Silver Foxes continue success on volleyball court with veteran squad
Jefferson's success in high school volleyball this season comes as no surprise to the team.
Last season, the Silver Foxes won 21 matches, a bi-district title for the first time in more than a decade and took a set from Amarillo High in the area round.
Once again this season, the Silver Foxes are again consistent winners and on Tuesday night they won their District 1-5A home opener against Chapin 25-19, 25-23, 25-22 at Tinajero PK-8 School, the team's home this season as the high school gym is being worked on.
"I've been the head coach for 20 years and this is a special team," Jefferson coach Sandra Quimbar said. "It takes a great deal of work to have a strong bond and chemistry and this team has accomplished that."
The Silver Foxes' success last year has paved the way for this year's team, which won its 20th match on Tuesday and it's had success against out of town competition.
"Our bond is strong, our chemistry is solid," outside hitter Amy Heredia said. "We've grown a lot in the past two years and we've built a strong team and we believe in ourselves."
Jefferson setter Maria Lopez was on point in Tuesday's win, keeping the Chapin defense guessing and using her talented hitters to her advantage. Heredia, Alexa Ozuna, Angela Ukanwa and Janiyah Sims were among the hitters who had a good night offensively. And freshman libero Ivey Martinez gave the team a lift and capped a late rally in the second set with two aces to give the Silver Foxes a 2-0 lead.
"Our experience helps so much and this match was really important," Lopez said. "We're taking it one match at a time and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but our goal is to win a district title and then have success in the postseason. We just have to keep getting better and stay focused. We've had some good wins and I think last year winning a playoff match and playing Amarillo High gave us more confidence."
The Silver Foxes conquered an improved Chapin squad on Tuesday, which sets them up against defending District 1-5A champion El Paso High on Friday night. The district also features longtime playoff contender Burges and an improved Canutillo team, which defeated Burges on Tuesday.
Tuesday's top performers
Montwood's Bianca Sierra had 40 assists, 15 digs, 6 aces in win against El Dorado.
Coronado's Faith Silex had 16 assists, 7 digs, 2 aces in win against Socorro.
Eastlake's Kaitlyn Salgado had 25 kills and 9 digs in win against Pebble Hills.
Eastlake's Genna Gandara had 48 assists and 15 digs in win against Pebble Hills.
Franklin's Hannah Finn had 35 assists and 15 digs for the Cougars in win agianst Eastwood.
Franklin's Jordan Imperial had 16 digs and 18 digs in win against Eastwood.
Hanks' Natalie Garcia had 13 kills and 4 digs in win against Bel Air.
Ysleta's Mia Espinoza had 5 kills, 31 assists, 14 digs in win against Parkland.
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Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Jefferson sweeps Chapin in District 1-5A volleyball opener
