Volleyball and tennis teams open playoffs

With the regular season over, girls volleyball and tennis teams will begin the postseason today with first-round matches.

In volleyball, Madera South received the No. 5 seed and hosts No. 12 Sunnyside-Fresno, a team they beat earlier in the season. Madera South begins its playoff journey tonight at 7 p.m.

The winner advances to the quarterfinals and plays at No. 4 Dinuba or hosts No. 13 Tulare Western.

In addition, the Stallions girls tennis team will also open the Div. IV playoffs today with a first round match against Wasco. The Stallions received the No. 7 seed against 10th seeded Wasco. The winner plays at No. 2 Taft, who received a first-round bye.

Also in the Div. IV girls tennis playoffs will be the Liberty Hawks, who received the No. 8 seed. The Hawks open the playoffs with a match today against No. 9 Coalinga. The winner faces top-seeded Kerman, who also received a bye.

In the biggest stunner amongst the seeded teams is how the back-to-back County/Metro Athletic Conference champions, Madera Coyotes were treated.

Not only do the league champions not get to host a playoff game. Not only do they not get to play close to home, but they have to make a trip to San Luis Obispo on Thursday in the first round of the Div. II playoffs.

The Coyotes, who went 9-1 in the CMAC by winning nine straight matches, received the No. 11 seed to face sixth seeded San Luis Obispo. The winner plays at Stockdale or hosts Mission Prep-San Luis Obispo on Nov. 5 in the quarterfinals.

In the Div. IV girls volleyball playoffs, the Hawks were given the 13th seed and won’t have far to travel to face the fourth seeded Minarets Mustangs on Thursday in the first round. The winner of Thursday’s match faces Washington Union-Easton or Woodlake in the quarterfinals on Nov. 5.

All volleyball matches begin a 7 p.m. and tennis matches begin at 4 p.m.