Coyotes impose their will on the Panthers
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera middle blocker Hallie Page sends a kill past the San Joaquin Memorial blockers during Tuesday’s three-set victory over the Panthers.
FRESNO — The Madera Coyotes girls volleyball team has picked the them of “Impose Your Will” this season and they did just that in a straight set victory over San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno.
After a shaky first set 26-24 victory, the Coyotes imposed their strength on the Panthers. They defeated the Panthers 50-30 in the final two sets to improve to 3-0 in the County/Metro Athletic Conference season Tuesday.
“We started off a little shaky in serve receive,” head coach Meghan Haas said. “I stress to the girls everyday that if we can pass in serve receive, we’ll do well. We have two giant middles and girl on the outside that can put the ball away. So if we can serve receive and we’re doing a good job with the ball, there’s not a lot of teams that can beat us. We put a premium on serve receive in practice.”
Haas’ two giants in the middle — Hallie Page and freshman Isabella Saucedo — combined for 21 kills. The girl on the outside — Katelyn Siegl — added 11 kills while Lilly Ascencio added six more kills.
“We had some great swings,” Haas said. “We aren’t making bad errors. Our middles started to get blocked, but they moved the ball around and that’s what it’s going to take to beat people.”
Lexi Carmona led the team with 14 digs while Lauren Greewal had 37 assists and eight digs.
“Lexi is our anchor back there,” Haas said. “We have this expectation for her to play well. For her to start that set the way she did and the way she finished, she did well. It never phased her. She’s very feisty. She’s going to find a way to play better."
After a four-set victory over Sanger and a five-set victory over Bullard-Fresno, the Coyotes looked to be in for a long battle during the first set.
Despite side out kills from Siegl, Page and Saucedo, the Panthers led 9-5. The Coyotes crept back into the match after a Page kill cut the lead to one.
However, the Panthers jumped out to a 17-13 lead, but the Coyotes took the lead. After a Page kill, she put down three aces and Saucedo recorded a solo block for a 19-17 lead.
After an Ascencio kill, Cassadi Mata served up a point for a three-point lead.
The Panthers battled back with three straight points, including an ace, to tie the score.
A Saucedo side out kill led to a 23-21 lead. Siegl put down a kill to get the Coyotes to set point.
The Panthers got the side out, but Page put down her fifth kill of the set for set point. Lauren Grewal ended the set with an ace for a 26-24 victory.
In the second set, a tip kill by Saucedo and an Ascencio kill off a dig that bounced off the ceiling helped lead to a 4-3 lead.
A Page kill and a Mata ace led to a 7-4 lead. Grewal and Page combined on a dual block and Siegl put down a kill to open the lead to four.
Side out kills from Siegl, Saucedo and Ascencio, along with another kill from Saucedo and an ace by Alicia Velasco, opened the lead to 15-10.
Carmona served up an ace in a four-point run. Ascencio put down a kill off a Memorial overpass and Page recorded a solo block and a kill for a nine-point lead.
A Page side out kill led to another Ascencio kill to open the lead to 10.
A Memorial service error led to kills by Page and Siegl to end the second set with a 25-13 Coyote victory.
In the third set, the Coyotes jumped out to an early lead behind a pair of Siegl kills and another from Page.
Two side out kills by Page and a Saucedo solo block led to a 9-3 Coyote lead. Saucedo put down two side out kills and Siegl put down another kill for a 12-5 lead.
Carmona served up an ace and a Siegl side out kill led to two points and a 17-8 Madera lead.
Memorial went on a three-point run before the Coyotes scored two more points for a 21-12 lead. Despite a dual block by Page and Lauren Lund, Memorial cut the lead to five after an ace.
Saucedo got the side out with a solo block, Ascencio served up a point to get to match point and Saucedo ended the match with her eighth kill for a 25-17 victory.
