CLASS 3A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEK SEVEN
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Just over a month remains in the volleyball regular season and the jockeying for postseason positioning is really getting busy. With twelve teams hosting three-team regionals, this week, we’ll focus on the teams that head into the weekend currently sitting in one of those hosting spots. We’ll also take a look at some of the other key matches featuring teams that are either in the mix for one of those spots or trying to get into the final 36 of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index. That metric is our sources for the rankings going forward.
#1 PLATTE VALLEY LADY BRONCOS (13-5 OVERALL, 7-1 PATRIOT)
Platte Valley pushed its winning streak to six after overcoming a 2-1 hole against Resurrection Christian on Tuesday to win the fifth set 15-11, with Karsyn Fetzer recording 29 kills and 35 digs. Lauryn Uyemura tallied 52 assists. That streak was snapped on Thursday, when the Lady Broncos were swept by Timnath. They will try to get back on track on Tuesday at home against Wellington in league play.
#2 JEFFERSON ACADEMY LADY JAGUARS (12-1 OVERALL, 3-1 METRO)
Jefferson Academy’s perfect start to the season came to an end last Saturday when Kent Denver rallied back from a 1-0 deficit to win in four sets. The Lady Jaguars bounced back with sweeps of The Academy and Eagle Ridge Academy. Jessica Schaffer recorded a total of 49 assists in those two wins. JA is off until next Thursday.
#3 TIMNATH LADY CUBS (15-0 OVERALL, 6-0 PATRIOT)
The sweep of Platte Valley on Thursday was the 11th of the season for Timnath, who has only dropped six sets to date. Two of those came last Saturday in a win over Windsor Charter Academy. Aubrianna Gerdes pushed her season kill total to 184 with 20 in the match against Platte Valley. It’s the second time this season the junior has had at least that many kills in a match. The Lady Cubs visit Liberty Common on Tuesday in league action.
#4 DELTA LADY PANTHERS (13-0 OVERALL, 5-0 WESTERN SLOPE)
Delta lost its first set to a league opponent last Friday, but still came away with a four-set victory at Moffat County. Aadrey Fraser had a double-double of 20 kills and 10 digs, while Lillian Nelson had one of her own with 48 assists and 11 digs. With another 32 assists in a sweep of Gunnison on Tuesday, the sophomore is just one short of 400 for the season. She’s likely to get to that milestone very early in next Tuesday’s home league match with Aspen. She is also just four shy of 1000 for her career.
#5 EATON FIGHTIN’ LADY REDS (9-4 OVERALL, 6-1 PATRIOT)
Eaton moved its winning streak to six, all by sweeps, with victories over Estes Park and University this week. Evie Gavette and Graci Reider each had five aces in the win over Estes Park. The Fightin’ Lady Reds are one of five teams within two wins of Timnath for the lead in the Patriot. They host one of the others, Resurrection Christian next Tuesday, and then get their shot at the league leaders next Thursday.
#6 GUNNISON COWGIRLS (10-1 OVERALL, 4-1 WESTERN SLOPE)
For the first time this season, Gunnison will head into a match on Saturday needing to rebound from a loss. The Cowgirls saw their 10-0 start to the season upended by Delta on Tuesday. Amara Lock and Sienna Gomez each had nine kills in the loss. Gomez also added a dozen digs, three off the team lead recorded by Lily Wild. Following the non-league match at Center on Saturday, Gunnison also has a non-league tilt at Olathe on Tuesday.
#7 LIBERTY COMMON LADY EAGLES (11-5 OVERALL, 5-2 PATRIOT)
Part of that logjam in the Patriot behind Timnath, Liberty Common collected important league wins over University and Resurrection Christian this week, both in four sets. Karli Krueger (16, 22) and Lillian Tullius (15, 11) combined for 64 kills in the two wins. The Lady Eagles will try to muddle things up even more in the league standings when they host Timnath on Tuesday.
#8 KENT DENVER LADY SUN DEVILS (13-1 OVERALL, 5-0 METRO)
Kent Denver backed up last Saturday’s big 3-1 win over Jefferson Academy with a sweep on Manual on Wednesday. That victory handed career win #100 to head coach Emily Danitz. Elisabeth Kim and Larkin Elliott each played a key role in helping their coach to that milestone, serving eight and seven aces, respectively. The Sun Devils started working on the next 100 with a sweep of Colorado Academy on Thursday. They will host The Academy on Monday.
#9 ALAMOSA LADY MEAN MOOSE (9-4 OVERALL, 5-0 INTERMOUNTAIN)
Keeping their winning streak alive has been anything but easy for the Lady Mean Moose, who had to go the distance last Saturday at Bayfield to pull out a 3-2 victory. Laci Christensen hammered 15 kills to lead the way. Just a few days later, the same two teams met in Alamosa with the hosts taking a tough three-set sweep behind scores of 25-21/22/21 on Thursday. The Lady Mean Moose will put their six-match streak on the line Saturday at Pagosa Springs. They’re also at Centauri next Tuesday. Both are league contests.
#10 JAMES IRWIN LADY JAGUARS (10-2 OVERALL, 5-0 TRI-PEAKS)
Since opening the season 0-2, James Irwin has reeled off 10 consecutive victories. That includes four league wins in the last week. The Lady Jaguars swept Atlas Prep, needed four sets to beat both Buena Vista and The Vanguard School, and then swept St. Mary’s on Thursday. Breeana Noel served up 10 aces against Atlas Prep, her second time this season with a dime, and followed that up with eight against BV. Jayla Higgs had eight against Atlas Prep and six against Vanguard. James Irwin continues league play on Tuesday against La Junta.
#11 CENTAURI LADY FALCONS (9-5 OVERALL, 3-1 INTERMOUNTAIN)
Since suffering a five-set loss to Alamosa about three weeks ago, Centauri has gotten hot, sweeping its last four opponents. Kailyn Polzin continues her hot play at the net, recording 19 kills against Bayfield and 20 against Montezuma-Cortez. She had 177 going into Thursday nights sweep of Sanford. The Lady Falcons will look to avenge that earlier five-set loss to Alamosa when they host the Lady Mean Moose on Tuesday.
#12 LAMAR LADY THUNDER (8-2 OVERALL, 6-1 TRI-PEAKS)
Lamar made it three straight sweep victories by taking care of business against Salida and Atlas Prep. Brooklyn Robbins was just two digs away from a triple-double in the win over Salida, recording 16 kills, 10 aces, and eight digs. Addy Krug shone brightly in the win over Atlas Prep, registering seven kills and nine aces. The Lady Thunder head to the Fowler tournament on Saturday, where they will face Denver Christian, Limon, and the hosts, all 2A programs.
KEY MATCHES OUTSIDE THE TOP-12
#33 STARGATE SCHOOL AT #24 PEAK TO PEAK FRIDAY
FORT LUPTON TOURNAMENT SATURDAY #20 FORT LUPTON, #22 ASPEN, #49 FRONTIER ACADEMY, #60 DSST: CEDAR, 4A #24 GREELEY CENTRAL
#15 PROSPECT RIDGE AT #39 BENNETT MONDAY
#20 FORT LUPTON AT #35 DSST: MONTVIEW TUESDAY
#18 ST. MARY’S ACADEMY AT #24 PEAK TO PEAK TUESDAY
#23 FORGE CHRISTIAN AT #33 STARGATE SCHOOL TUESDAY
MileHigh Prep Report 