Texas Tech University Athletics
Spotlight: Lagi Quiroga and Victoria Valdez
February 11, 2026 | Softball
From Fighting to Fishing
Google 'Louisiana Cal softball' and go to videos… odds are you will find a video from February 11, 2024, that features a couple of ejections and an altercation at home plate. The two players involved in that altercation are now on the same team – Texas Tech.
Lagi Quiroga and Victoria Valdez remember the events that happened well, and both stories are similar. Quiroga was behind the plate catching and Valdez was in the on-deck circle with rain pouring down while an unhappy Cal staff in the dugout wanted the game to be paused to let the rain pass. A Cal assistant coach was ejected for arguing that point and that's where the two future Red Raiders got their first impression of one another.
"I remember it was raining really hard and (Lagi) turning to our dugout and talking trash, I don't remember what was said exactly but I know it was in the direction of our dugout," Valdez said while fishing a river by the hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
"I turned to her and started talking back – which meant fighting words I guess – and then she threw all her gear off and I stepped up ready to go," Valdez continued with a smile.
Quiroga, obviously, had a little different perspective as her assistant coach had just been ejected and she was trying to calm her teammates.
"I remember just trying to calm down our coach," Quiroga said while about 20 feet away from Valdez fishing the same river.
"It was a close game and honestly a personal game for (Cal). I was trying to diffuse the situation the best I knew how to, but as I was walking back and talking to the other dugout basically saying, 'this is unfair' and I look to my left and I see Vic," Quiroga continued. "The only person that came up to my face was Vic, I was already on fight or flight, and I threw my mask off, threw my glove off and said, 'what's good' and then I see this big umpire booking it towards me and I backed off."
"The whole country knew about it apparently," Quiroga laughed.
Fights happen in sports. Players are competitive, there is pride involved, egos that can get hurt but this wasn't personal in that sense, it was personal because it was about their teams. It was sticking up for their team and that's part of why their first interaction in Lubbock wasn't a drama-filled reality TV episode. It was quick, professional and like-minded.
"It was cool from our first team hangout." Quiroga said.
SQUASHING BEEF
Quiroga knew that Valdez and three other members of that Louisiana team were on the team, but she wasn't going to let that automatically close the door.
"I didn't want to throw away an opportunity for myself over something that lasted maybe 30 seconds," Quiroga said. "She's a competitor, I am too. She stepped like that for her team and I'd do the same thing so why wouldn't I want to be on a team with someone like that regardless of our differences."
Valdez shared the same sentiments.
"We were both doing what we did for our team," Valdez said. "I told her 'I'm glad you're here and we are going to win a national championship' there was no ill will. She went hard for her team and I went hard for mine and now we're on the same team."
"And now we're fishing."
We don't know who would win in a fight – although they both said it would be a really good fight – but what we do know is that they are great teammates. And that according to both of them, Valdez is the better fisherman.
Lagi Quiroga and Victoria Valdez remember the events that happened well, and both stories are similar. Quiroga was behind the plate catching and Valdez was in the on-deck circle with rain pouring down while an unhappy Cal staff in the dugout wanted the game to be paused to let the rain pass. A Cal assistant coach was ejected for arguing that point and that's where the two future Red Raiders got their first impression of one another.
"I remember it was raining really hard and (Lagi) turning to our dugout and talking trash, I don't remember what was said exactly but I know it was in the direction of our dugout," Valdez said while fishing a river by the hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
"I turned to her and started talking back – which meant fighting words I guess – and then she threw all her gear off and I stepped up ready to go," Valdez continued with a smile.
Quiroga, obviously, had a little different perspective as her assistant coach had just been ejected and she was trying to calm her teammates.
"I remember just trying to calm down our coach," Quiroga said while about 20 feet away from Valdez fishing the same river.
"It was a close game and honestly a personal game for (Cal). I was trying to diffuse the situation the best I knew how to, but as I was walking back and talking to the other dugout basically saying, 'this is unfair' and I look to my left and I see Vic," Quiroga continued. "The only person that came up to my face was Vic, I was already on fight or flight, and I threw my mask off, threw my glove off and said, 'what's good' and then I see this big umpire booking it towards me and I backed off."
"The whole country knew about it apparently," Quiroga laughed.
Fights happen in sports. Players are competitive, there is pride involved, egos that can get hurt but this wasn't personal in that sense, it was personal because it was about their teams. It was sticking up for their team and that's part of why their first interaction in Lubbock wasn't a drama-filled reality TV episode. It was quick, professional and like-minded.
"It was cool from our first team hangout." Quiroga said.
SQUASHING BEEF
Quiroga knew that Valdez and three other members of that Louisiana team were on the team, but she wasn't going to let that automatically close the door.
"I didn't want to throw away an opportunity for myself over something that lasted maybe 30 seconds," Quiroga said. "She's a competitor, I am too. She stepped like that for her team and I'd do the same thing so why wouldn't I want to be on a team with someone like that regardless of our differences."
Valdez shared the same sentiments.
"We were both doing what we did for our team," Valdez said. "I told her 'I'm glad you're here and we are going to win a national championship' there was no ill will. She went hard for her team and I went hard for mine and now we're on the same team."
"And now we're fishing."
We don't know who would win in a fight – although they both said it would be a really good fight – but what we do know is that they are great teammates. And that according to both of them, Valdez is the better fisherman.
Players Mentioned
C/UTL
/ Softball
C
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