Stallions give coach his 300th victory
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Mario Aguirre tries to get an attack past the Madera block of Bryson Smith during Wednesday’s match.
The Madera South boys volleyball team gave head coach Steve Guglielmana his 300th victory and it came at the hands of his alma mater — the Madera Coyotes.
The Stallions defeated the Coyotes, 25-20, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20, who were playing their second game after just one practice.
Mario Aguirre led the Stallions with 11 kills. Ishmael Ambriz added 10 kills despite having no practices under his belt while playing for the Stallions’ boys soccer team. Cristian Saldana and Donovan Guglielmana added nine kills each.
Bryson Smith recorded a game-high 15 kills for the Coyotes. Giovanny Prudente added nine kills for the Coyotes, who were shut down for 10 days for COVID reasons.
Both teams came out swinging even early in the match. The teams were tied at five, seven, nine and 10 before Saldana put down a side out kill to give the Stallions the lead they wouldn’t relinquish in the first set.
Diego Lopez served up an ace in a two-point run. Aguirre added a kill for a 17-12 lead and Lopez added one for a 19-14 lead.
Madera’s Matthew Carrera put down a side out kill and Eduardo Enriquez served up a point to cut the Stallions’ lead to three.
Guglielmana served up two points with two kills from Ambriz getting the Stallions to set point.
A tip kill from Smith stopped the run and Angel Leon recorded a solo block to cut the lead to four. However, Ambriz closed out the first set with a kill and a 25-20 win.
Ambriz served up four points to give the Stallions and early 6-3 lead in the second set. Kills from Aguirre and Guglielmana opened a 10-7 lead for the Stallions. Ambriz helped extend the lead to six.
Prudente put down a kill to cut the lead to four, but the Stallions scored two points with a Saldana kill.
Aguirre added another kill for a 21-12 lead. Madera’s Smith started to warm up and he put down a kill to cut the lead to five.
After a trade in missed serves, Smith put down a tip kill and Elizer Mendez added another to cut the lead to three.
Ambriz put down a side out kill, but Smith had a side out kill of his own.
Madera South hit out of bounds twice for a 23-22 Stallions’ lead. Nicolas Maldonado recorded a tip kill for a Stallions’ side out and Saldana ended the set with a kill for a 25-22 win.
After Madera South jumped to the early lead in the third set, Madera came back to tie the set at eight.
The two teams went back and forth before Aguirre served up two points for a16-13 Madera South lead.
Back-to-back kills by Smith kept the Coyotes in the set. After the second kill, Smith went back to serve and Madera recorded seven points with Smith getting a back row kill and Jaden Gaeta adding another for a 22-17 Madera lead.
Maldonado stopped the run with a side out kill, but Smith got the side out with a kill. Joshua Landeros served up a point for set point and Smith ended it with a kill and a 25-18 win.
Lopez served up the first five points for the Stallions to open the fourth set.
Smith and Carrera combined on a block, Carrera put down a kill and Prudente served an ace to cut the Stallions’ lead to 10-8.
A Madera missed serve and a Gaeta kill cut the Stallions’ lead to one. After a Smith side out kill, Landeros served up three points and Madera led 15-13.
Madera hit out of bounds for side out and Lopez served up an ace to tie the set. After a trade in side outs, Aguirre put down a kill for the Stallions’ lead.
Carrera put down a kill for the side out and Smith added another kill for an 18-17 lead.
A Madera missed serve led to four straight Stallion points. Aguirre put down a kill and Maldonado served up an ace for a 21-18 lead.
Smith stopped the run with a side out kill, but a Guglielmana kill gave the Stallions the serve back. Kills from Aguirre and Guglielmana gave the Stallions match point, 24-19.
Gaeta put down a kill for the Coyotes for side out, but Aguirre put down a tip kill for a 25-20 victory and the match win.
