It was only the third match of the season, but it proved to be a major turning point for the Buchanan High girls tennis team.

After being bounced from the Central Section Division I playoffs five of the previous six seasons by six-time defending champion Stockdale — including a 5-4 setback that came down to an 8-6, 6-4 decision in the final doubles match in last season's semifinal — the Bears finally defeated their nemesis 8-1 in a nonleague match Aug. 27.

"Beating them gave the kids a jolt as to where we were," Buchanan coach Jonathan Slater said. "And the girls kept up that level all season. We knew we were right there with everybody."

The Bears went on to share the Tri-River Athletic Conference title with Clovis West, earn the top playoff seed and edge the Golden Eagles 5-4 in the teams' third meeting of the season in the D-I final to cap a 20-3 season. Slater, in his third season as the head of Buchanan's girls and boys programs, has been selected The Bee's girls tennis Coach of the Year.

"He made sure to let us know that whatever has happened, happened," said Kathryn Ashford, Buchanan's No. 2 singles player. "And that we had what it took to do it. That made us go after it even more."

Slater made a gutsy move in the section team championship with Buchanan tied 3-3 heading into the final match at No. 2 doubles, pairing freshman Megan Lee and junior Geena Garabedian for only the second time all season. They ended up pulling out a 7-5, 2-6, 10-8 victory over Clovis West's Chelsea McCutcheon and Danielle Kar.

But Slater said it was the effort his team put in starting over the summer, not his coaching decision, that led to Buchanan's first section title since 2001.

"You can be the best coach in the world, but if the girls don't want to put in the effort, it doesn't matter," said Slater, who helped lead Sierra to a section title as a player in 2000 before moving on to Fresno Pacific. "These girls worked extremely hard all year long."