Stallions win rivalry thriller
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
The Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team celebrate winning a point against the Madera Coyotes in Tuesday’s five-set victory. From left are Kiara Alvarado, Samantha Yamusak, Veronica Ramirez, Jacky Granados (5), Diana Abendano (9) and Bianca Guevara (15).
In the best match of the Madera-Madera South girls volleyball rivalry, the Stallions came away with a five-set victory to open the County/Metro Athletic Conference season.
The Stallions fell into a 2-1 hole before edging Madera, 25-22, in the fourth set and getting a 15-13 win in the fifth set for the match win. The two teams played so close to each other that the final combined score was 105-101 in favor of the Stallions.
“Both teams wanted it, but was who was going to make the least amount of mistakes at the end,” said Madera South head coach Travis McEowen, who celebrated his birthday at Tuesday’s match.
Both teams had dominant victories for their first set wins. Madera won the third set, 25-22, before Madera South made its comeback in front of a raucous home crowd.
“It’s good to have this kind of atmosphere,” Madera head coach Meghan Haas said. “It’s something they haven’t really played in. It’s tough to play in that kind of atmosphere. It’s good that we have nine more matches in league.”
Madera South was led by three hitters with double-digit kills. Bianca Guevara had 20 kills while Arelis Chavez put down 12. Destiny Perez added 10 of the team’s 48 kills.
“We started coming together all the way around,” McEowen said. “Our passing still needs some work. They played lights out when they needed to.”
Madera’s Isabella Saucedo was the go-to for the Coyotes. She pounded down a match-high 36 kills, including 17 combined in both set wins.
However, the rest of the Coyotes combined for just 10 kills, led by Lauren Dybas with eight.
“We didn’t play our best, but we were in great position to win,” Haas said. “We get to play them again.”
Madera continued CMAC play Thursday against Sanger before battling Bullard-Fresno on Tuesday. Madera South battled Bullard on Thursday and faced Edison-Fresno on Tuesday.
“This is my first win against Madera,” McEowen said. “It was a good win. The girls played great. Madera has a great team and has an interesting defensive scheme. They made us work for everything. We’ll see what happens in league. Hopefully, we’ll go with the flow and keep going.”
Madera took advantage of home jitters from Madera South to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Saucedo put down three kills in the five points while Jade Davie added an ace.
Madera South battled back to cut the lead to two after a Jewely-Ana Rodriguez solo block, a Chavez kill, a Guevara kill and a Diana Abendano ace.
After a trade in side outs, Jacky Guglielmana served up two more Madera Southpoints, including a kill from Perez off the top of the net.
Guevara served up a kill for a 10-9 lead, but Saucedo put down a kill and added a side out kill for a 12-11 lead.
Davie served up six straight points, including two aces and another serve that couldn’t be returned. Saucedo added another kill and Madera led 18-11.
Chavez stopped the run with the first of her three straight side out kills. Saucedo and Dybas put down side out kills for a six-point lead.
With Sofia Perez serving for Madera, Madera South went into the net twice for a 23-12 Coyotes’ lead.
Guevara put down a side out kill, but a missed serve gave Madera set point. A Madera missed serve gave the side out to Madera. Guevara added an ace, but Saucedo ended the set with a back row kill for a 25-18 win.
Kills from Rodriguez and Chavez led to a 4-1 Stallions lead in the second set. Side out kills from Veronica Ramirez and Guevara led to a 9-4 lead.
Madera South setter Jacky Granados served up two points to increase the lead to seven. Saucedo cut the lead to five with a solo block before a Destiny Perez side out kill.
Saucedo got the side out back with her fourth kill of the set, but a missed serve gave the Stallions the point. Guevara put down a kill for a seven-point lead before another Saucedo side out kill.
Side out kills from Chavez and Perez gave the Stallions a 19-12 lead. Guevara added an ace for an eight-point lead.
Brianna Guerrero served up an ace for the Coyotes to cut Madera South’s lead to five.
After Madera hit out of bounds for a side out, Granados served up an ace. Madera hit into the net and couldn’t return a Granados serve for set point.
Madera got the side out, but Chavez ended the set with a kill for a 25-16 victory.
A kill from Rodriguez and an ace from Granados gave Madera South a 2-0 lead. A Chavez side out kill kept the lead at two.
After a missed Stallions’ serve, Mirayah Alvarez served up four straight points with the help of two Saucedo kills to open a 6-3 lead.
Rodriguez ended the run with a side out kill, but Saucedo got the serve right bck with a kill. Guevara got the side out with a kill.
Kiara Alvarado got a kill with a bump and Ramirez got another kill off the net to tie the set at seven.
After a trade in missed serves, Ramirez served up two points for the lead. After five straight side outs, Davie served up an ace to tie the set. Madera South got the side out, but Sofia Perez got a kill on a dump to tie the set at 13.
Alvarez served up an ace to give the Coyotes the lead. Samantha Yamusak served up a point to get the lead back for Madera South.
Saucedo recorded a back row kill for side out and Perez served up a point to tie the set at 18. Guevara got a side out kill, but Saucedo gave Madera the serve right back with a kill. She gave the Coyotes the lead with another back row kill.
Guevara tied the set at 20 with a side out kill.
Madera South’s sixth missed serve of the set led to three straight Madera points. Rodriguez stopped the run and Madera South added a point to cut the lead to 23-22.
Another missed Madera South serve led to a side out and Saucedo finished the set with a kill for a 25-22 win.
Madera South got off to the quick start in the fourth set. Guevara put down a dunk kill at the net and Perez found the back corner for a kill and a 3-1 lead. After a trade in side outs with a Guevara kill, Destiny Perez put down a kill for a three-point lead.
Anna Kajitani served up a pair of aces for an 8-2 Stallions’ lead.
Guerrero served up three straight points, including two kills from Dybas to cut Madera South’s lead to three.
Granados served up two points for an 11-5 lead. Dybas served up an ace and Saucedo added a kill to cut the Stallions’ lead to three.
After four straight side outs, Saucedo put down a kill to cut the lead to three. Saucedo added an ace and the Coyotes cut the lead to one.
The teams exchanged 13 straight side outs. In the run, Dybas and Saucedo had two kills and Guerrero added another. For the Stallions, Ramirez, Guevara, Rodriguez and Chavez had kills while leading 20-19.
However, Madera tied the set at 20 before a Guevara kills. Saucedo put down a side out kill, but Madera South got the side out.
Guevara served up two more points to get to set point, but Madera got the side out. Perez ended the set with a kill for a 25-22 win and force a fifth set.
Madera South opened the set on a roll with Abendano serving. Guevara rose to the occasion with three kills in the run, including one set up on a big dig from Abendano. Guevara also added a solo block for a 6-0 lead.
However, Madera battled back after a missed serve. Dybas served up five straight points, helped by three Saucedo kills, to tie the set.
Guevara got the side out kill, but Saucedo recorded a tip kill to tie the set. Madera hit into the net for side out and Guevara served up an ace for a 9-7 lead.
Saucedo put down a kill for the side out. Alvarez served up two aces and Saucedo put down a kill to open an 11-9 lead.
Perez put down a kill for the side out, but Saucedo got the serve back with a kill. Chavez got a kill for the side out and the lead.
Alvarado served up an ace, Rodriguez and Chavez combined on a dual block and Rodriguez added a solo block to get to match point.
Madera South’s 11th missed serve gave the Coyotes the side out. Madera hit out of bounds to give the Stallions the match win with a 15-13 victory.
