Torres falls in four sets
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Matilda Torres seniors Ariana Varela, left, and Alexis Barriga go up for a block against Sunnyside during Thursday’s Senior Night game.
It could have been the emotions of the first-ever girls volleyball senior night, but the Matilda Torres Toros girls volleyball team had trouble in the first set against the Sunnyside-Fresno Wildcats, but battled over the next three in a tough North Yosemite Loss.
The Toros lost the first set 25-14, but battled tough against the Wildcats, losing 25-23 and 25-20 while taking the third set 26-24 on Thursday where they honored their six seniors.
“They battled in the second and fourth set,” head coach Adam Horner said. “There were a couple of things here and there. They battled all night. Sunnyside dug a lot of balls and served really well. It was a tough match. The girls battled hard and that’s what you expect on Senior night.”
Senior Alexis Barriga led the Toros with 13 kills and Bryance Gonzalez added five.
However, the difference in the match could be found at the service line. The Wildcats recorded 16 aces and had 10 missed serves. Meanwhile, the Toros had just 12 aces with 16 missed serves.
The Toros also didn’t help themselves with self-inflicted mistakes. They hit into the net or had a ball fall on their own end a combined 14 times. They were outscored in the match by 13 points.
The Toros took the early lead behind three Sunnyside errors. However, the Wildcats served up two aces in a seven-point run for a 12-6 lead. The Wildcats added two aces for a seven-point lead.
Aida Aquino served up an ace, but the Wildcats got the serve and scored four more points for a 23-12 lead.
Barriga served up an ace, but the Wilccats got the side out and the final point of the set.
The Toros put up a better fight in the second set. Sunnyside took the early 9-6 lead. However, a pair of kills from Barriga tied the set at nine. The Wildcats scored the next three points, but a Barriga kill tied the set at 13.
The teams battled to ties at 14, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20 before the Wildcats took a 22-20 lead.
Barriga aced the Wildcats to tie the set at 23. However, a missed serve and a kill ended the set, 25-23.
In the third set, the Wildcats quickly took a 4-0 lead. However, two aces from Sarah Guillen and a kill from Sabrina Cerrillo led to a five-point run for a 9-6 lead.
Cerrillo added an ace, but the Wildcats tied the set at 12. Sunnyside used an ace for a 15-13 lead, but the Toros came back.
Barriga served up two aces and Cerrillo recorded a solo block for a 19-15 lead. Gonzalez put down a kill for a five-point lead.
The Wildcats came back with six straight points for a 22-21 lead. Torres scored two points to take a lead, but a missed serve tied the set at 23.
Torres got set point with a Sunnyside foot fault, but the Wildcats got the side out. Barriga put down a kill for the second set point. The Wildcats hit into the net for a 26-24 Toros win.
Sunnyside took a 9-5 lead in the third set after an ace and a kill. The Toros got two aces from Gonzalez and a one-armed bump kill from Barriga for a three-point run and an 11-10 lead.
Sunnyside countered with two straight points and then a five-point run for a 17-12 lead.
A J’Lynn Mitchell and Barriga dual block and a Cerrillo kill cut the lead to three. Ariana Varela served up an ace and the Toros cut the lead to two. A side out kill from Gonzalez and a kill from Cerrillo cut the Wildcats’ lead to one.
However, a missed serve led to a four point run by the Wildcats for a 25-20 win.
