Pirates cut down the Trailblazers

VISALIA – As Golden West volleyball opened the season this past Thursday night, the Trailblazers looked to get their fall off to a hot start. But instead, the Trailblazers started cold as they dropped the first two sets at home to the visiting Reedley Pirates. 

The Trailblazers did find a spark to win the third set, but they could not stay hot as the Pirates went on to win 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 25-17). As her team started their season 1-0, Reedley junior Aryssa Baca credited their bond and offseason preparation for the road win on Aug. 15. 

“It’s really nice. We’ve worked really hard for it,” Baca said. “We practiced throughout the summer and it’s really fun. It’s cool with these girls because we all have a really good bond.”

Baca finished the night with six kills while Keilani Kim led Reedley with eight kills and fellow Pirate Jamilah Taylor recorded seven kills. While he believes the Pirates still have plenty of room to grow, Reedley head coach Ken Tatami liked what he saw from his team to start the year. 

“I think we’ll show a lot more improvement as the next couple weeks come along but I’m very happy,” Tatami said. “I’m trying to incorporate several new starters into the lineup so overall, I think everyone is learning what we’re trying to do.”

When they started the match against the Trailblazers, the Pirates looked like they were already in a rhythm. After an early 3-3 tie, the Pirates went on a 4-0 run to take the lead. While the Pirates played well, the Trailblazers’ offense committed several errors on their attack that resulted in Reedley points. 

“First set and first match jitters get the best of you sometimes,” Golden West head coach Kayla Swift said about the early offensive woes. “It wasn’t for a lack of heart. We had a lot of amazing plays where balls probably should have dropped.”

Offensive troubles continued to plague Golden West as the Pirates sailed away for the 25-16 win to open the match. Looking to respond, the Trailblazers opened the second contest with a 9-8 lead. That lead was shortlived however as the Pirates went on a 9-1 roll to take a 17-10 lead. 

The Trailblazers responded by cutting the deficit to 23-18, but the Pirates scored the final two points to win, 25-18, and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Thanks to their energy, the Pirates were on a roll to open the season. 

“We just had great energy,” Baca said. “We kept our momentum going. Even if we got down, we just flipped it around, kept cheering for each other and we really didn’t get any negativity.”

The Pirates kept up the energy by opening the third set on a 5-1 run. But this time, the Trailblazers responded with a scorching 14-4 run to take a 15-9 lead as they finally found a groove after their slow start. 

“The girls finally clicked with each other,” Swift said. “It’s amazing to see hard work and execution happen and it’s so joyful to watch these girls.”

The Pirates tried to keep pace, but the Trailblazers held on for the 25-18 win to force a fourth set. Not looking to allow a fifth set to happen, the Pirates got back on track thanks to a 13-3 run to open the fourth. 

“We just had to reset and tell ourselves that we got this,” Baca said about the Pirates’ response to open the fourth. “We won the first two sets so we just needed to flip it around.”

The Trailblazers failed to catch up as they wound up losing, 25-17, to end the night in four sets. In the loss, Riley Hendrix led Golden West with nine kills and three service aces. Even though it was a disappointing way to open the year, Swift and her team know they have plenty of time to improve this fall. 

“My message to my team is to keep battling. We’re in it for the long haul, not for the wins in the beginning,” Swift said. “We just have to get better and better every single time.”

As they head into the rest of their 2024 campaign, Tatami and the Pirates know they still have plenty of work ahead of them. But as they won their opening match of the season, Tatami saw something from his team that he hopes they can build on moving forward. 

“It’s the teamwork. They seem to be working as a group now instead of individually,” Tatami said. “You see a lot more of them trying to support each other, they back each other up and they’re constantly talking so that’s always a really good thing.”