Stallions begin run with victory
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Bianca Guevara splits the Sunnyside defense for one of her team-high 10 kills in Wednesday’s four-set victory over the Sunnyside Wildcats.
The Madera South Stallions girls volleyball team began another run to the Div. III Central Section championship match with a first-round victory over the Sunnyside-Fresno Wildcats.
The fifth-seeded Stallions posted dominating victories in the first and fourth sets, combining for a 50-29 win. Sunnyside, the No. 12 seed, made it tough in the second set with a 25-22 Stallions victory and the Wildcats took advantage of Madera South mistakes for a 26-24 victory in the third set.
“We played fine,” head coach Travis McEowen said. “Then, we got back to serve receive where we fell apart. Sunnyside took it too us and we couldn’t find a response to passing those balls and it took us out of our system.”
Bianca Guevara, Arelis Chavez and Jacky Guglielmana, along with setter Jacky Granados, combined for 30 kills against the Wildcats.
“Jacky Guglielmana played her best match of the year,” McEowen said. “No matter where she was asked to play, she did well. She served well, she passed well, she hit well, she touched a lot of balls on the block. Wherever we put her, she was our best player.”
Although later in the night the Wildcats would hurt the Stallions from the service line, it was the Stallions who dominated from the line at the beginning.
In Madera South’s first 10 points, four were scored on aces — two from Guglielmana, one each from Jessica Velasquez and Veronica Ramirez — and another was scored on a service error.
Guevara put down three kills in the first 11 points with Destiny Perez and Guglielmana adding kills for an 11-5 lead.
Ramirez added another kill for a six-point lead, but the Wildcats cut the lead to three before a Chavez kill.
With Velasquez serving, the Stallions extended their lead to eight behind two Chavez kills, an ace from Velasquez and a kill from Guglielmana.
After a Guglielmana side out kill, Samantha Yumusak served up two points for a 23-13 lead. Granados put down a dump kill for set point.
Sunnyside got the side out and added another point before freshman Jazzy Vargas put down a kill for a 25-16 victory.
In the second set, Guglielmana served up a three-point run for a 9-5 lead. Guevara and Ramirez put down kills in the run. Guevara served up a point after her side out kill.
Perez put down a side out kill and Granados served up four straight points for a 16-7 lead.
Sunnyside then served up three straight aces in a five-point run to cut the lead to four. After six straight side outs, the Wildcats served up another ace to cut the lead to two.
After a service error, Guglielmana served up an ace and another point for a 22-17 lead. A trade in side outs resulted in a three-point run by Sunnyside to cut the lead to 23-22.
Granados recorded a bump kill for set point and the Wildcats hit out of bounds for a 25-22 win. Of Sunnyside’s 22 points, 14 came as a result of Madera South errors.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in the third set before a Granados dump kill. Vargas added another kill while Chavez and Guevara combined on a dual block to tie the set at four.
The Wildcats used two aces for a 10-6 lead before Velasquez served up three points to re-tie the game. Guevara had a solo block in the run.
After a trade in side outs, Guglielmana put down a kill for a 12-11 lead. Sunnyside got the side out and scored two more points for a 14-12 lead.
A missed serve led to a Chavez solo block and a Granados ace for a 15-14 lead. Granados added two more points for a 17-14 lead. However, Sunnyside came back with four to take a 19-18 lead before a Granados dump kill.
Guglielmana served up three straight points with an ace, a Granados dump kill and a Guevara kill. Sunnyside came back with a three-point run to get to set point leading 24-23. After a missed serve, Madera South hit out of bounds on two straight attacks for a 26-24 Sunnyside victory. Of Sunnyside’s 26 points, 17 came by Madera South errors.
Madera South put the fourth set away early. After a Wildcats’ missed serve, Ramirez served up nine straight points.
In the run, Chavez had two kills and a solo block. Vargas added a kill and Guglielmana put back a Wildcat attack for a 10-3 lead.
Sunnyside cut the lead to five after an ace, but another missed serve led to another Stallions’ run.
Velasquez served up seven straight points, including three aces. Guevara had a solo block for a 21-8 Stallions’ lead.
An Anna Kajitani bump kill led to a side out. Guevara served up an ace while the Stallions earned match point leading 24-10.
After a Sunnyside kill and two Madera South errors, the Wildcats hit out of bounds for a 25-13 Stallions’ victory.
The Stallion advance to the Div. III quarterfinals on Tuesday with a match at No. 4 seed Dinuba on Tuesday.
