All-Madera Tribune Girls Volleyball Team
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
The Madera Coyotes and Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team had exceptional seasons and it wouldn’t have happened without The Madera Tribune girls volleyball Co-Most Valuable Players Aleecia Rosel (ABOVE) of Madera South and Isabella Sauceco (BELOW) of Madera. Rosel’s nickname could be the “Closer” because a majority of her kills came late in the match when the team needed her the most. Saucedo just built on her excellent freshman season to have an even better sophomore season.
Co-Most Valuable Player
Isabella Saucedo, Soph.
MB Madera
When many teams played against Madera, their main objective was how to stop or neutralize middle blocker Isabella Saucedo. She is the motor that runs the Coyotes girls volleyball team. However, despite teams knowing where Coyotes’ setter Sofia Perez was going with the ball, Saucedo had another stellar year to follow up her outstanding freshman season. She was counted on to be the big hitter for the Coyotes and didn’t disappont. She was a second All-County/Metro Athletic Conference selection last season and was a first team selection this year. She was also named to the All-Tribune team last season. Co-Most Valuable Player
Aleecia Rosel, Sr.
OH Madera South
When the Madera South Stallions needed an important kill, setter Jacky Granados usually looked for No. 8 and Aleecia Rosel. She usually came on late in the match when she was able to get a read of the defense and know where to get the key kill. There were matches where Rosel didn’t have a kill in the first set, but still finished matches with double-digit kills. She was one of the Stallions who played all around and was one of the team’s dependable passers and also set when needed. She was a first team All-CMAC selection, a two-time All-Madera Tribune selection after earning second team All-CMAC honors last year. The Team
Lilly Ascencio, Sr.
OH Madera
Ascencio showed her importance to the team when she had to miss a couple of games and the Coyotes had to find another attacker than Saucedo. However, with Ascencio in the line-up, Perez had two capable attackers to help the Coyotes to their second straight CMAC championship. She also earned a first team All-CMAC selection. Sofia Perez, Jr.
Setter Madera
Although built more like an outside hitter than a setter, Perez showed she was up to the task. Using her soft hands, Perez set up Saucedo and Ascencio for outstanding seasons. Perez used her quickness and volleyball IQ to put herself into the right position at the right time for CMAC Co-Coach of the Year Meghan Haas. Perez was a second team All-CMAC selection. Alicia Velasco, Sr.
Libero Madera
Although most of the attention was focused on Saucedo and Ascencio, the offense can’t start without a good pass. The pass is usually created by the libero and Velasco helped get the offense started. She was in the right place at the right time and her soft hands helped Perez get the offense going. Kiara Alvarado, Jr.
Libero Madera South
Alvarado played the past two seasons as the team’s outside hitter. However, she was moved to libero by CMAC co-Coach of the Year Travis McEowen. That moved proved to be the key point in the Stallions’ season. McEowen knew he had the hitters, but it was the defense that he was concerned with. Moving Alvarado to libero alleviated all those concerns. Because of being a hitter, Alvarado also had the instinct to know where the attackers were hitting and was in the right place at the right time. Her opponents in the CMAC knew it too and she was a first team All-CMAC selection.
Jacky Granados, Jr.
Setter Madera South
Granados was the straw that stirred the Stallions’ drink She had plenty of attacking options and was determined to get to the second ball. She flew all over the place to make sure she could get the ball up to her attackers. She made sure her hitters had good enough sets to attack with. She was a second team All-CMAC selection. Arelis Chavez and Bianca Guevara, Soph. (Chavez) and Jr. (Guevara)
MB Madera South
Chavez and Guevara were the twin towers for McEowen. There were the blockers in the middle that every Stallions’ opponent had to account for. If not, their attacks would return back to the other side of the net. They also had the ability to put down attacks and traded turns leading the team in kills. Chavez was a second team All-CMAC selection and, suprisingly, Guevara didn’t earn a first or second team nod. This is Guevara’s second All-Tribune selection and Chavez’s first. Taylor Rogers, Sr.
OH Madera South
The natural lefty gave teams more to think about with her attacks. She was the most improved player from the previous year. This year, she worked during the club season and improved her play to be one of the go-to players for the Stallions on the outside. It also helped that she was a lefty and gave Granados a wide hitting target. Like Guevara, surprisingly, she wasn’t a first or second team All-CMAC selection. Karsyn Woods, Sr.
OH Liberty
After taking a back seat for the past couple of years, Woods was given the spotlight of the Liberty Hawks volleyball team and shined. She played all around and was the team’s best hitter and she was also the team’s most dependable passers. Last year, she was rotated out when she hit the back row. This year, she was an important part to the Liberty Hawks success. She earned second team All-North Sequoia League honors.
