Coyotes bounce back for 3-1 victory
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Chris Arias rises up to put down one of his 11 kills in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Edison.
After getting a week off, the Madera Coyotes boys volleyball took some time to get into rhythm during a four-set victory over the Edison-Fresno Tigers in Joe Flores Gym.
Led by the attack of Jaden Gaeta and Chris Arias, who combined for 30 kills, the Coyotes shook off a first set loss to win the next three for a County/Metro Athletic Conference victory Tuesday evening.
“The firs set looked like we’ve been off for a week, which we were,” head coach Rhonda Jefferson-Counsel said. “We had lack of communication. Nobody was ready.”
Arias dominated the opposite attack with 11 kills while Gaeta stepped up to lead the Coyotes with 19.
“Chris was huge,” Jefferson-Counsel said. “He played out of his position because we had so many people not here. He should have been playing middle, but he was playing opposite. He did amazing. Jaden got hot tonight and started attacking. It just took us a set to get going.”
After dropping the first set, 25-21, the Coyotes got in gear to win the next three by a combined 75-60.
“The team we are, you saw in sets two and four,” Jefferson-Counsel said.
The Coyotes trimmed the Edison lead to three late in the first set, but a series of self-inflicted wounds helped give the Tigers the lead.
Damian Bispham put down a kill to cut the lead to two after a Gaeta side out kill.
However, Madera hit out of bounds and Edison put down a kill for set point, 24-20.
Arias and Bispham combined for a dual block for the side out, but a missed serve gave the Tigers the first set.
Madera regained the momentum in the second set. Ayden Orlando served up seven straight points for an 8-1 lead. Gaeta and Arias put down two kills each in the run while Leo Marquez added another.
A Gaeta side out kill and an Arias kill opened the lead to 10-2. Edison cut the lead to four with three straight points, but Arias put down a side out kill. Angel Leon, who had nine kills, and Marquez put down side out kills.
Leon served up five straight points with four Edison errors and a Gaeta kill for a 19-9 lead.
Gaeta put down a side out kill and Orlando served up a point for a 21-10 lead.
Edison got the side out and served up an ace and put down a kill to cut Madera’s lead to 22-15.
Gaeta put down a side out kill and served up an ace for set point. After a missed serve, Edison hit out of bounds for a 25-16 Coyote win.
Madera jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third set behind two Gaeta kills and a Leon kill.
Edison cut the lead to one before an Arias kill. However, the Tigers scored five straight points for a 9-7 lead.
After an Edison side out, Leon put down two kills and Arias added another to help regain the lead, 11-9.
Edison scored three straight points to take the lead back before a side out tied the set at 12.
After an Edison ace, the Coyotes got the side out and Leon put down a kill. Marquez sent back an Edison attack for a 17-14 lead.
The Tigers came back to tie the set at 19. Five straight side outs gave the Coyotes a 21-20 lead before Gaeta served up a point. Edison got the side out, but Arias put down a side out kill. Bispham and Leon combined on a block for set point, 24-21.
A Madera missed serve and an out of bounds hit cut the Madera lead to one before an Edison missed serve gave Madera a 25-23 win.
Orlando served up seven straight points for a 10-3 lead in the fourth set. Gaeta put down three kills in the run while Marquez had a solo block and Arias put down a quick kill.
Edison fought back to cut the lead to three before a Gaeta side out kill. Arias put down a kill in a three-point run for a 15-8 lead.
Edison scored three points to cut the lead to four before a Leon kill. Gaeta put down a back row kill for a six-point lead. After an Edison missed serve, Kelvyn DeLeon served up a point and Josh Landeros put down a bump kill for a 22-13 lead.
After a trade in side outs, Edison took advantage of four Madera errors to cut the lead to five.
Arias put down a kill for match point, 24-18. Edison got the side out, but a Tigers’ mistake gave the Coyotes a 25-19 victory and the match win.
