Coyotes impose will with win
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune The Madera Coyotes girls volleyball team celebrates the final point of Tuesday’s three-set win over Madera South to open County/Metro Athletic Conference play.
The Madera Coyotes girls volleyball team protected home turf against the Madera South Stallions to open the County/Metro Athletic Conference in Joe Flores Gym.
The Coyotes battled tough against the Stallions and were the ones left standing in the end. The Stallions couldn’t match the hitting from the Coyotes in a three-set loss Thursday.
Madera had 38 kills in the match, led by Isabella Saucedo’s 15. Elizabeth Corchado and Jocelynn Markle each had five or more kills.
“Isabella did well,” Madera head coach Meghan Haas said. “Her being there opened things up for other people and they stepped up tonight.”
“We established we would get on Isabella,” Madera South head coach Travis McEowen said. “Meghan called a time out and they didn’t set her as frequent. They spread the ball around a lot more. “
Meanwhile, the Stallions combined for just 22 kills with Aleecia Rosel leading the team with six and Bianca Guevara with five.
“We weren’t prepared,” McEowen said. “We weren’t able to get anything going.”
“We work everyday on volleyball IQ,” Haas said. “We try to learn through the match to what people are doing and what their tendencies are. We really stressed that in practice. It’s something we take to heart. We’re able to make those moves because we’re anticipating more.”
While recording the sweep, the Coyotes were all over the court, hustling to keep balls from falling and putting the pressure on Madera South as much as they could.
“It’s good to have more energy because it’s been something we’ve been working on,” Haas said. “As we move forward, we have to bring energy, heart and passion. We could be really successful, but we have to bring our own energy to what we’re doing.”
Madera jumped to the early lead after a Markle side out kill. A Saucedo and Corchado dual block gave the Coyotes the lead. Three aces from Sofia Perez and a dual block from Saucedo and Trinity Davie opened a 9-4 Coyote lead.
The Stallions took advantage of two service errors, a couple of Madera errors and a Guevara ace to cut the lead to one.
A Rosel side out kill, a Destiny Perez solo block and a Jacky Granados ace gave the Stallions a 13-12 lead. Perez combined with Arelis Chavez to give the Stallions a two-point lead before a Sofia Perez dump kill for the side out.
Chavez and Destiny Perez combined on a dual block for the side out, but Davie recorded a side out. Sofia Perez served up two more aces for a 17-16 lead.
Saucedo put down a side out kill and served an ace for a 19-17 lead. Guevara put down a kill ot cut Madera’s lead to one.
However, Markle put down a kill to open a three-point Madera lead.
Rosel put down a side out kill and Granados served another ace to cut the lead to one.
A miscommunication allowed the ball to fall for a Coyotes’ side out. Saucedo punished the Stallions with a big kill off a Madera South overpass. Mariyah Alvarez ended the set with an ace for a 25-21 win.
In the second set, Madera South jumped out to a 4-1 lead behind kills from Destiny Perez and Taylor Rogers.
However, Saucedo put down two kills and Cassidi Mata added another to give the Coyotes a 5-4 lead. Rogers got the side out for the Stallions for a two-point run. A Guevara ace gave the Stallions a two-point lead.
Markle tied the game with a bump kill inside the back line and Julianna Rodriguez served an ace for a 10-9 lead.
Corchado put down two side out kills, but Kiara Alvarado had a bump kill for the Stallions to keep the Coyotes’ lead to one. Rogers put down a kill to tie the set at 13.
A Guevara and Chavez block tied the set at 14 and led to a three-point run. Guevara added another kill to help the Stallions to a 16-14 lead. A Guevara bump kill found the line, although both parties saw the ball go out of bounds except the line referee.
Volleyball karma came back on the Stallions. Mata got the kill on the next rally for the side out and Alicia Velasco served an ace to cut the lead to two.
Madera South got side out kills from Guevara and Rosel, but the Stallions missed three straight serves and couldn’t capitalize leading 22-20.
Madera took advantage, though. Corchado served up an ace, Madera South hit out of bounds and were out of rotation to give the Coyotes a 23-22 lead.
The Coyotes hit out of bounds to tie the set at 23, but Saucedo got the side out with a kill off the Stallions’ block. Saucedo ended the set with a kill for a 25-23 victory.
The Coyotes jumped out to an early lead in the third set. Saucedo served up two aces and Mata put down two kills for a 5-0 lead.
McEowen made substitutions and took four starters out of the match. The Stallions got the side out with a Destiny Perez kill and Madera hit out of bounds for a 5-2 Coyotes’ lead.
Davie got the side out and Velasco served up a four-point run highlighted by two Markle kills and two Stallion attacks hit into the net.
McEowen re-entered his starters and Rogers put down a side out kill.
“I was trying to get some energy,” McEowen said. “We have a lot of work to do.”
Madera South battled back and Ruth Castillo served up two aces while the Stallions scored four points to cut Madera’s lead to 11-8.
Corchado put down a side out kill and added another in a three-point run, along with another from Saucedo for a 15-8 lead.
Rogers served up two aces to get within four. However, Saucedo recorded a pair of kills to get the lead back to eight.
A Saucedo and Davie dual block led to a four-point run. Davie put down a kill and Saucedo put down two in the run for a 22-12 lead.
After a Madera South side out, a dual block from Mata and Alizae Vasquez gave the serve back to the Coyotes.
Markle got the Coyotes to match point with a kill leading 24-13. Destiny Perez put down a side out kill, but another miscommunication on the Stallions’ side led to a ball dropping for match point, 25-15.
