VOLLEYBALL / STATE TOURNAMENT : Calvary Chapel Sweeps Past Garces

Jenny Roberts of the Calvary Chapel girls’ volleyball team has a unique way of tilting her head to one side, mouth agape, and raising her arm after every kill.

Roberts had plenty of opportunity to display this pose Tuesday at Calvary Chapel, when she led her team to a 15-6, 15-1, 15-5 victory over Bakersfield Garces in the first round of the State Division IV tournament.

Roberts, a 6-foot-2 middle blocker who has orally committed to attend Hawaii next year, had 15 kills and six blocks in the match, which lasted about an hour.

Calvary Chapel (16-3) will play at El Cajon Christian (25-5) in the second round Saturday.

For Roberts, a two-time all-state first-team selection, the victory brought her one step closer to her goal of a second consecutive State championship. The Eagles won Southern Section titles in 1993 and 1994 and were top-seeded in the section’s Division IV tournament this season, but were upset in the quarterfinals by Brawley.

Calvary Chapel took out its frustration for that loss on Garces.

“We were really excited and really pumped up. I think we were feeling like it was a second chance,” Roberts said.

The Eagles never were really threatened by the Rams (15-5) and jumped to an 8-2 lead in the first game behind five kills and a solo block by Roberts.

The Rams scored three consecutive points on a service winner, a kill by Julie Zvirblis and a hitting error by the Eagles before Downey called a timeout. Calvary Chapel gave up one more point the rest of the first game and took only 13 minutes to win the second game.

The Eagles found themselves tied with the Rams, 5-5, in the third game after a stretch of horrendous serving by both teams. But two service winners by setter Kensy Zulueta sparked the Eagles and they didn’t give up another point after that.