Coyotes extend CMAC winning streak
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Lilly Ascencio attacks Sanger blockers during a four-set win Thursday.
SANGER — The Madera Coyotes volleyball team played longer than expected, but extended its County/Metro Athletic Conference winning streak to 14 matches after a four-set win over Sanger.
The Coyotes lost the first set 25-17 and looked to be shaken. Madera head coach Meghan Haas made an adjustment and it made a world of difference. The Coyotes won the next two sets, 25-12 and 25-17.
“That made a huge difference,” Haas said. “With those kinds of hitters, their attacks are low and the attacks go off our hands and it’s hard to play defense. We did that against a team in a tournament against all of their hitters and it worked wonders. It wasn’t something new for us. We had two kids we were blocking and the others we just wanted to make plays.”
The Coyotes only put a block on Sanger outside hitter Mackenzie Jennings and middle blocker Sarah Herring while playing defense against the rest of the hitters.
However, Sanger battled back in the fourth set and got to set point, 24-23. Madera battled back to get to match point. The teams went back and forth before Sanger hit out of bounds on match point for a 32-30 win in the fourth set.
“It’s a huge emotional lift,” Haas said. “It’s hard not to be emotional at 32-30. I told them there were times they could have rolled over and let them take that set. There was a lot of fight and passion, something we haven’s seen. It’s huge for us.”
Isabella Saucedo led the Coyotes with 24 kills to go with five blocks. Lilly Ascencio returned and put down five kills to help lift the Coyotes after the first set.
“She is just a six-rotation player,” Haas said of Ascencio. “She adds a lot to our team and makes us deeper.”
The Coyotes had trouble dealing with Jennings and Herring and fell behind 10-5 early. Madera took advantage of two Sanger service errors to try to get back into the set.
Saucedo had two kills off of Jennings blocks to cut the lead to 14-12. Sanger used a missed serve to jump to a four-point run and a 19-12 lead.
Saucedo kept the Coyotes in the set with a pair of side out kills. She served up an ace and Sanger hit out of bounds twice to cut Sanger’s lead to three, 20-17.
Unfortunately, thosewere the last Madera points of the set. Sanger got a side out. An ace, a kill and two Madera hits out of bounds to a 25-17 Apaches’ victory.
Madera bounced back in the second set. With the set tied at five, Ascencio went back to serve and didn’t stop until the Coyotes held an 11-5 lead. She served up an ace and Saucedo had two kills and a solo block in the run.
After a Sanger missed serve, Saucedo put down another kill for a 15-7 lead. Another Sanger missed serve led to a five-point Madera run to get to set point, leading 24-11. In the run, Ascencio put down three kills and Cassadi Mata recorded a bump kill. Sanger got the side out, but Ascencio ended the set with her fourth kill in the last five Madera points for a 25-12 win.
Behind two side out kills from Saucedo and two from Mata, the Coyotes took a 5-4 third set lead. A Saucedo kill and Trinity Davie solo block gave the Coyotes a 10-5 lead.
After a Sanger missed serve, Saucedo put down a kill to keep the lead at five.
Mata served up an ace and Madera held a 16-12 lead. Sanger battled back with three straight points to cut the lead to one. Ascencio put down a side out kill and Sanger hit out of bounds for an 18-15 Coyotes’ lead.
Sanger got the side out, but Saucedo put down a side out kill. She followed with a solo block for a 20-16 lead. After a Sanger side out, Saucedo gave the side out back to the Coyotes with another kill.
Sofia Perez served up the next four points for the win. Sanger hit out of bounds for the first two points, then Saucedo put down a tip kill to get to set point and Saucedo ended the set with her eighth kill of the set for a 25-17 win.
Sanger jumped out to an early 8-3 fourth lead before the Coyotes got back in the set. Saucedo put down a kill and served up two points to trail 8-6.
Mata served up an ace and Elizabeth Corchado put down a kill to stay within two.
The teams exchanged six straight side outs before Davie and Saucedo combined on a dual block to cut Sanger’s lead to one. After Sanger hit out of bounds for side out, Karina Rodriguez served up two aces for an 18-17 Coyotes’ lead.
Sanger scored two straight points to regain the lead. Corchado stopped the run with a solo block.
The Apaches took a 23-21 lead before a Saucedo tip kill. Madera added another point to tie the set at 23. Madera was called for a lift violation and Sanger had set point. Saucedo gave the Coyotes the side out, but Madera hit out of bounds to give Sanger its second set point.
Again, Saucedo put down a side out kill to tie the set at 25. Sanger hit into the net to give the Coyotes their first set point, but a Madera hit out of bounds gave the side out to the Apaches.
Sanger added a point to get its third set point, but, again, Saucedo put down a kill to give the side out to Madera.
Another Coyotes’ hit out of bounds gave Sanger its fourth side out. The Apaches missed the serve and gave the side out back to Madera tied at 28. Sanger didn’t see set point for the rest of the match.
Sanger hit out of bounds for a Coyotes’ match point, but got the side out. Ascencio put down a kill for side out and Madera’s third match point of the set. Sanger got a tip kill to tie the set at 30.
Saucedo put down a kill to give the Coyotes their fourth match point of the set. Sanger hit out of bounds and the Coyotes came away with a 32-30 win to take the match, 3-1.
