Stallions pick up key victory over Sanger
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera South’s Bianca Guevara reaches up for a block during Thursday’s win over the Sanger Apaches.
After dropping its first two games of the County/Metro Athletic Conference season, the Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team picked up a pair of wins last week, capped by a win over the Sagner Apaches.
The Stallions lost the first set, but made some adjustments to win the last three, 25-22, 25-20, 27-25. “It was a good win,” head coach Travis McEowen said. “The girls have been working hard.”
The Stallions dealt with Sanger’s top hitter Mackenzie Jennings by not blocking the other attackers. Jennings finished with 14 kills, but the Apaches couldn’t get enough production from the other players.
“We saw they have a couple of dominant players,” McEowen said. “The other players are more skill players. We were making the correct plays. We were getting tooled too much. We worked to get the digs going. We wanted them to hit at us instead of us reacting off a block. We weren’t blocking correctly.”
The Stallions had four attackers with seven or more kills, led by Taylor Rogers with 15 and Destiny Perez with 12.
“We had production from all of our hitters,” McEowen said. “It goes to our girls putting the effort in practice at those chaos balls. Everybody is in transition and ready to hit all of the time. You have to give credit to the players for putting in the effort at practice.”
The Stallions also had to overcome their own mistakes on serve receive. The Apaches served up 13 aces, which overtook their 10 service errors. Meanwhile, Madera South had 11 missed serves with just six aces.
“We had a bunch of long rallies,” McEowen said. “It was who could outlast the other team. Give it to Sanger to fighting it hard. They have a couple of really good hitters and we were able to slow them down and get the W.”
The Stallions took a quick lead to open the match behind two blocks from Bianca Guevara. However, Sanger scored five straight points to take the lead. The teams exchanged seven straight side outs before the Apaches served an ace for a two-point lead.
The Stallions, after a Sanger missed serve, got a kill from Arelis Chavez to tie the set at 12. Rogers put down a kill for a 13-12 lead. A side out kill from Guevara and another kill from Perez opened a 15-13 lead.
The Apaches came back after a Stallions’ service error to score three straight points for a 19-16 lead.
Another Sanger ace led to a 22-17 lead. The Stallions cut the lead to two after a Guevara solo block. A Jennings kill gave the Apaches set point and a Madera South missed serve gave the Apaches a 25-21 win.
The Apaches jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the second set. The Stallions battled back after a Perez side out kill.
Martha Martinez served up three straight points, including a Perez kill to cut the lead to three. Aleecia Rosel put down a side out kill and Jacky Granados served up three straight points. Guevara started the run with a kill and Jennings hurt her elbow on play and left the match.
Madera South bounced back with kills from Guevara and Rosel for a 14-13 lead.
Sanger reclaimed the lead after an ace and opened a 19-15 lead before the Stallions started a comeback.
Rogers started the comeback where the Stallions outscored the Apaches 10-3 to close out the set with a side out kill. She also got credit for a kill when her bump found an empty spot on the Sanger end. Guevara served up two straight points to tie the set.
Sanger scored two points for a 21-19 lead, but a missed serve gave the Stallions the side out. Perez had two kills in the run with a Rogers kill and a Ruth Castillo ace for set point, 24-21. After a Sanger side out, Perez finished the set with a kill for a 25-22 win.
In the third set, Rosel served up three straight aces after a Rosel kill for a 7-1 lead. A Perez kill and solo block kept the lead at six. A Rogers side out kill and ace opened a seven-point lead.
However, Sanger came back after a missed serve to score seven straight points, including three aces, to tie the set at 14.
Jennings, who returned to the match, put down a side out kill, but Guevara answered with one of her own.
A kill from Chavez gave the Stallions a two-point lead. Two Rogers kills and a Perez tip kill gave the Stallions a 22-18 lead. After three straight side outs, Rosel put down a side out kill and Guevara ended the set for a 25-20 victory.
Sanger took the early lead in the fourth set, but a Rogers kill led to Guevara serving up three straight points to tie the set at six.
Kills from Perez and Rogers led to a 9-7 lead. Kills from Perez and Guevara kept the lead at two and another from Rosel opened the lead to three.
Sanger got two kills from Jennings to tie the set at 14. Rogers answered with one of her own for side out. Guevera served an ace off the net for an 18-15 lead.
Madera South hit two balls out of bounds to help Sanger tie the set at 20. An ace from Castillo was matched by Sanger to tie the set at 20.
The Apaches got a Jennings kill and an ace for a 24-23 lead and set point.
Guevara sent back a Sanger attack for the side out. However, Madera South was called in the net to give Sanger set point again.
Sanger looked to have won the set when Chavez’s attack landed out of bounds. However, the Apaches were called in the net and the Stallions got the side out to tie the set at 25.
Rosel served up a point for match point. Rogers ended the match with a tip kill for a 27-25 win for the match.
