Stallions bounced in state semifinals
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Members of the Madera South girls volleyball team celebrates winning the final point of Thursday’s CIF State NorCal quarterfinal match over Oakland Tech at Madera South.
Two days after winning the school’s first-ever NorCal State playoff game, the No. 1 seeded Madera South Stallions girls volleyball game lost a five-set match to No. 4 Ripon in the semifinal round.
The Stallions picked up a dominant three-set victory over No. 8 Oakland Tech on Thursday. They outscored the Bulldogs 75-48 for the school’s first girls volleyball state playoff victory in the quarterfinals after receiving a first round bye.
However, No. 4 Ripon came from a 2-1 match deficit to win the final two sets, including a 15-12 win in the fifth set to end Madera South’s season.
“We had great energy tonight,” head coach Travis McEwoen said. “There was some misfortune, but they found energy and kept pushing.”
With a team of just four seniors, including two starters, the Stallions earned a Valley Championship match berth and advanced in the state playoffs.
“At the beginning of the year, we had our struggles,” McEowen said. “He set our goals high. We had to work through our struggles. Once they started getting dialed into the IQ part of volleyball and understand how to play and read, they dialed in and didn’t rely on their physical attributes.
“The coaching staff (Wayman Stairs, Maggie Granados, Nate Perez, Steve Guglielmana and Kathryn Van Loon) is very proud of this group of girls for what they have accomplished,” McEowen said. “The girls put in so much work and dedication to make everything possible.” No. 1 Madera South 3, No. 8 Oakland Tech 0
After getting off to a slow start in its first Nor CIF State playoff game, the Stallions rallied from a seven-point deficit to dominate the rest of the match in a three-set sweep Thursday at Madera South.
Bianca Guevara led the Stallions with 12 kills. Aleecia Rosel and Arelis Chavez had six kills each. A top three hitter for the Stallions all season, Taylor Rogers didn’t record a kill, but recorded six aces. In the first set, the Stallions had trouble keeping the ball in the court and fell behind 12-5 with three of those points coming on ball hit out of bounds and another on a service error.
The Stallions battled back behind the serving of Rosel. She got the side out trailing 15-8. From there, she served up seven straight points with two aces to tie the set. Chavez had two kills in the run while Destiny Perez put one down and Rogers recorded a solo block.
The Stallions took control of the set after a Guevara solo block for a side out tied the set at 18. Rogers went back to serve and Guevara and Rosel put down kills for a 21-18 lead. Guevara added a soft kill for a 22-18 lead. Rogers then recorded three straight aces for a 25-18 victory.
In the second set, Perez put down two kills and Rosel served an ace for a 3-0 lead. The Stallions kept the lead until Chavez put down a kill for a four-point lead.
Back-to-back Guevara kills opened the lead to 15-9. After Guevara got a side out kill, she served up two aces in a four-point run. Chavez added a tip kill for a 20-11 lead.
After two Oakland Tech points, Guevara put down a tip kill for the side out. Rosel recorded a solo block and Rogers served up two aces to get to set point. Jacky Granados ended the set with a dump kill for a 25-14 victory.
In the third set, Samantha Yamusak seved up an ace in a six-point run for an 8-1 lead. Oakland Tech served two aces and cut the lead down to three.
After six straight side outs, Chavez put down two kills for a side out and a 21-16 lead. Rosel served an ace and Martha Martinez put down a kill for a 23-16 lead.
Oakland Tech let a ball drop for match point and hit into the net for a 25-16 third set victory. No. 4 Ripon 3, No. 1 Madera South 2
The Madera South Stallions jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the semifinal match, but the Ripon Indians came back with wins in the fourth and fifth set to end the Stallions’ season.
Chavez and Rogers led the Stallions with 15 kills each. Rosel added 11 kills and Guevara added eight.
However, the Stallions had their problems at the service line. Although Madera South served up 10 aces, including three from Yamusak and Rogers, the Stallions had 11 service errors and were aced four times.
Ripon took the early lead in the first set and led 15-10. The Stallions tried to come back after kills from Rosel and Perez to cut the lead to one.
Ripon scored four straight points for a 21-17 lead. The Stallions cut the lead to two, but Madera South’s fifth service error of the set gave the side out to Ripon. The Indians then scored three straight points for a 25-19 victory.
“It is what it is,” McEowen said. “It’s the state playoffs and our nerves are definitely in play.”
The Stallions came back to dominate the second set. After trailing 7-4, the Stallions scored four straight points to take the lead. Rogers and Guevara put down a kill and Rogers served an ace for an 8-7 lead. Two Rosel kills opened the lead to two.
After a Rosel side out kill, Rogers put down a kill and Chavez and Perez combined on a dual block for a 15-10 lead. Ripon added three points to cut the lead to two.
After a side out, Guevara and Rogers combined on a block and Diana Abendano served up two aces for a 19-13 lead. A trade in side outs led to a three-point run from Yamusak, including an ace. Guevara had a kill in the run for a 23-14 lead.
Ripon hit out of bounds for set point and hit out of bounds again for a 25-15 victory to tie the match. Ripon jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the third set and kept the lead at 14-8. A side out kill from Chavez and a dual block from Guevara and Chavez while Yamusak served up a point cut the lead to three.
Rogers put down two kills, including a back-row kill and Ripon hit out of bounds to cut the lead to one. Ripon opened the lead to three before Rosel put down a kill.
Chavez and Rogers put down kills and Rosel recorded a back row kill for a 21-20 lead. Rosel put down two kills and Ripon hit out of bounds to get to set point. Ripon got the side out, but Chavez put down a kill for a 25-22 win.
In the fourth set, kills from Rogers and Chavez opened a 5-1 lead. Ripon battled back to cut the led down to 10-8. Ripon added five straight points for a 13-11 lead. Rogers helped Madera South battle back with a kill to tie the set.
Ripon scored three straight points and then five more points for a 22-17 lead. Rogers served off the net for an ace and Ripon hit out of bounds to cut the lead to two.
After a service error, Granados recorded a dump kill to cut the lead to two. Ripon got a kill for set point and recorded another for a 25-21 victory to force a fifth set.
Madera South jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth set. Chavez put down two kills and Rogers had a solo block in the run. Ripon battled back to cut the lead to one before a Chavez side out kill.
Despite a Yamusak ace, the Indians scored four straight points to take an 8-7 lead. A Guevara kill tied the set at eight and a four-contact violation gave the Coyotes a 9-8 lead.
Ripon scored two straight points reclaim the lead. Guevara put down a side out kill to tie the set at 10. However, two kills gave Ripon a 12-10 lead.
Ripon hit into the net for the side out and Chavez put down a kill to tie the set at 12.
However, Ripon put down a back row kill for the side out. The Indians recorded back-to-back kills for a 15-12 victory and end Madera South’s season.
