Slow start hurts Stallions in loss
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Aleecia Rosel tips a ball past the block of Edison’s McKenzie Soper during a five-set loss Tuesday.
The Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team looked to be in control of its County/Metro Athletic Conference match against the Edison-Fresno Tigers, but slow starts in the fourth and fifth sets sent the Stallions to a 3-2 loss.
After a tight 25-23 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match, the Stallions fell behind 6-0 in the fourth set and lost 25-20. They fell behind early in the fifth set and lost 15-10 Thursday night.
“We got off to some slow starts and they put the ball down when they needed to,” head coach Travis McEowen said. “It came down to a battle of who would make the most errors and we won that battle.”
In a match of equal teams whose last match was won by Madera South in five sets, the Stallions had their chance to sweep the Tigers, but fell late in sets.
“We made some really good adjustments and keyed on their hitters,” McEowen said. “Our slow starts killed us. Our defense was pretty scrappy. There’s still some stuff we’re not happy about with balls dropping.”
Aleecia Rosel led the Stallions with 12 kills and Kiara Alvarado added 11. The Stallions’ middle blockers — Bianca Guevara and freshman Arelis Chavez — combined for 19 kills and eight blocks.
Edison took the early lead to open the match. Two side out kills from Alvarado, an ace and a side out kill by Guevara, a kill from Ruth Castillo and a kill from Rosel cut the lead down to one.
However, Edison scored five straight points to open the lead to 14-9. The Stallions got aces from Jacky Granados and Rosel, but the Tigers extended their lead to 20-12 before an Alvarado kill.
However, Edison got the side out right back and used an ace and a solo block for a five-point run to win the set 25-13.
The Tigers took the early lead to open the second set, scoring nine of the first 14 points.
Guevara put down two side out kills and had a solo block while Taylor Rogers served an ace to cut the lead to one.
Two side out kills by Rosel kept the Tigers within striking distance. The Tigers made three errors and the Stallions tied the score at 15.
A Guevara side out kill and an Alvarado kill helped the Stallions take an 18-17 lead.
The Tigers scored four straight points to take a three-point lead.
Guevara put down a side out kill and got a solo block to cut Edison’s lead to one.
A Rosel kill and an Edison hit out of bounds tied the set at 22. An Edison service error and a Rosel kill gave the Stallions set point at 24-23.
The Tigers got the side out, but a Destiny Perez solo block gave the Stallions set point, leading 25-24. Then, Perez put down her first kill of the night for a 26-24 Stallions victory.
The Stallions took the early 6-3 lead behind two Alvarado kills. A Rosel side out kill and a Guevara ace kept the lead at three, but Edison tied the score with three straight points.
Kills from Perez and Chavez gave the Stallions the lead, but Edison scored three straight points to take the lead.
Edison extended its lead to four before the Stallions started to come back. Oliva Molina served up an ace in a three-point run to tie the set at 19.
A Rosel tip kill and an Edison hit out of bounds tied the set at 21 and a Rogers back row kill tied the set at 22.
Despite a Stallions’ service error, Rosel put down a side out kill to tie the set at 23. Chavez put down back-to-back kills for a 25-23 Stallions victory and a 2-1 lead.
However, Edison scored the first six points of the fourth set. The Stallions battled back with kills from Perez and Alvarado and an ace from Rosel to cut the lead to two.
Edison scored three straight points, but the Stallions got a Chavez side out kill, a Guevara and Chavez dual block, an Alvarado kill and another Chavez kill to cut the lead to one.
Edison came back with three straight points. The Stallions got two kills from Guevara and another from Alvarado to stay within two.
However, back-to-back Edison aces opened a 20-14 Tigers’ lead.
Perez and Alejandra Barranco recorded side out kills. Guevara added a solo block and Barranco served up an ace to cut the lead to two. However, Edison closed the set by scoring four of the next five points for a 25-20 victory.
Edison opened the deciding fifth set with two straight points. A Stallions hit out of bounds opened the lead to three before an Alvarado kill.
The Stallions cut the lead to one, but the Stallions had their problems and made three hitting errors in a four-point Edison run to turn a two-point deficit into a 13-6 deficit.
The Stallions got side out kills from Kaylee Nevarez and Chavez, but the Tigers got to match point leading 14-7.
Rosel recorded a kill and Alvarado put down a kill, but Edison closed the match with a kill for a 15-10 victory to win the match 3-2.
