Stallions pick up program sweep
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera South’s Arelis Chavez reaches up to put down one of her 10 kills in a match victory over Hoover on Tuesday.
The Madera South girls volleyball team completed a program sweep over the Hoover-Fresno Patriots in dominant fashion in a warm-up of this weekend’s Madera Invitational.
The varsity Stallions swept the Patriots 25-16, 25-13, 25-22, which followed two-set sweeps from the frosh/soph and junior varsity teams.
The Stallions look forward to this weekends Madera Invitational at Madera South High School.
“We definitely have a lot of work to do,” head coach Travis McEowen said. “From the previous seasons, we are much improved.”
Aleecia Rosel and Arelis Chavez led the team with 10 kills each. Bianca Guevara and Taylor Rogers each had six kills. The Stallions also recorded 13 aces, led by Rosel’s five.
“I felt like we came out and were ready to go in the first two sets,” McEowen said. “We lost some momentum in the third set. You have to give it up to Hoover. They made less errors and forced us to play. We didn’t have that second wind to put the ball down when we needed to.”
Chavez saved the Stallions in the third set. Tied at 21, Chavez put down three kills in the final four points to complete the sweep. She had seven kills in the third set.
“Arelis was the MVP of the game,” McEowen said.
Rosel started the Stallions on the right foot. She recorded three aces in a four-point run to open the match. Chavez added a kill in the run.
After a Hoover service error, Ruth Castillo served up an ace in a five-point run to give the Stallions an 11-2 lead. Guevara also added a kill in the run.
A Rosel side out kill and a Rogers ace gave the Stallions a 10-point lead. Despite a Castillo side out kill on a bump and a Jacky Granados ace, the Patriots battled back.
The used a four-point run to cut Madera South’s lead to seven. Guevara recorded a solo block to give the Stallions a 22-14 lead. A Rogers ace opened the lead to nine.
Guevara put down a kill to get to side out and Rosel put down a kill for the 25-16 victory.
A Kiara Alvarado ace and a Guevara solo block helped open a 5-1 lead in the second set. However, Hoover bounced back to tie the set at five.
Castillo served up an ace in a seven-point run for a 13-5 lead. Guevara had another solo block in the run while Rogers put down two tip kills.
A Rosel side out kill and a Guevara ace gave the Stallions a 16-9 lead. A Rosel ace led to a 20-11 lead.
After a Hoover service error, Guevara put down a kill for a 23-12 lead. Guevara blocked a Hoover attack to get to set point. After a Stallions’ service error, Chavez put down a kill for the 25-13 second set victory.
Hoover didn’t back down in the third set. They jumped out to a 4-0 lead to open the set, but the Stallions battled their way back. Behind kills from Chavez and Rosel, the Stallions tied the set at eight.
A Chavez kill set up Kiara Alvarado behind the service line. She served up a pair of aces while Chavez and Rogers put down kills for a six-point run to open the lead to 16-11.
However, Hoover battled back and scored four of the next five points to cut the lead down to two.
A Rogers ace opened the lead to four. However, Hoover battled to score six of the next eight points to tie the set at 21.
Chavez put down a side out kill for the lead. After a Hoover side out, Chavez put down another kill. Guevara put down a kill for match point and Chavez ended the match with her third kill in the final four Stallions’ points for the 25-22 victory.
