Stallions halt streak with victory over Tigers
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Bianca Guevara reaches up for one of her game-high 21 kills in a four-set victory over the Edison Tigers.
With a three match losing streak looming over its head, the Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team righted the ship with a four-set victory over the Edison-Fresno Tigers.
The Stallions, who opened the County/Metro Athletic Conference season with four straight wins, suffered losses to San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno, Madera and Bullard-Fresno before picking up the victory over Edison on Thursday.
“It’s definitely good to get out of the slump and hopefully start back up on a win streak,” head coach Travis McEowen said. “
It seemed like the Stallions found their mojo from the first four matches of the CMAC with by winning the first two sets, 50-24, combined.
However, Edison battled back for a 29-27 win in the third set and battled the Stallions to the end in a 25-22 Madera South win for the match.
“It’s a roller coaster with this team,” McEowen said. “Everything was working. We were firing on all cylinders. They played like they wanted every point. We got a little push back from Edison and made less errors. They forced us to play a little bit. We weren’t quite ready to play like that after the first two sets. We were looking to put it into cruise control and they kind of caught us off guard.”
The Stallions had four hitters record eight or more kills, led by Bianca Guevara with 21. Kiara Alvarado and Arelis Chavez each put down nine kills and Veronic Ramirez had eight.
Ramirez put down a kill for the first point of the match and then recorded an ace. Alvarado put down a kill for the early lead.
After Edison tied the set at five, the Stallions scored five straight points beginning with an Edison service error. Jacky Guglielmana served up four straight points with help from Guevara. She had two solo blocks and a kill in the run for a 10-5 lead.
After Edison got a kill for side out, Guevara put down a tip kill. Jessica Velasquez served up nine straight points with three of her five aces for a 21-6 lead. Ramirez and Jazzy Vargas each put down a kill in the run.
Vargas put down a side out kill and Chavez put down her second kill of the set to get to set point. The Stallions won the first set, 25-11, after Edison missed a serve.
Two kills from Chavez and another from Destiny Perez opened a 4-1 lead for Madera South. Edison cut the lead to one, but Chavez put down a pair of kills and Alvarado had another for a 9-4 lead.
After a missed Stallions’ serve, Guevara put down a kill for a side out. Guglielmana served up five straight points with two Guevara kills for a 15-5 lead.
Edison got the side out, but Guevara quickly got the side out back with a kill. Anna Kajitani served up three straight points for a 19-7 lead.
Kelly Barrios put down a kill and Jacky Granados served up a point for a 21-9 lead. After five straight side outs and after an Edison ace, Alvarado put down a kill for set point.
Guevara ended the set with a kill for a 25-13 victory.
In the third set, Edison used three kills and an ace for a 10-4 lead. Madera South battled back with an ace from Velasquez and a solo block from Perez to cut the lead to 11-9.
Edison extended the lead to three before a Ramirez side out kill. Ramirez added another kill to cut the lead to one. However, Edison got the side out and scored three more points for a 17-12 lead.
Madera South battled back to cut the lead to three after side out kills from Chavez and Guevara.
Guglielmana, again, proved clutch with three straight points, including a Guevara kill to tie the set at 21. Edison scored two straight points before Guevara put down a side out kill and Edison hit out of bounds to tie the set at 23.
Madera South missed its next serve for an Edison set point, but Edison missed its serve to tie the set at 24. Chavez put down a kill to give the Stallions set point, 25-24.
Madera South hit out of bounds for an Edison side out, but Ramirez put down a tip kill for the second set point. Edison got the side out and added another point for set point, leading 27-26.
Chavez put down a kill for the side out, but Edison closed the set with two straight points for a 29-27 victory.
In the fourth set, Edison took the early 3-1 lead and extended it to 9-6 before a Guevara kill.
Guevara put down three more kills for a 10-9 lead.
After a Guevara side out kill, Ramirez added kill and Velasquez served up an ace for a 13-10 lead.
However, Edison scored six straight points to claim an 18-15 lead before an Alvarado side out kill. After a Madera South missed serve, Guevara put down a side out kill.
Diana Abendano served up three straight points with kills from Alvarado and Guevara for a 20-19 lead. After a trade in side outs, Guevara put down another kill for a 22-20 lead.
Edison scored two straight points to tie the set at 22 after an ace. Granados got the side out with a dump kill. Chloe Riddle served up a point for match point and Ramirez ended the match with her eighth kill for a 25-22 victory.
