Stallions hold off Patriots for win
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera South senior Brian Zaragosa rises up to put down one of his 15 kills in Thursday’s five-set victory over Hoover on Senior Night.
The Madera South Stallions boys volleyball team added another game and used it to prepare for its season finale against crosstown rival Madera.
The Hoover-Fresno Patriots pushed the Stallions to the limit Wednesday night on Madera South’s Senior Night. However, the Stallions recorded a 15-8 victory in the fifth set to secure the victory.
The teams went back and forth throughout the night. Madera South won the first set 28-26, but Hoover won the second set 25-21. The Stallions dominated the third set with a 25-15 victory.
Hoover took control late to win the fourth set 25-22 before the Stallions won the fifth set.
”We had a little talk,” senior Brian Zaragosa said. “We said we have to fix this and need to start doing this and that’s how we got better. It feels really nice to get the win.”
Zaragosa led the Stallions with 15 kills, including three in the fifth set.
“I was doing it for my teammate Homar (Santiago),” Zaragosa said. “He has a tumor in his back. He would kill to play. I was doing it for him.”
Christian Sylvia added 13 kills for the Stallions. Ruben Jaimez and Jared Guglielmana put down seven each. Guglielmana put down four of his kills in the fifth set.
Isaiah Tyler recorded four blocks to go with four kills.
Two aces from Jose Villafan gave the Coyotes a 6-5 lead, but the Patriots came back with a four-point run to take a 10-7 lead. The Patriots extended the lead to 15-10 before the Stallions tarted to come back.
A dual block from Sylvia and Jaimez and a Hoover hit out of bounds cut the lead to one. A Hoover ace opened the lead to three before the Stallions tied the score at 20 after a Guglielmana side out kill, a Hoover hit out of bounds and a Zaragosa kill.
A Jaimez kill gave the Stallions a 22-21 lead. Sylvia put down a side out kill to take a 23-22 lead.
Hoover scored two straight points to get to set point, 24-23. A Zaragosa kill tied the set, but Hoover reclaimed the lead with a kill off the block. Another Zaragosa side out kill tied the set at 25. A trade in side outs tied the score at 26.
Hoover was called for four contacts and Sylvia put down a kill on a down ball for a 28-26 victory.
In the second set, Sylvia put down a side out kill and Adrian Alvarez put down a kill with a dump for an 8-6 lead. A Zaragosa kill opened the Stallions’ lead to three.
The Patriots went on a four-point run to take a 12-11 lead. A solo block from Tyler and a dual block from Jaimez and Sylvia gave the Stallions a 15-13 lead.
Hoover took a one-point lead before Jaimez put down a side out kill. Villafan served up an ace for a 17-16 lead.
Hoover scored three straight points to get the lead. Despite two Zaragosa side out kills, the Stallions missed back-to-back serves. The Patriots closed out the second set with back-to-back kills for a 25-21 win.
In the third set, two Sylvia kills opened a 5-2 lead. Jaimez put down a side out kill and Sylvia and Alvarez combined for a dual block to keep the lead at three.
Isaiah and Guglielmana recorded solo blocks and Zaragosa served an ace for a 12-6 lead. Sylvia and jaimez put down kills to open the lead to 10.
After a side out kill from Zaragosa, Alex Zurita served up two points for a 22-10 lead.
Tyler put down a kill on a back slide and Sebastian Moreno served an ace to get to set point. Hoover scored three straight points before missing a serve for a 25-15 Stallions’ win.
A Villafan ace opened a 5-3 lead in the fourth set. Hoover battled back to tie the set at seven.
Madera South got a dual block from Alvarez and Tyler, along with a kill from Zaragosa for a 10-8 lead. The Stallions opened the lead to 14-11 before the Patriots cut the lead to one.
The two teams exchanged eight straight side outs with the Stallions leading 18-17. In the run, Sylvia and Zaragosa each put down two side out kills.
The Patriots scored three straight points to take the late lead. They put down back-to-back kills to get to set point, leading 24-19. Guglielmana served up an ace and Jaimez put down a kill to cut the lead to three. Hoover ended the set with a kill of the Stalllions’ block for a 25-22 win.
A Guglielmana side out kill, along with a Santiago ace led to a 5-3 lead in the fifth set. After a Zaragosa kill, Zurita served up two more points for a 10-6 lead.
The Stallions ended it thanks to the arm of Guglielmana. He put down a side out kill. With Zaragosa serving, he put down a kill and Tyler recorded a solo block for match point. Guglielmana closed out the match with a kill for a 15-8 victory.
