Another year, another Valley Oak League boys volleyball championship for Manteca. 

And the Buffaloes have yet to lose a match in VOL play.

After winning the league title in the inaugural 2017 season, Manteca clinched at least a share of the crown Wednesday with a 25-18, 25-17, 25-17 sweep of Lathrop at Winter Gym. 

“We are two games up on EU with two games to go and it feels awesome,” Buffaloes coach Kevin Bolding said. “This is a great group.”

Although undefeated in league, Manteca (8-0 VOL, 17-3 overall) dropped three out of four Saturday in the Granite Bay Tournament against teams that are much more established than Bolding’s second-year program.

“Playing in the tournament last weekend and letting them see what else is out there and how good it is and what that game can become is huge,” Bolding said. “It made our game today better.

“Lathrop made us play good because they are a good team too, but that tournament made us play better too, and hopefully we can continue that.”

The Buffaloes led the entire first set and trailed by no more than three points in the second and third. 

“Being competitive is great, but it is not good enough to win games,” Spartans coach Heather Anderson said. “That has been the story a lot for us this season — we are right there, but we do not have enough to finish and push and get to 25.”

The Spartans (5-4, 15-8) can clinch one of three Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berths with a win over Weston Ranch on Monday.

Kylan Chandler paced the Manteca attack with 12 kills and 10 digs. 

“We have been working on a lot of new plays and a lot of ways to open up our hitters,” Chandler said. “Our setters have been doing a good job of getting it to us and Jonny (Jonathon Borres) has been moving around a lot to get those sets.”

Borres had 23 assists and five digs, Cameron Reis tallied eight kills and a block and Joseph Borres scrapped for 22 digs.

“We have been working a lot in practice on hustling for the ball,” Joseph Borres said. 

Gabriel Gutierrez led Lathrop with 12 digs and eight kills. Mark Fabian added 19 digs and Rael Carmesis (14 assists) and Tyler Riggleman (10 kills) had nine digs each. 

Kimball 3, Sierra 0

TRACY — Kimball (4-4, 11-7) rolled to a 25-12, 125-18, 25-13 sweep.

Cyrus Hunter and Francisco Garcia registered four and three kills, respectively, for Sierra (0-7, 0-15). They also had six digs apiece.