Coyotes advance to quarterfinals
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Jaden Gaeta rises high to put down one of his early kills in Tuesday’s Div. II First Round playoff victory over Pioneer Valley. He finished with 14 kills, including nine in the third set.
The Madera Coyotes boys volleyball team earned the No. 5 seed in the Div. II playoffs and lived up to the billing with a three-set victory over No. 12 Pioneer Valley-Santa Maria in the first round.
The Coyotes recorded a 25-18, 25-23 and 25-17 victory to advance to the quarterfinals to face No. 4 Central on Thursday.
Jaden Gaeta took over the third set with nine kills to lead the Coyotes to the win. He finished with 14 kills to top Madera attackers.
Mathew Carrera added seven kills and seven other Coyotes combined for 14 more.
Madera and Carrera took over the first set early. Carrera had four kills in the first set, including three in a row.
Early on, Leo Marquez put down two kills for the lead. A Gaeta side out kill gave Madera a 7-3 lead. After the Panthers cut the lead down to two, libero Josh Landeros put down a kill on a free ball.
Then, Carrera put down three straight kills for an 11-6 lead. After a missed serve, Pioneer Valley scored three straight points to cut the lead to one. Carrera put down a kill for the side out.
Landeros served up an ace and Marquez put down a block for a 15-10 lead. After a Marquez tip kill, Eduardo Enriquez served up two points to increase the lead to seven.
Side out kills by Ayden Orlando and Angel Leon led to a 20-14 lead. Marquez served up a pair of points, including a Chris Arias solo block for an eight-point lead.
Pioneer Valley scored four straight points before Gaeta put down a side out kill.
Leon put down a kill for set point and Apolonio Ordaz closed the game with an ace for a 25-18 win.
In the second set, Pioneer Valley used a four-point run to take a 7-5 lead.
Despite two side out kills by Arias and another from Gaeta, Madera trailed 11-9 before a side out. Enriquez served up an ace to tie the set at 12.
Pioneer Valley scored three straight points for the lead. The teams exchanged five straight side outs with Pioneer Valley still leading 17-15.
Madera tied the set with a Carrera kill and an Orlando solo block. The teams tied the score at 18 and 19 before the Coyotes got a side out with a ball off the Joe Flores gym ceiling.
Gaeta added a kill to take a 21-19 lead. Pioneer Valley served up an ace to tie the set at 22. After a trade in side outs, the Panthers were called for back-to-back net violations for a 25-23 Madera victory.
Gaeta put down two kills, Marquez recorded a solo block and Enriquez served up an ace for a 4-0 lead. Gaeta added another kill to increase the third set lead to 7-1.
After a Gaeta kill, Arias put down a quick kill to increase the lead to seven.
Pioneer Valley scored three straight points to cut the lead to 12-8 before an Orlando side out kill.
Gaeta added a pair of kills to help increase the lead to 17-12. Marquez served up an ace and Gaeta put down his ninth kill of the set for a 20-12 lead.
Leon served up an ace for a 23-15 lead. After Leon missed his serve for a side out, Carrera put down a side out kill for match point.
After Pioneero Valley got the side out, the Panthers missed their next serve for a 25-17 Coyotes’ victory.
