Torres improves, but swept
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Matilda Torres’ Sabrina Cerillo goes up for a kill attempt in Tuesday’s loss to Washington Union.
Although the scores may not reflect an improvement, but Matilda Torres Toros girls volleyball coach Adam Horner saw enough improvement to remain optimistic for the season.
“We improved a lot in our second match,” Horner said. “Our serving was way more aggressive. We were hitting locations. We stayed in rotation, so we’re learning.”
The Toros recorded seven aces in the three-set loss to Washington Union-Easton on Tuesday. However, they only recorded five kills.
“It’s going to take many games before they get it, but that match was a big improvement from the last one,” Horner said. “Transition off the net, getting into position and get in position to swing, they are learning. Games are faster for them. They need to learn quick to transition.”
However, the Panthers were dominating from the service line in recording 19 aces. They only recorded 18 kills in the match.
Samaria Benavidez served up the first point of the match for the Toros. However, the Panthers scored eight of the next nine points for an 8-2 lead.
The Panthers scored three more points and added another three-point run for a 14-4 lead.
Sabrina Cerillo put down a kill and Bryance Gonzales served up an ace to get the Toros within 10. The Panthers then scored four straight points for a 20-7 lead.
Benavidez put down a kill, but the Panthers added two more points.
After getting the serve, Stephanie Venegas blocked back a Panthers’ hit and Cerillo served up an ace for a 22-11 Panthers’ lead.
Washington Union closed out the set scoring three of the next six points for a 25-14 victory.
In the second set, Isha Herrera served an ace and Venegas recorded another block to get within two of the Panthers, 6-4. The Panthers went on a pair of four-point runs to extend the lead to 13-6 before an Emily Mendoza kill. Alexis Barriga served an ace to cut the lead to six.
The Panthers scored four more points in a row for a 17-7 lead before a trade in service errors.
Matilda got the side out after a Cerillo kill, but the Toros let the ball drop on their end for the side out. The Panthers didn’t give the serve back and scored six straight points for a 25-10 victory.
The Panthers scored the first 10 points of the third set with five coming on aces. However, from there, the Toros didn’t fare too badly, losing 15-9 in the last half of the third set.
After Washington Union took a 15-2 lead, Barriga put down a kill and served two aces in a row. The Panthers scored four straight points for a 20-6 lead and added three more for a 23-7 lead before a missed serve.
Gonzales served up an ace off the net, but the Panthers closed out the match with the final two points for a 25-9 victory and the sweep.
