Stallions win five-setter after getting swept

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera South senior Ishmael Ambriz rises up to put down one of his team-high 11 kills in Wednesday’s five set victory over the Roosevelt Rough Riders.

---

The already short-handed Madera South Stallions boys volleyball team were without two more players in a three-set loss to Bullard-Fresno.

However, the Stallions celebrated Senior Night with the return of one of those players in a five-set victory over Roosevelt on Wednesday, a night after they lost to the Knights.

Donovan Guglielmana had been the go-to player for the Stallions early in the season, but he fell ill this week and missed both games. Ishmael Ambriz played goalkeeper for the Stallions’ soccer team Tuesday, and returned to put down a team-high 11 kills in the win against Roosevelt.

Mario Aguirre added eight kills and Cristian Saldana had six in the win over Roosevelt. Nicolas Maldonado led the Stallions with eight kills in the loss to Bullard.

Madera South 3, Roosevelt 2

Roosevelt jumped out to the early lead using two aces for an 8-1 lead and then scored five straight points for a 17-8 lead in the first set.

Aguirre put down a kill, but the Rough Riders closed the match by scoring six of the next 10 points for a 25-14 victory.

It was the opposite story in the second set. The Stallions didn’t allow the Rough Riders to score while serving and did just enough with serve for a big victory.

Two side out kills from Nieto and a side out kill from Ambriz, Nieto and Maldonado tied the set at nine.

From there, the Stallions scored 16 of the next 21 points. Diego Lopez served up two points with an Aguirre kill. Nieto and Saldana combined on a dual block.

Saldana served up six straight points with five coming on Roosevelt errors for a 22-13 lead.

After a Roosevelt side out, Ambriz put down a kill and served up two straight points for a 25-14 victory.

Unlike the first two sets, the two teams remained relatively close at the beginning of the third set. Roosevelt scored six straight points with two aces for a 20-13 lead.

Ambriz served up an ace, but the Rough Riders still led 23-16.

Side out kills from Aguirre and Maldonado held off the final Roosevelt point, but Roosevelt finished out the set with a kill for a 25-19 win.

Roosevelt looked to finish the match in the fourth set and jumped out to a 7-1 lead.

Madera South chipped away at the lead getting an ace from Saldana and side out kills from Nieto and Aguirre. Nieto served up three straight points to cut the lead to one.

Lopez served up three more points, including a Maldonado kill, for a 14-12 Stallions’ lead.

Roosevelt scored four straight points to reclaim the lead.

After a Roosevelt missed serve, Aguirre served up four straight points, including an ace. Maldonado and Saldana helped the run with a dual block and Madera South led 19-16.

Roosevelt missed its next serve and Maldonado served up a point. Roosevelt scored three straight points to cut the Stallions’ lead to 21-20.

A trade in side outs and a Roosevelt kill tied the set at 22.

Madera South got the side out and didn’t return the serve to Roosevelt. Nieto put down a kill for set point and Ambriz served up an ace for a 25-22 victory.

Lopez served up three straight points in the fifth set after Roosevelt hit three balls out of bounds.

Aguirre served up a point and Maldonado added three more, including an ace for a 9-2 lead.

Ambriz put down a kill and Saldana served up an ace for an 11-3 lead. A trade in side outs and the Stallions led 12-4. Madera South closed the match by scoring three of the next five points for a 15-6 victory.