The Matilda Torres Toros girls volleyball team was looking to close out the first half of the North Yosemite League season with a perfect 4-0 record against the 1-2 Sanger West Hornets.
However, it was the Hornets that took it to the first place Toros in a five-set match Tuesday at Torres.
But, the Toros still remain at the top of the NYL standings with a 3-1 record with the Madera Coyotes and Hornets in second with a 2-2 record.
The Hornets put down 58 kills in the five sets to go with 11 aces. By comparison, the Toros put down 45 kills and had 15 aces.
However, the Toros also hit the ball out of bounds nine times, but none after the third set. But, they hit the ball into the net on attacks 13 times, and had eight missed serves.
Sanger West helped Torres out with 18 hits out of bounds to go with 10 hits into the net and 10 missed serves.
The match became a battle of top hitters. Sanger West’s top hitter put down 28 of her team’s 58 kills. Meanwhile, Torres setter Alexa Cervantes fed Tarin Anderson in the front and in the back. Anderson finished with 26 of her team’s 45 kills in the five sets.
Torres had two other players with more than five kills — Amelia Specials with six kills and Destiny Miranda with five. But, it was the intensity and consistency that hurt the Toros.
The entire match was played close. Sanger West outscored Torres, 114-111, in the five sets. Two of the three sets went beyond the 25 points needed to win.
Sanger West took the early lead with the first six points of the match. They extended it later with a four point run.
However, the Toros, as has been all season, weren’t deterred, and started to battle back. Gianna Gonzalez served up five straight points with kills from Specials, Miranda, and a back row kill from Anderson to cut the lead to three.
A Specials side out kill off the block and a Cervantes ace cut the lead to two. However, the Hornets scored two straight points for a 21-16 lead before an Anderson kill.
The two teams exchanged three side outs before Torres hit out of bounds for set point, and the Hornets put down a kill for a 25-18 win.
In the second set, Sanger West took an early lead, and after eight straight side outs, added five straight points for a 10-4 lead.
Bella Laredo served an ace to cut the lead down to three. However, Sanger West scored six straight points for a 17-9 lead.
The Toros started to ship away. Cervantes served up an ace. After six straight side outs, Anderson put down two kills, and served an ace to cut the lead to 20-17.
A Mya Lujan side out kill led to a Mia Castaneda ace to cut the lead to 21-20. After a missed Hornets’ serve, Anderson found the back line with a kill to tie the set at 22. However, the Hornets scored two straight points to get to set point.
Miranda held off the end of the set with a side out kill, and Cervantes served up an ace to tie the set at 24. Specials served up a point for a Torres set point, but the Hornets scored two straight points for set point, 27-26.
The teams exchanged four straight side outs with Anderson putting down side out kills. However, on the sixth Sanger West set point, Torres hit into the net for a 30-28 Sanger West win.
The Toros came out in the third set determined to stretch out the match. Cervantes served up an ace and Anderson had a two kills and a block for a 5-2 lead.
Miranda served up two aces with Anderson getting a kill off the block for a 9-3 lead. Sanger West scored four straight points before an Anderson side out kill.
An Anderson back row kill led to two aces from Castaneda for a 14-8 lead. Gonzalez served up an ace for a seven-point lead.
The Hornets scored four points with two aces to cut the lead down to three, and eventually cut it down to 18-16.
The Toros got the side out and Specials served up an ace for a 21-16 lead. After a trade in side outs, Lujan got a kill off a bump free ball. Anderson put down a side out kill for set point. After Sanger West got the side out, Anderson put down a back row kill for a 25-19 win.
Torres took the early 9-6 lead in the fourth set with kills from Miranda, Specials and Anderson. A Specials solo block opened the lead to four. After an Anderson got a side out kill, she put down a back row kill. Miranda found the back corner for a kill, and Gonzalez served up a point for a 15-9 lead.
Sanger West put down four consecutive kills to cut the lead to two. The Hornets cut the lead to one before a side out kill from freshman Alana Hamman.
Sanger West tied the set at 19 and 20 before an Anderson roll kill from the back row. Castaneda served up an ace and Specials put down a kill for a 22-20 lead.
However, the Hornets scored four straight points to get to match point, 24-22. A missed serve gave the Torres the side out. Sanger West hit out of bounds on the second match point, and hit out of bounds, again, for a 25-24 Torres lead.
The two teams exchanged side outs for a Torres set point. Miranda stuff blocked a Sanger West attack for the block, and a 27-25 win on the second set point.
In the fifth set, two Anderson kills gave the Toros a 6-2 lead. Anderson put down a side out kill and served an ace to open a 9-4 lead. A Hamman tip kill and a Castaneda point gave the Toros a six-point lead.
Sanger West battled back with four straight points that included three Torres attacks into the net to cut the lead to two.
After a trade in side outs, two kills and an ace gave the Hornets a 13-12 lead. The two teams traded side outs with the Hornets getting match point. On match point, Torres hit into the net trying to attack an overpass for a 15-13 Hornets’ win.