Volleyball phenom Gentry Barker, the No. 1 recruit in the state in the Class of 2027, said Saturday night that she is leaving 10-time state champion Lovejoy.
She is moving back to Austin, where she grew up, and will be transferring to Lake Travis for her junior year.
“I’ve always wanted to move back to Austin, and my mom is finally letting me this year,” Barker said.
It’s a huge loss for a Lovejoy program that is tied for the third-most state titles in UIL history. The MaxPreps first-team All-American outside hitter had 484 kills, 483 digs and 42 aces for a 36-9 Class 5A Division II regional finalist as a sophomore, she was named the District 9-5A MVP and she is the No. 1 player in the Prep Dig state recruiting rankings for the Class of 2027.
“I am definitely going to miss the volleyball a lot,” Barker said of leaving Lovejoy. “It has been really helpful, and I really enjoyed playing with a lot of advanced people, but I think it will be fun at LT too. I get to play with a lot of my old friends.”
Barker was The Dallas Morning News All-Area newcomer of the year as a freshman in 2023. She had a team-high 424 kills as Lovejoy won the Class 5A state title, and she was named the MVP of the state final after recording a match-high 17 kills to go with 11 digs as Lovejoy beat Liberty Hill in three sets to win its fourth state title in five years.
She will join a Lake Travis team that finished fourth in its district and lost in the first round of the 6A Division I playoffs last season. Lake Travis is a two-time state champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.
Lovejoy will have a new head coach next season, as Sean McMurry was hired after leading A&M Consolidated to a 35-11 record and regional final appearance in Class 5A Division I in 2024. McMurry replaces Natalie Bates (Puckett), who announced in January that she was leaving Lovejoy and will be taking a break from coaching.
Barker has not committed to a college but said, “I’m probably going to commit sooner than later.”
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