Lady Generals looking to repeat this year

The Shafter High Lady Generals volleyball team made it to the Central Section Championship match last year, losing a close match to Bakersfield Christian. This season, after losing a couple of players to graduation, the team has come back looking to finish the job.

The Lady Generals are currently 13-1-1 on the season, having just begun the South Sequoia League season last week with a straight set win over the Titans of Chavez on Thursday.

The squad is ranked seventh in the Bakersfield area, including all divisions, Divisions I through V.

Led by Sydnee Macias, Annemarie Piuser, Kaitlyn Arizmendez and Kyla Schooley, the team has picked up where they left off last year. Their only loss of the season was in a tournament against highly ranked Independence High School.

Just a few years ago, the Lady Generals volleyball team was in the cellar of the SSL, struggling to find wins during the season. Behind Head Coach Sabrina Macias and her staff, the team has been transformed. A lot of the success has to do with a focus on fundamentals and the importance of having everyone know how to play several different positions and having a variety of skills in the game.

"This year, we have a talented roster of 15 players, including many returners from last season," Macias said. The team features four seniors, eight juniors, two sophomores and one freshman.

"I am proud to announce that we recently secured the Ridgeview Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year," she noted.

"Several players have been instrumental in our success this season. Sydnee Macias leads in kills and ranks second in hitting percentage in the Central Section. Annemarie Piuser follows closely, standing seventh in kills and fourth in aces within the same section. Kaitlyn Arismendez ranks third in assists, while Macy is positioned in the top 40 for digs. Additionally, Kyla Schooley is eighth in blocks in the Central Section."

This week, the team moves from tournaments to the regular schedule, with away games against Taft and McFarland.