Coyotes take control for Stallions’ sweep
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Chris Arias rises up for a block attempt on Madera South’s Ivan Miranda during Tuesday’s 3-0 victory.
It took the Madera Coyotes boys volleyball team to settle into its County/Metro Athletic Conference opener against the Madera South Stallions, but closed the match with convincing victories in a sweep.
After coming from behind late to win the first set, the Coyotes outscored the Stallions 50-25 in the final two sets to record a CMAC win Tuesday evening.
“I think it was nerves in the first set. It’s the league opener,” Madera head coach Rhonda Jefferson-Counsel said. “We tried to do too much at the beginning. We bore down and got back into it.”
Angel Leon led the Coyotes with nine kills while Matthew Carrera added six, but it was the defense that held the Stallions at bay.
“We swung a lot more than they were. Our hitters need to learn how to adjust to the set,” Jefferson-Counsel said. “We just moved Chris Arias to the middle on Saturday. This is his first real match in the middle. He showed that goalie mentality. He was all over the place. That’s going to work out real nice.”
Arias, who was the Coyotes soccer goalkeeper, added five kills to the Madera attack and dominated the middle on the block.
Mario Aguirre led Madera South with six kills while Nicolas Maldonado had five.
The Coyotes jumped out to the quick lead with an ace from Eduardo Enriquez and a Leon kill. However, Madera South took advantage of four straight Madera errors to take a 6-5 lead.
An Arias side out kill led to back-to-back aces from Leon for a 9-7 lead.
The two teams exchanged side outs with Jaden Gaeta and Carrera getting kills for the Coyotes while Madera South received kills from Ivan Miranda and Maldonado.
Madera took a 13-12 lead after a Carrera side out kill and a Leon kill off the block. However, Madera South got a kill from Jaime Gomez and a ace from Daniel Delgado to take a 14-13 lead.
Leon got a tip kill and Leonel Marquez recorded a solo block to give the Coyotes the lead back.
Madera South got a Gomez kill in a three-point run for a 17-15 lead. Nathon Gil and Miranda combined for a block to extend the lead to 19-16.
Aguirre put down back-to-back kills for a 21-17 lead before a Jefferson-Counsel time out.
Madera South got another point with a Madera hit out of bounds for a 22-17 lead. However, Madera South missed its next serve and lost the momentum.
Kelvyn DeLeon served up four straight points for the Coyotes. Arias had a pair of kills and Carrera added another to tie the set at 22.
Madera hit into the net to give the Stallions the side out and the lead. However, Arias and Ayden Orlando combined on a block to tie the set at 23.
Joshua Landeros served up a point when Madera South hit out of bounds to get to set point. Carrera ended the set with a push kill to the back corner for a 25-23 win.
Madera carried the momentum into the second set. After a kill from Marquez, Enriquez served up four straight points with a pair of Leon kills. Orlando served up another point for a 7-1 lead. Marquez served up two more points with two Madera South hits out of bounds for a 10-2 lead.
Maldonado put down a side out kill for the Stallions, but Jaden Gaeta gave the Coyotes the side out with a tip kill. He added another kill off an overpass and Leon served up another point for a 13-3 lead.
After six straight side outs, Enriquez served up three straight points with a Leon kill for a 19-6 lead.
Aguirre got a Stallions’ side out kill, but Leon gave Madera the serve right back. Orlando served up three straight points, including an ace for a 23-7 lead. After a trade in side outs, Madera South was called for a lift and the Coyotes won the second set, 25-8.
The Stallions stayed with the Coyotes at the beginning of the third set. Marquez had his serve fall and Arias put down a quick kill for a 6-4 lead. Leon served up another point. After a Gaeta and Arias dual block, DeLeon served up an ace.
The Stallions got a tip kill from Edgar Montecinos, but the Coyotes got the side out right back when Arias put down a kill on an overpass.
Landeros then served up five straight points. He had an ace in the run while Marquez, Carrera and Orlando put down kills for a 16-7 lead.
Maldonado got a side out kill for the Stallions to begin a run of six straight side outs.
Marquez served up a point for a 20-10 lead, but Aguirre got a Stallions’ side out kill. He added a kill to cut the lead to seven.
However, Madera South gave the serve to Madera with a hit into the net, but Aguirre put down another side out kill and the Stallions cut the lead to 21-15.
Carrera put down a kill for a Coyotes’ side out, but Flavio Quiroz put down a Stalllions’ side out kill.
Carrera got the serve back with a kill. Landeros served up a point to get to match point. Orlando finished the match with a cross-court kill on a Stallions’ overpass for a 25-16 win.
