Last year, it was a big jump with only four returners -- a completely new team. I think we've grown a lot from that so I'm excited to prove people wrong."
"I'm looking forward to playing Michigan," Carroll said. "We didn't play them last year and I know someone on the team who I played with this summer. It's going to be a scrappy series. I'm also looking forward to Oregon, obviously."
Carroll and the Huskies kick off the season on February 6 at the UTSA Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.
In her first season at Washington, she was second on the team with a .321 average, having 44 runs, 33 hits and 23 RBI.
Carroll transferred to Washington after an outstanding freshman season at Mount Hood Community College, where the Saints won the 2024 NWAC (Northwest Athletic Conference) championship. Carroll was named the South Region MVP as she led Mt. Hood with a .529 average, racking up 58 RBI, 78 runs and a 1.507 OPS.
Prior to playing at Mt. Hood, Carroll had been in contact with Husky head coach Heather Tarr.
"The assistant coach of my high school team (Canby High School) played softball at Washington," Carroll said. "She got me on that radar. Her name is Lindsay Monk. She told Coach (Heather) Tarr about me, and she texted me that summer before my freshman year. Right when we won the NWAC tournament, Coach Courtney (Gano) reached out to me and asked about coming on a visit."
Campus is what sold Carroll on transferring to Washington. During her visit, she fell in love with it.
"I had talked to Portland State, and I had a visit planned after my visit with Washington, but I committed to Washington on my visit, so it never ended up happening," continued Carroll. "Having all those awards definitely helped, and I was fully committed to playing JUCO for my second year."
The Canby, Ore. native, who moved three hours away from home to play at Washington, mentioned learning a lot about herself as a person and as a player after making the switch from JUCO to Division I softball.
"The grind is a lot scarier at this level. Going from JUCO to Division I, power four, is kind of scary," said Carroll. "It was hard switching my mindset because it felt easier at JUCO. That was a challenge. I had to keep reminding myself that I was good enough to be here."
There was a specific moment last season when Carroll felt like she had finally made it, and it came against a familiar foe: Oregon.
"In our series against Oregon, I hit a home run, and we ended up winning that game," Carroll said. "Rounding the bases and my teammates cheering me on was surreal. It made me feel like 'Oh, I'm a Husky. I'm finally here; this is right.'"
Over the summer, Carroll participated in the Northwoods League in Wisconsin, alongside teammate Tia Durst. The season spanned two months and was made up of recent high school graduates to fifth-year college athletes.
Carroll talked about how the Northwoods League season was very different from her prior softball experiences in many ways, but that she still learned a lot from her time in Madison.
"We only had two practices at the very beginning of the season," Carroll said. "The rest of the two months was just games. We could warm up on our own, throw on our own, do things on our own. The coaches we had were younger coaches. The bond with them was more like a friendship bond which I thought was interesting and cool, but we were still able to show respect and be treated as players and coaches."
Carroll was third on the Madison Night Mares' team this summer, registering a .464 batting average while also raking in 65 hits, 49 runs, five homeruns and 33 RBI in 140 at-bats. They beat the Minot Honeybees in three games on route to winning the title, finishing the season with a 35-7 record.
Husky Head Coach Heather Tarr spoke highly of Carroll's work ethic and drive.
"Watching Ava go from an intense 2025 season with Husky softball to then transitioning into our fall -- she did not take a pitch off this summer competing in the Northwoods League, and she really hit the ground running this fall. She turned all of our coaches' heads when she came back from her experience this summer. We are proud of her for committing to her game and committing herself to becoming the best athlete that she can possibly be within the timeframe she has as a collegiate athlete. Her passion and work ethic are unmatched."
Looking forward to her junior season, Carroll is excited for a couple of games in particular, and to show everyone what the team is all about.
"I'm most excited to show people who we really are," Carroll said. "Last year, it was a big jump with only four returners -- a completely new team. I think we've grown a lot from that so I'm excited to prove people wrong."
"I'm looking forward to playing Michigan," Carroll said. "We didn't play them last year and I know someone on the team who I played with this summer. It's going to be a scrappy series. I'm also looking forward to Oregon, obviously."
Carroll and the Huskies kick off the season on February 6 at the UTSA Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.
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