Coyotes continue CMAC run
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Isabella Saucedo and Katelyn Siegl go up for a block. The pair combined for 12 kills in Thursday’s sweep over the Sanger Apaches.
SANGER — The Madera Coyotes girls volleyball team continued its undefeated run through the County/Metro Athletic Conference with its fourth straight sweep.
The Coyotes made quick work of the Sanger Apaches in the first two sets, winning 25-14 and 25-13, but battled through adversity to turn a 21-18 deficit into a 25-23 victory for the sweep Thursday to remain undefeated through six games in the CMAC.
“We had a little bit of trouble setting our quicks in the middle,” head coach Meghan Haas said. “They are bigger than anybody, but if we can perfect it even more, we’ll be intimidating. Our middles are doing well hitting certain areas.”
Hallie Page led the Coyotes with nine kills. Isabella Saucedo and Katelyn Siegl each added six kills and Lillith Ascencio had five.
Sanger ran into trouble at the net. They hit eight balls into the net to give Coyotes points and also were hit with two net violations.
Lexi Carmona, who led the team with 15 assists, got the Coyotes off to a good start with three points serving, including an ace.
A Siegl side out kill led to kills from Lauren Lund and Ascencio for an 8-2 lead. The Coyotes opened the lead to seven behind an Ascencio and Saucedo dual block.
However, Sanger came back with five straight points to cut the lead to three and eventually cut the lead down to two.
Saucedo put down a side out kill, which led to a Siegl kill and a Carmona ace for a 16-11 lead.
Sanger cut the lead down to three before a Siegl side out kill. A Page side out kill gave the serve back to the Coyotes they wouldn’t relinquish. With Alicia Velasco serving, the Coyotes closed out the set with six points.
Ascencio began the run with a tip kill. Sanger hit out of bounds and went into the net. Page recorded a solo block and a kill to get to set point. Velasco ended the set with an ace for a 25-14 victory.
The two teams were tied early in the second set before the Coyotes jumped out to a 10-8 lead after a Page side out kill. Kills from Saucedo and Siegl opened the lead to four.
Saucedo put down a side out kill and three Sanger errors led to an 18-10 Coyote lead. A Page and Ascencio dual block opened the lead to nine and a Page side out kill led to a three point run with Gisele Morado serving to set point.
After a Sanger side out, Page put down a kill for a 25-13 victory.
The Coyotes were having a little trouble getting out of their own way for most of the third set. Through its first 10 points, just three were recorded with kills.
Page put down a side out kill and a tip kill to tie the set at nine.
However, Sanger kept battling, tying the set at 10 and 11 before the Coyotes went on a three point run highlighted by a Morado kill and a Siegl Kill for a 13-11 lead.
A Lund kill helped Madera get the lead to four. Sanger battled back to cut the lead to one. Jocelynn Markle put down a side out kill to get the lead back to two.
Sanger battled back to scored five straight points and take a 21-18 lead before Haas called a time out.
“We have a tendency to expect teams to give sets to us,” Haas said. “We did a good job in the first two sets taking care of business. We were playing not to lose instead of playing to win. We got a lot of points swinging early. They kind of started trying not to make errors than trying to score. It was a different mindset. There’s a little bit of fear. They don’t want to make errors. Sanger is a good team, but every time they play us, they make errors. They still do good things. We have done a good job with adversity.”
After the time out, Lund put down a side out kill. Then, Julianna Rodriguez served up a pair of aces and Sanger didn’t return a third to give the Coyotes a 22-21 lead.
A trade in service errors led to an Ascencio ace to get to match point, leading 24-22.
Ascencio missed her next serve, but Page put down a kill to win the set 25-23 and win the match in three.
