Coyotes miss mark in loss
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Chandler Fowler goes up to put down one of his team-high 17 kills during Tuesday’s four-set loss to Central.
The Madera Coyotes boys volleyball team had trouble finding the target in a four-set loss to the Central-Fresno Grizzlies in Joe Flores Gym.
Although the Coyotes recorded 38 kills against the Grizzlies, they also had 26 hitting errors Tuesday night.
“Those hitting errors killed us,” head coach Rhonda Jefferson said.
In their first game in Joe Flores Gym, Jefferson’s team overcame 20 missed serves for a win over Reedley. However, against a better Central team, the missed attacks were too much for the Coyotes to overcome.
Chandler Fowler led the Coyotes with 17 kills, but he was the only player in double-figures.
The Grizzles took the first two sets 25-16 and 25-20, but the Coyotes won the third set 25-20. Central closed out the match with a 25-20 victory.
In the first set, the Coyotes fell behind 6-3. Bryson Smith put down a side out kill. Alex Olvera-Gil recorded a solo block and a kill. Noel Luviano-Duque put down a kill and Central was out of rotation for an 8-6 lead.
Central came back to tie the set at nine and then scored seven straight points for a 15-9 lead. The Grizzlies added three more points for an eight-point lead.
Madera got a kill from Fowler and Hunter Brown to cut the lead down to six, but Central countered with four straight points and open a 10-point lead.
After a Central service error, Gerardo Alavez served up a point and Smith recorded a solo block to cut the lead to seven.
The Grizzlies got a side out, but missed their next serve, leading 23-16. The Grizzlies missed another serve, but scored the next two points for a 25-16 victory.
Madera jumped out to the quick lead in the second set. Alavez served up two aces and Smith put down a kill for a 4-0 lead. A pair of Olvera-Gil kills led to a 7-4 lead.
The Grizzlies came back with six straight points to turn a three-point deficit into an 11-8 lead.
A Central service error, a Fowler kill and an Olvera-Gil ace tied the set at 11. Two side out kills each from Folwer and Olvera-Gil kept the Coyotes in the game with Central leading 18-16.
Central then scored three points for a 23-18 lead before a Fowler side out kill. Alavez served up a point, but missed his next serve for set point. The Grizzlies aced the Coyotes for a 25-20 second set win.
In the third set, Madera took an early lead behind kills from Fowler, Smith and Olvera-Gil. The two teams remained close until Brown put back a Central attack for a 14-11 lead.
A Fowler kill led to a five-point lead, but the Grizzlies battled back to cut the lead to 19-18. Central tied the set at 20 before a missed serve gave the Coyotes the lead and side out.
Madera didn’t return the serve with Daniel Barriga behind the line. Brown won a joust at the net, Central was called for a lift to get to set point. Smith blocked a Grizzlies’ attack for a 25-20 win.
The two teams stayed rather close in the early part of the fourth set. Central jumped out to an 11-8 lead.
The two teams exchanged seven straight side outs with Fowler recording two kills and a block and Olvera-Gil adding a side out kill.
After Central opened the lead back to three, the teams exchanged eight more side outs with Brown recording two more side out kills and Chandler adding another.
The Coyotes cut the lead down to two, but the Grizzlies closed the set with four straight points for a 25-20 victory.
