Stallions dominant in home victory
Courtesy of Christopher Cross
Madera South senior Kiara Alvarado successfully chases down a ball during a three-set victory over the Reedley Pirates on Thursday at Madera South.
The Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team made quick work of the Reedley Pirates, finishing the three-set sweep in about an hour to conclude its home non-conference schedule.
The Stallions defeated the Pirates 25-12, 25-10, 25-22 Thursday to improve to 2-0 at home before league begins on Sept. 24 against the Madera Coyotes.
“It was good to see us take care of business, finally,” head coach Travis McEowen said. “We played well. “We’ve been working on things in practice. We’ll be ready for league.”
While the Stallions banged out 33 kills, including 15 from Bianca Guevara and nine from Arelis Chavez, the Pirates only managed to get nine.
Also, while the Stallions committed 11 service errors in a three-set sweep over Sunnyside-Fresno two days before, Madera South only committed one against the Pirates. Sunnyside also served up 11 aces against the Stallions, but Madera South only allowed four.
McEowen points to an added emphasis in serves, including putting a notice on the door to the locker room about serves and the No. 1 ethos was not to miss one’s first serve. Madera South only did that once on Thursday.
The Pirates opened the first set taking a 4-0 lead while recording three of their nine kills.
Kiara Alvarado got the Stallions within one with a pair of aces. Reedley got the side out and added another point before a Chavez side out kill.
Samantha Yamusak went behind the service line and delivered 10 straight points, including two aces. Guevara had three kills in the run. Chavez put down two and Jacky Guglielmana had another for a 14-6 Stallions’ lead.
After a Reedley side out, Guevara put down a side out kill. Diana Abendano served up five straight points, including an ace. Guglielmana put down a kill in the run and Guevara recorded two solo blocks for a 20-7 lead.
Reedley added two more points before a side out. Chloe Riddle served up a point and Jewel-Ana Rodriguez recorded the final three Stallions’ points of the set with a kill, a side out kill and an ace for a 25-10 victory.
Chavez put down a kill to start Madera South’s second set scoring. Guevara followed with a back row kill.
After a trade in side outs with a Chavez kill, Yamusak served up five straight points. Chavez put down two kills and Guevara added another to open an 8-2 lead.
Reedley got the side out, but Guevara put down a kill to get the side out back.
Abendano served up seven straight points, including an ace. Guglielmana added a kill off a bump pass while Anna Kajitani added another kill for a 16-3 lead.
Kajitani then recorded a side out kill and served up two more points with kills from Jazzy Vargas and Guevara.
Reedley scored four straight points before missing a serve to cut Madera South’s lead to 10. Riddle served a point, but Reedley added another ace for a 21-12 lead before another Granados dump kill.
Granados kept the momentum going with an ace for a 23-12 lead. Reedley hit out of bounds on back-to-back plays for a 25-12 Stallions’ win.
The Pirates opened the third set with a 4-1 lead. It took a Chavez and Granados side out kill and two Guevara back slide kills to take a 7-6 lead.
However, Reedley battled back for a 9-7 lead before a Guevara solo block.
She added another solo block and a kill for an 11-9 Stallions; lead. A Chavez kill and a Destiny Perez tip kill gave the Stallions a 15-11 lead.
Despite kills from Guglielmana Guevara and Granados, the Pirates only trailed 19-18 before missing a serve.
Granados served up four straight points, including a pair of Guevara kills to get to match point, leading 24-19.
Madera South hit out of bounds for a Reedley side out. The Pirates served up an ace and the Stallions hit out of bounds twice to cut the lead to 24-22. Alvarado, who scored two of the first three points in the match, closed the match with a kill inside the back line for a 25-22 victory.
