Liberty-Bakersfield wins Clovis tourney

Judging by its performance this weekend, Buchanan High is back among the Central Section's volleyball elite.

And with a masterful performance over the past two days, Liberty-Bakersfield staked its claim to be considered the Valley's best team.

Behind tournament MVP Haylee Roberts, The Bee's third-ranked Patriots topped the No. 4 Bears 25-18, 25-18 on Saturday in the final of the Clovis Volleyball Challenge, a 28-team tournament that annually draws the section's best teams and serves as an early-season power indicator.

"Liberty right now is definitely the strongest team," Buchanan coach Marian Battles said. "They have a lot of weapons."

The Patriots completed a 7-0 run through the tournament held at Clovis North High by defeating Buchanan for the second time in three days.

With eight of its top nine players back from last season's 24-12, Central Section Division I semifinal team, Liberty trailed only briefly in the first set and after the first point of the second en route to winning the tournament title for the second straight season.

Roberts had eight kills, one of seven to put down points in a balanced Patriots' attack.

"It's a great way to start the season and get a feel of what everybody looks like in the Central Section," Liberty coach Lean Slayton said. "There are a lot of great teams. Even though we won today we know any given night we have to bring our best game to play. Our challenge is to continue to grow and make sure we don't peak too early."

After two mediocre seasons -- a combined 34-31 record with one playoff victory -- by program standards, Buchanan's march to the tournament final was a welcome sight for Battles, who directed the Bears to a 134-39-1 record with three section titles and one runner-up finish in the previous five years.

With a four-year varsity player in Emma Gasman (seven kills) and a trio of third-year players in Jamie Bero (five kills, four digs and an all-tournament selection), Bissie DenHartog (15 assists, all-tournament) and Alyssa Jones, Battles expects her Bears to be in the thick of the D-I chase.

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Liberty-Bakersfield wins Clovis tourney