Lady Cats prepare for invite

Two years ago Clovis won the tournament. Last year the Lady Wildcats couldn’t win a match. The only consistent thing about the Clovis Invitational volleyball tournament the past few years has been the quality of competition.

“In the past we’ve had lots of champions from different classes, from 5A champions all the way down to Class A champions,” Clovis coach Darrel Ray said. “We’ve got that same kind of feel this time. We have lots of highly touted teams.”

The ninth installment of the 16-team tournament starts Friday with pool play at Rock Staubus Gym.

Ray believes the Lady Wildcats have the ability to return to the top, especially since three-time and defending champion Rio Rancho declined the invitation to this year’s tournament.

“The team’s complexion has changed a great deal,” Ray said. “We’re telling everybody, ‘We’ll be one of the teams that you’ll have to beat to get to that championship trophy.’”

Ray expects senior outside hitter Aimee Hilburn to be dominant this weekend.

“Aimee is one player who can take over a match,” Ray said about his 6-footer. “I don’t think they’ll be up to the task of stopping her. Even though there are a lot of teams with big kids, I think it’s going to be tough for teams to shut her down.”

Another player primed for a big tournament is Portales senior middle hitter Megan Kabrick. Lady Rams coach Ruth Chavez said the 5-10 Kabrick has been looking good in practice.

“She’s probably our most consistent hitter,” Chavez said. “She hits everything and she is good at controlling the net.”

Chavez said her team is ready to start the season.

“We are so excited,” Chavez said. “It seems like we’ve been practicing forever. We’re ready. It’s time to play.”

Clovis started its season Tuesday with a loss to Frenship at Wolfforth, Texas.

The Clovis coach said the loss showed the team some of its weaknesses.

“You’re never happy to lose, but if you’re gonna lose you better learn something from it,” Ray said. “Everything we saw last night that we didn’t like, we came in this morning and worked on it and we’ll work on it (today).”

Ray is confident Tuesday’s match gives the Lady Cats a leg up in the tournament.

“I’m sure it’s going to help us this weekend,” he said. “We think we’ll be better prepared than the guys who didn’t open up yet. I don’t think the teams that we’re gonna see will be up to that speed of game that we saw last night. ”

Besides Hilburn and Kabrick, other premier players in the tournament inlcude St. Michael’s senior setter Heidi Geyer, Tatum senior outside hitter Sage Jones and Hobbs senior Demetrie Young