Toros show growth at end of first full season

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Matilda Torres libero Sol Barrera gets a dig to start the offense during Monday’s three-set loss to Golden Valley.

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At the end of its first full season, the Matilda Torres Toros girls volleyball team has shown some growth to get ready for next season.

Unfortunately, they ran into a really good Golden Valley-Merced Cougars team that swept the Toros 25-9, 25-9, 25-8 Monday.

“I expect them to progress more, but that’s more on me considering they are in their first season,” head coach Adam Horner said. “I’m hyper competitive. That was one of the best teams we’ve faced, so far. It’s hard to judge against a good team. This was a tough match for us.”

It is especially tough for a volleyball team when the libero (Sol Barrera) leads the team in kills with three. Matilda only had eight kills in the match.

“Our mindset needs to be more progressive,” Horner said. “We need to have more faith in ourselves that we can do things. They tend to revert to their old habits a lot and not do what we teach them. You can see their growth in the way they pass and serve.”

The Toros couldn’t get too much done on their end. The Cougars recorded 17 aces in the three sets.

The Toros fell behind 5-1 in the first set and then fell victim to an eight-point run to fall behind 12-2.

Golden Valley had runs of three and four to open a 19-5 lead and closed it out with a 9-3 run for a 25-9 win. The Toros only recorded one kill in the set — a bump kill from Analise Cerrillo.

Torres only recorded three kills in the second set — one each from Alexis Barriga, Barrera and Isha Herrera.

After Barrera put the Toros ahead, 5-4, with a bump kill, a missed serve led to a big run by the Cougars. Golden Valley scored the next 12 points, with five aces, for a 16-6 lead.

Two more three-point runs led to a 22-7 lead before an Herrera kill. The Cougars got the side out and finished the set, 25-9.

The Toros got side out kills from Barriga and Barrera in the third set, but a five-point run put them in a 7-2 hole.

Torres tried to keep pace with the Cougars. At one point, the Cougars only outscored the Toros 8-4 after a Sabrina Cerrillo kill.

The Cougars got the side out leading 18-8 and didn’t give the serve back. Five aces, two hits out of bounds and a dunk kill led to an eight-point run and a 25-8 victory.