With a current state ranking of 18th in the state and 8th in Northern California, first place conference standing, and an 11–1 record, the Taft College Women's Volleyball Team is coming out of the gates on a hot streak. The Cougars are having their best start since 2004. That is when former head coach Kanoe Bandy went undefeated prior to the California State Tournament.
Head Coach Mallori Rossi shared her remarks, "It's been a very busy few months on the recruiting trail and I am so thrilled to finally start competing this season. We have a solid group of returners who have worked extremely hard in the off-season to be prepared for this moment. They all bought in to the championship culture that we are building at Taft College, and they are ready to show everyone the hard work they have been dedicating to this program.
Although we have 9 new faces on the team, many of them will be familiar to the community as they were standouts at many of the local high schools in our county. Our recruits have added a lot of depth in every position which has made practices very fun and competitive. Our two transfers, have a great deal of knowledge and experience that will help them make an immediate impact on our team and within the state."
Returners
McCall Crippen - 2023 First Team All-Conference
Quote: "McCall will be a huge part of the offense as she has that killer-instinct on the court. Her energy and positivity sparks energy on our side of the net. McCall is one of the strongest leaders on the court as she can relate with everyone. She will play an integral role on the team."
Ariana Helbling - 2023 First Team All-Conference
Quote: "Ariana has worked diligently on her consistency in the tempo and location of her sets. She also has a great understanding of the game which often leads to our attackers having one on one opportunities or seams in the block. Her leadership and ability to stay composed under pressure has been very valuable to the success of our team."
Jayde Gonzalez - 2023 Second Team All-Conference
Quote: "Jayde has improved significantly over the last year. Her blocking and reading on defense will help our defense as a team. Also, when she is connecting with her setters, she is an unstoppable force at the net. She is determined to be one of the best middles in the state, and her work ethic speaks volumes of her character."
Avery Claunch - 2023 Honorable Mention
Quote: "Avery's leadership and experience will help pave the way for our team this fall as she is one of the most dedicated athletes I have had the privilege of coaching. Avery has worked tirelessly to improve her overall game, and she looks like a completely different player from just one year ago. It is her determination that will keep this team moving forward.
Quote: "Brisa's passing has improved so much over the last year. This fall she has shown a big improvement in her confidence and maturity on the court. Brisa is a very supportive teammate and always puts others first."
Incoming Recruits
Sutton Thompson- Libero from Frontier High School in Bakersfield, CA. She joined the team in the spring after transferring from College of the Canyons. She is former teammates with Natalie, Ameera, Grace and Avery.
Quote: "Sutton is a fiery libero who will bring a lot of consistency to our ball control. She is a go-getter and true leader who always sets high expectations and demands the same from others. Her positivity and drive to be the best will be a game-changer for us."
Awards:
2022-2023 Jockey Club award - Volleyball Outstanding Athlete
2022-2023 Varsity Volleyball (Most Valuable Defender)
2022-23 First Team for All Area/All League
2022 Selection Kern High School District Senior All-Star Volleyball Game
2021-2022 Frontier High School-Athletic Award for Outstanding Participation and Sportsmanship
SWYL All League Second Team - outstanding achievement and excellence for frontier volleyball team)
2021Honorable Mention
2020 All Area Volleyball
Grace Witcher- Outside hitter from Liberty High School in Bakersfield. She Competed on the indoor volleyball team at San Francisco State in the fall of 2023 then transferred to California State University Bakersfield where she redshirted with the beach volleyball team in the spring. Grace is joining us alongside her close friend and former teammate, Sutton.
Quote: "Grace demonstrates a lot of grit and competitiveness on our team. She has a high volleyball IQ and driven to play at the highest level. As a six rotation outside, she adds a big presence on the court, and her experience playing at a high level will add a lot of maturity and poise to our young team. You will see her do big things this year!"
Awards:
Two-time First Team All-League
Two-time First Team All-Area
Central Section Co-player of the year
First Team All-Region Student-Athlete
First team All-County
Offensive Player of the Year
D1 central section valley champion
Keira Pulido- Right side coming to us from Taft High School. She is former teammates with Jayde.
Quote: "We are very excited to have Keira join us from Taft High School. She is a very athletic right side who is so eager to learn and develop on the court. She has a very high ceiling, and I am looking forward to watching her continue to grow."
Awards:
All League Second Team
All League First Team
League Champions
Amber Tania-Makainai- Setter from Honolulu, HI. Amber is joining us alongside her club volleyball teammate, Shyanne.
Quote: "Not only is Amber a very talented setter, but she is also a natural leader. Every time she steps on the court, she helps elevate the level of play for her team. Amber's motivation and energy is second to none, and I believe she will make a big impact on our team."
Awards:
2021 Nike Volleyball Camp, Most Spirited Award
2022 All-OIA Girls Volleyball Eastern Division, Third Team
2022 Kailua High School Most Motivational Player of the Year
2022 1st Place, Gold Bracket 36th Annual Las Vegas Classic, Challenge Series
2022 Strive Hi, 1st Place, Silver Bracket, 49th Annual AAU
National Tournament
2023 Strive Hi, 1st Place, Gold Bracket, 37th Las Vegas Classic, 17 Premier
2023 Strive Hi, Premier League Champions
2021 Present Kailua High School, Varsity Setter
2019 Present Strive Hi Club, Team Captain & Setter
2023 Most motivational player Kailua High School girl's volleyball
2023 All-OIA Girls Volleyball Eastern Division, Second team
Shyanne Yamada is a libero from Honolulu, HI. Shyanne came to Taft College with her teammate and close friend, Amber-Tania.
Quote: "Shyanne has an amazing ability to read and anticipate on defense which allows her to pick up everything. She is a very levelheaded and focused player. Her ball control will make an immediate impact on our team."
Awards:
2022 Las Vegas classic 1st place gold bracket 16s club
2022 AAU 16s club 1st place silver bracket
2023 Las Vegas classic 1st place gold bracket 17s premier
2023 OIA 3rd team
2023 premier league division 1 champions
Margarita Jennings is- Setter from Orem, UT. She is also a former teammate with current player, McCall.
Quote: "Margarita is a technically sound setter with a very calm demeanor on the court. She has a quick release allowing her the ability to run a very fast offense for us. In addition, she has a great understanding of the game."
Awards:
2022-2023 Honorable Mention at Timpanogos and Pleasant Grove High
Club Tournament winners from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Samoa and Utah
2023 tryout invitee for the South Pacific Games hosted in the Solomon Islands.
2023 American Samoa player representative for South Pacific Games
Lacie Pelayo- Right side from Stockdale High school in Bakersfield. She is former teammates with Ameera and Natalie.
Quote: "Lacie is a very hard worker, smart attacker, and very consistent passing. She's quiet on the court but always leads with her actions. Her consistency on the court allows the team to find a rhythm and gain momentum."
Awards:
Player of the Week
All-League Honorable Mention
Natalie Castillo - Middle blocker from Frontier in Bakersfield, CA. She is former teammates with Sutton, Lacie, Ameera and Avery.
Quote: "Natalie adds a lot to our offense and defense. She is a dynamic attacker and puts up a huge block. She has the potential to be one of the top middles in the state. We are thrilled to watch her continue to grow and do big things for our program."
Awards:
2021 All-League Rookie of the Year
2022 BV All-Area First Team
2022 All-League First-Team
2023 Hard Driven All Tournament Honors
2023 Bakersfield Jockey Club Award (November)
2023 Frontier High School Varsity Leadership Award
2023 All- League First Team
2023 BV All-Area First Team
2023 CIF Division 1/2 All Star Team
Ameera Sheikh- Right side and libero from Frontier High School in Bakersfield. She is former teammates with Sutton, Lacie, Natalie, and Avery.
Quote: "Ameera is a very versatile player. She comes to us with experience in almost every position and always willing to help her teammates however she can. Her consistency will be an instrumental part to our team's success."
Awards:
KHSD All-star game
Hard driven volleyball tournament
Rumble at the rock tournament
Fun Facts:
-5 returners, 9 new players (2 of them are transfers)
-Nine of the 14 players are from Kern County
-Everyone on the team (new and returning) has played with another current teammate at some point in their volleyball career
-The roster size has doubled in the last three years