REEDLEY – With less than two weeks to go before the first volleyball gets served, the Reedley Varsity Girls are already making big plans for a successful 2025 season. And with new head coach Maddy Gates teaching a similar system from last year, these Lady Pirates have set the bar high for what they hope will be a truly historic season.
Gates, who replaces former head coach Ken Tatami, feels ready to lead a squad that returns 12 players from last season. And with all of that veteran experience on the roster, anything short of a winning season will not be tolerated.
“We feel the pressure a little bit, knowing that we laid the framework of a successful season last year, knowing that with me coming in and being a new leader in the gym, that we not only upheld that standard, but we find a way to advance even further,” said Gates during a media day conference at the Reedley High gym on Aug. 1.
Gates took over the Pirates after they finished 21-18 overall in 2024, but scuffled a bit in the Tri-County-Kings Conference, finishing 3-5. The Pirates managed to ride a four-match winning streak at the end of last season into the Central Section D-III Playoffs. Unfortunately, Porterville ended their season with a 3-0 victory in the semifinals match.
And then last March, Tatami announced his decision to step down to coach the varsity boys team. Gates, a former player and assistant for Tatami, was selected to guide the next generation of Pirates’ volleyball.
Gates already has big expectations in her first season as head coach. While she doesn’t intend to toss away Tatami’s playbook, she does plan to mix and match a little, even possibly featuring some new plays designed to show off the Pirates’ strengths.
“He’s really shaped what Reedley High volleyball is all about today,” said Gates. “He’s been a part of the program for a really long time, and he’s set me up to be really successful.
Junior defensive specialist Lexie Obeso and middle/right side specialist Mia Perez are two of the 12 players returning from Tatami’s squad last season. Obero and Perez seem pretty excited to officially usher in this new era of Pirates’ volleyball.
“I feel excited and I feel confident because I know Maddy is a good coach, and I know she’ll lead us to a championship,” said Obero.
“We’ve been practicing since maybe March, so we’re ready for the competition to come, and we’re just excited to get together as a team and grow as a team,” said Perez.
As for that competition, the TCKC was pretty much a one horse race last season. Central Valley Christian (CVC) won the conference outright with a perfect 8-0 record. Immanuel finished second at 5-3, while Reedley finished below the Eagles at 3-5. Exeter and Kingsburg finished with identical 2-6 records.
Regardless of the strength of schedule, these veteran Pirates sound extremely confident and ready to roll out the armada once they take to the court.
“I’m just ready for the high competition, any competition that will make us better,” said Perez. “That’ll just get us ready for CVC, and they make us better as a team to know our limits and what we can and can’t do.”
With all of the experience, and a new coach with fresh ideas, Reedley High could be in for quite the season.
“I think, at the end of this, even if we don’t win a championship, we’ll become a better program,” said Obeso.
The new era of Pirates volleyball begins on Aug. 14 when they travel to Liberty (Madera).
