The Shafter Generals will venture away from home to face off against the Taft Wildcats at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Shafter is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last 22 games.
On Thursday, Shafter got the win against Chavez by a conclusive 3-0.
The victory didn't come easy: Chavez scored at least 18 points in every set. The final score came out to 25-19, 25-18, 25-19.
The home team had come away the winner the last five times Taft and Kennedy had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Wildcats walked away with a 3-1 win over the Thunderbirds on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Thunderbirds: they've now won three in a row.
Taft was actually outscored in aggregate across those four sets (94-93), but they still managed to win. The match finished with set scores of 25-23, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23.
Shafter better keep an eye on Karsynn Owens. She was instrumental in Taft's win, getting eight digs and five aces. Owens is on a roll when it comes to aces, as she's now served four or more in each of the last three games she's played. Alaysia Taylor also deserves some recognition as she served her first ace of the season.
Shafter's record is now 26-1. As for Taft, their record now sits at 9-18.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Tuesday's match: Shafter hasn't let much over the net this season, having averaged 5.4 blocks per game. It's a different story for Taft, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 blocks. Given Shafter's sizable advantage in that area, the Wildcats will need to find a way to close that gap.
Shafter took their win against Taft in their previous meeting back in September by a conclusive 3-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Generals since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
