Hawks sweep by Tigers
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Liberty’s Hannah Chase rises up to put down one of her match-high 18 kills in a three-set sweep over the Edison Tigers on Tuesday.
The Liberty Hawks girls volleyball prepared for Thursday’s intra-divisional match against the Immanuel-Reedley Eagles with a three-set victory over the Edison-Fresno Tigers of the County/Metro Athletic Conference.
The Hawks, who were the top seed in Div. IV last season, received 18 kills from Hannah Chase and nine more from setter Madison Devine for a 25-12, 25-20, 25-22 victory Tuesday at Edison, which is in Div. III.
“The first set, we came out ready to play and ready to go,” head coach Brandon St. Lucia said. “In the second and third set, they stepped up and gave us a run for our money. We fought back in the second set. We had a lot of good defense, a lot of girls picking up a lot of things that wouldn’t have been picked up. The defense was on. The girls started to dig deep when we needed to.”
Chase recorded 18 of the team’s 39 kills and Zoey Richey added six more kills for the Hawks, who improved to 8-1 on the season.
“Hannah is our go-to and teams know that,” St. Lucia said. “We need to have other bodies to step up and terminate plays in long rallies and we did that tonight.
The Hawks started the match on the right foot. Karsyn Woods delivered a solo block and a kill and then served up two aces in a six-point run.
Chase started the run with a side out kill and added two more kills for an 11-3 lead.
Chase then had another side out kill and put down two more for a 14-3 lead.
With Paige Peterson serving, the Hawks added to their lead with a Woods kill, a Peterson ace and a Devine kill.
Edison battled back with three points, but Devine recorded a kill by saving a ball with a dig and it found an open spot on the Edison side of the court.
After the Tigers closed the set to eight points, the Hawks put the set away behind two aces from Woods and another kill from Devine for a 25-12 victory.
Devine recorded an ace to lead Liberty to a 4-0 lead to open the second set.
However, Edison outscored the Hawks 11-4 to jump out to a three-point lead before a Chase kill and a Richey tip kill cut Edison’s lead to one.
The Tigers kept attacking and the Hawks fell behind 18-12 before the tide started to turn.
Chase started the turn with a side out kill. Devine added another kill and a Chase kill cut the lead to three. Devine made a diving save, which Edison couldn’t return for another kill. Sadie and Audrina Vasquez combined on a dual block and Audrina put down a kill to tie the set at 18.
After an Edison side out, Woods recorded a kill with a bump off the Edison serve to tie the score at 19.
Stephanie Madrigal went behind the service line and didn’t stop until Liberty had set point. She began the five-point run with an ace. Chase put down a kill, followed by a Devine bump kill.
After Edison hit out of bounds, Chase put down a kill with a change-up hit for a 24-19 lead.
Edison got the side out, but Chase ended the set with a kill for a 25-20 victory.
In the second set, Edison took the early lead. A side out kill from Chase and back-to-back kills from Audrina Vasquez helped the Hawks tie the score at six.
Madrigal served up three points, including kills from Chase and Devine for a 9-6 lead. Edison came back with consecutive aces to take a 12-10 lead.
Devine served up an ace and put down two back row kills to give the Hawks a 15-13 lead. Edison tied the set, but after both teams missed serves, Richey put down a back row kill to give the Hawks the lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Woods added another ace for a 19-16 lead. Chase and Richey recorded side out kills and Edison hit out of bounds for a 23-19 lead.
Edison gave the Hawks set point with a hit into the net. However, Liberty committed two service errors and the Tigers recorded one of their own for a 24-22 Hawks’ lead.
Richey ended the match with a kill for a 25-22 victory.
The Hawks faced Immanuel Thursday and will host Minarets on Thursday after traveling to Fowler on Tuesday to face the Redcats.
