Coyotes win five-setter over Tigers

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera’s Emily Lopez gets a pass to start the Madera offense during Tuesday’s five-set win over the Edison Tigers.

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After falling behind after three sets, the Madera Coyotes needed to come back with two set wins for a County/Metro Athletic Conference girls volleyball victory over the Edison-Fresno Tigers in Joe Flores Gym.

The Coyotes won the first set rather easily, 25-11. However, Edison won the second set rather easily, 25-13. The Tigers took the second set, 25-23, thus forcing the Coyotes to win the next two sets to keep their chances alive.

The Coyotes held off a late charge by the Tigers and forced a fifth set with a 25-21 win.

In the five-set victory, five different Coyotes recorded five or more kills. Jazmin Rodriguez and Zariah Bryant led the team with eight kills each. Aliyah Garcia had seven and Emily Lopez and Zoe Rodriguez had five each.

Garcia got the fifth set started with a solo block. Side out kills by Jazmin Rodriguez and Bryant gave the Coyotes a 4-2 lead.

The Coyotes hit the ball into the net and the Tigers served up an ace to tie the set.

Jazmin Rodriguez served up four straight points. She had an ace and Zoe Rodriguez, Lopez and Garcia put down kills for a 9-4 lead.

The Tigers got the side out and added three more points to cut the lead to one before a Garcia kill.

Estefania Baltazar served up three straight points and served up an ace for match point, leading 14-8.

Edison got the side out and served up an ace. On the third match point, Garcia put down a tip kill for a 15-10 victory.