High School Sports

Clovis West finds stride heading into section volleyball final

By Nick Giannandrea

nickg@fresnobee.com

Clovis West High School girls volleyball coach Rhonda DeRuiter never doubted her team was capable of reaching the Central Section championships.

It just took the second-seeded Golden Eagles – who will face No. 1 Liberty-Bakersfield in the Division I final Saturday – a little while to hit their stride.

“There were a lot of different teams with a lot of different strengths, and we worked hard to find good matchups against everyone,” said DeRuiter, whose team is in the section finals for the seventh time in the past nine years while winning five titles. “That can be very tough. You get comfortable playing your style of volleyball, and when someone does something different, that adjustment can be difficult. Early in the season there were styles we didn’t match up well with, and we worked hard to adjust to that.”

It will come down to who is performing their A game, who is taking the opportunity to enjoy the electric environment and who can handle being on that stage.

Clovis West coach Rhonda DeRuiter ahead of the Central Section Division I championship match against top-seeded Liberty-Bakersfield

Clovis West (34-9) rides a five-match winning streak into the 8 p.m. match, the culmination of a day that will crown the section’s five divisional champions under one roof at West Hills College-Lemoore.

Other finals feature No. 2 Exeter vs. No. 1 Garces Memorial in D-II, No. 2 Mission Oak vs. No. 1 Bakersfield Christian in D-III, No. 4 Minarets vs. No. 2 Sierra in D-IV and No. 2 Immanuel vs. No. 1 Frazier Mountain in D-V.

The Golden Eagles enter with a deep and multidimensional lineup that’s been made even better by the development of sophomore setter Champney Pulliam, who’s allowed regular setter Sarah Armendariz the opportunity to contribute more as an opposite hitter.

“We needed her to improve at such a fast pace,” DeRuiter said of Pulliam. “And she’s done that.”

The move of Cal State San Marcos-bound Micah Hebert from outside hitter (the left side) to opposite hitter (right) this season also has added diversity to Clovis West’s attack, with Tiersa Bailey and Aubrey Olson manning the outside and Julia Altamirano and Maddy Letterman playing in the middle.

Faith Jensen moved this season from middle blocker to libero, and she’s helped in the back row by Lili Tavlan and Maddie Stanley.

Liberty (24-7) has reached a second consecutive D-I final behind an attack where Brooklynn Cheney (4.1), Elise Ferreira (3.2) and Lauryn Burt (2.6) all average more than 2.5 kills per set. That trio combined for 41 kills when the Patriots swept the Golden Eagles 25-14, 28-26, 25-21 during their only previous meeting this season.

DeRuiter said her team has come a long way since that meeting on Sept. 22 in Bakersfield.

“With the adjustments we plan to make, it should be a very interesting matchup,” DeRuiter said. “It will come down to who is performing their ‘A’ game, who is taking the opportunity to enjoy the electric environment and who can handle being on that stage.”

Liberty, which is seeking its third section title, was swept by Clovis East 25-18, 25-20, 25-22 in last season’s D-I final.

Nick Giannandrea: 559-441-6103, @NickG_FB

CHAMPIONSHIPS AT A GLANCE

Central Section volleyball finals Saturday at West Hills College-Lemoore. Championship history provided by Central Section historian Bob Barnett.

DIVISION I

  • Matchup: No. 2 Clovis West (34-9) vs. No. 1 Liberty-Bakersfield (24-7)
  • Time: 8 p.m.
  • Section titles: Clovis West 2008, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’13; Liberty 2001, ’02
  • Playoff run: Clovis West d. No. 7 Stockdale 25-17, 25-19, 25-19; d. No. 3 Central 30-28, 25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 15-10. Liberty d. No. 8 Clovis East 25-20, 25-14, 25-17; d. No. 4 Clovis 23-25, 25-17, 28-26, 16-25, 15-10
  • Previous meeting: Liberty won 25-14, 28-26, 25-21 on Sept. 22.
  • The skinny: Clovis West Golden Eagles, led by Cal State San Marcos-bound Micah Hebert, are in the final for the seventh time in the past nine years. Liberty Patriots powered by all-around play of senior Brooklynn Cheney (4.1 kills per set and 11.2 digs per match) and sophomore Elise Ferreira (3.2 kills per set/9 digs per match).

DIVISION II

  • Matchup: No. 2 Exeter (32-6) vs. No. 1 Garces Memorial (21-10)
  • Time: 5:30 p.m.
  • Section titles: Exeter 2002, ’03, ’05, ’06, ’08; Garces 1980, ’81, ’88, ’90, ’91, ’96, ’97, 2001, ’07, ’08
  • Playoff run: Exeter d. No. 15 Tulare Western 25-14, 25-14, 25-18; d. No. 7 Hoover 25-13, 25-13, 19-25, 25-21; d. No. 3 Redwood 25-21, 25-23, 25-14. Garces d. No. 16 Ridgeview 25-10, 25-7, 25-8; d. No. 8 Lemoore 25-17, 25-11, 25-16; d. No. 5 Sanger 25-20, 25-17, 25-20.
  • Previous meeting: None
  • The skinny: Senior Olivia Harden (3.6 kills per set) powers the Exeter Monarchs’ offense, while sophomore Corinne Acosta (2.1 kills per set, 71 aces, 12.1 digs per match) makes an impact all over the court. Garces Rams have dynamic sophomore duo in Perri Starkey (3.5 kills per set) and Lailah Green (2.8 kills per set).

DIVISION III

  • Matchup: No. 2 Mission Oak (29-7) vs. No. 1 Bakersfield Christian (33-1)
  • Time: 3 p.m.
  • Section titles: Mission Oak none; Bakersfield Christian 2005, ’06, ’08, ’13, ’14, ’15
  • Playoff run: Mission Oak d. No. 7 Arvin 25-18, 25-12, 25-16; d. No. 3 Yosemite 25-20, 25-17, 25-17. Bakersfield Christian d. No. 9 Reedley 25-18, 25-16, 25-14; d. No. 4 Hanford West 25-11, 25-8, 25-17.
  • Previous meeting: Bakersfield Christian won 25-19, 25-18 on Sept. 17.
  • The skinny: Mission Oaks Hawks (led by senior Alyssa Parkison and juniors Christa Pilgrim and Samantha Arellano) and Bakersfield Christian Eagles (powered by senior Bella Bouma and junior Sarah Wilkins) return virtually intact for a championship rematch, which Bakersfield Christian won last year 20-25, 25-17, 25-14, 27-25.

DIVISION IV

  • Matchup: No. 4 Minarets (27-7) vs. No. 2 Sierra (27-4)
  • Time: 12:30 p.m.
  • Section titles: Minarets 2012, ’13; Sierra 1982, ’89, ’94, ’95, ’98, ’99, 2015
  • Playoff run: Minarets d. No. 13 Granite Hills 25-18, 25-20, 25-14; d. No. 5 Chowchilla 26-24, 25-15, 25-20; d. No. 1 Liberty-Madera Ranchos 28-26, 23-25, 25-22, 25-16. Sierra d. No. 15 Coalinga 25-9, 25-9, 25-19; d. No. 7 Dos Palos 25-14, 25-22, 25-23; d. No. 3 Taft 25-15, 25-17, 25-21.
  • Previous meetings: Minarets won 24-26, 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 15-8 on Sept. 13; Sierra won 25-21, 25-15 on Sept. 17.
  • The skinny: Division final rematch sees Minarets Mustangs, led by junior Julie Castleman (3.0 kills per set and 9.6 digs per match) and senior Mia Corippo (2.3 kills per set, 2.2 blocks per match, 6.6 digs per match), out to avenge last year’s 23-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-12 loss to the Chieftains, who are powered by junior Taylor Saar (2.6 kills per set, 8.0 digs per match) and senior Abbey Briggs (2.3 kills per set).

DIVISION V

  • Matchup: No. 2 Immanuel (22-15) vs. No. 1 Frazier Mountain (30-3)
  • Time: 10 a.m.
  • Section titles: Immanuel 1981, ’82, ’83, ’84, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’97; Frazier Mountain 2014, ’15
  • Playoff run: Immanuel d. No. 7 Laton 25-6, 25-17, 25-9; d. No. 1 California City 25-18, 25-17, 25-9. Frazier Mountain d. No. 8 Wonderful College Prep Academy 25-11, 25-9, 25-16; d. No. 5 Kings Christian 25-18, 25-11, 21-25, 25-12.
  • Previous meeting: None
  • The skinny: Juniors Lindsay Unruh and Brooke Gonsalves are among six returners for the Immanuel Eagles who absorbed a 25-16, 25-10, 25-15 loss to the Frazier Mountain Falcons in last season’s final.

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Clovis West finds stride heading into section volleyball final."

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