Hawks volleyball falls to Wildcats in five sets
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Libety’s Lucia Somilleda rises up between two blockers for a kill in Wednesday’s five-set loss to Sunnyside.
The Liberty Hawks looked to have the match under control after a 25-16 first set victory over the Sunnyside-Fresno Wildcats, but the Wildcats turned the match around and used the momentum for a five-set victory.
After dropping the first set, the Wildcats, who lost the previous day to the Madera South Stallions in three sets, won the next two sets by a combined five points (25-23, 25-22) before Liberty fought back in the fourth set, 25-23. The Hawks had too many errors in the fifth set and the Wildcats went home with a 15-11 victory.
The Hawks, like the Stallions the day before, had trouble with the Sunnyside serves. Although the Wildcats missed 15 serves, they recorded 13 aces to help them in the win. Also, after recording just five kills against Madera South, the Wildcats recorded 31 kills against the Hawks, including the final one to win the match.
Meanwhile, the Hawks also gave the Wildcats fits with their serves with 17 aces, but they also committed 12 service errors, which hindered momentum.
Jackie Lopez led the Hawks with seven aces. Lucia Somilleda had six while also leading the team with eight kills. Middle blockers Sarah Shevenell and Audrina Vasquez combined for 11 kills and three solo blocks.
From the beginning, the service line looked to be where the match was going to be won. In the first 12 points, just two featured attacks. There were six aces and four service errors.
After a missed Sunnyside serve gave the Hawks the side out, Jackie Smith served up three points with kills from Somilleda and Lauren Parks.
After a trade in side outs, Somilleda served up eight straight points, including four aces, two solo blocks from Parks and a kill from Vasquez for a 21-9 lead.
A Parks solo block gave the Hawks side out with a 22-10 lead. Sunnyside got the side out back and added three more points to cut the lead to eight.
A Sunnyside ace cut the lead to 23-16 before a Shevenell side out kill for set point. Somilleda put down the final kill of the set for the win.
A Vasquez solo block, a Smith ace and a Somilleda kill led to a 5-0 Hawks’ lead. The Wildcats cut the lead to two and then to one before a Shevenell kill.
Smith served up two points for a four-point lead, but the Wildcats, again, cut the lead to two.
Despite a Vasquez side out kill, Sunnyside got the side out back and scored three more points to take a 17-16 lead before Shevenell put down a kill off an overpass tied the set.
Lopez served up an ace and Alyxx Faretta put down a kill for a two-point lead. However, Liberty had a pair of service errors to prevent them from extending the lead.
Somilleda put down a kill and a net violation opened a 22-19 Liberty lead. After a trade in side outs, Sunnyside got the serve after another missed Liberty serve, its fifth of the set. From there, the Wildcats scored four straight points, including a kill to end the set with a 25-23 win.
The Wildcats used three aces to open a 6-0 lead in the third set.
The Hawks fought back with a Shevenell side out kill and two Lopez aces to cut the lead to 10-7. After five straight side outs, Smith served up a point to cut the lead to two.
However, Sunnyside scored six straight points for a 19-12 lead. Camille Vestal served up two points to cut the lead to four, but the Wildcats extended its lead back to six.
After a Wildcats’ service error, Somilleda put down a kill to cut the lead to four, but a service error gave the Wildcats a side out. Sunnyside put down a kill for set point.
Liberty got the serve back and Smith put down a dump kill. Stephanie Madrigal served up two more points, but a ball into the net gave the Wildcats a 25-22 victory.
Sunnyside took the early lead in the fourth set before Vestal served up an ace to cut the lead to one.
A Shevenell solo block and a Lopez ace gave the Hawks a 9-7 lead. However, Sunyside scored six straight points to open a 14-10 lead.
After three straight side outs, Parks recorded a bump kill and Vasquez put down a tip kill to tie the set at 15. The teams were tied at 16 and 17 before Vestal served up a point. Lopez served up an ace for a 21-18 lead.
Sunnyside scored two points to cut the lead to one before a Shevenell dunk kill. Smith recorded a tip kill on a save and Sunnyside hit out of bounds for Liberty set point.
The Wildcats battled back to get the side out. Liberty hit out of bounds twice to cut the lead to one. The Wildcats were called in the net for a 25-23 Liberty win to force a fifth set.
Liberty jumped out to the early 4-0 lead after a Vasquez kill and a Somilleda ace. Sunnyside battled back to tie the set at six and take the lead.
Despite three straight side outs, the Wildcats still led 10-9. Sunnyside then got a block for a side out and put down two kills and an ace to get to match point.
Liberty tried to come back with a Vasquez kill for the side out and Somilleda served up a point. However, a Sunnyside kill ended the match with a 15-11 win.
