CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEK NINE by Kerry Sherman

CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEK NINE

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Barring some major setbacks, at this point the top 15 to 20 teams in the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index seem to be safely in the postseason field. This week, our focus is on the teams sitting from 20 to 30 in the Seeding Index, as of Thursday morning. There are some huge matches remaining for a number of those teams, and a few key victories could change how those final four or five spots shake out.

#20 WILEY LADY PANTHERS (8-7, 4-2 ARK VALLEY)

Wiley dropped a tough five-setter to #27 Springfield, giving the Lady Panthers their third loss in four outings. It also means they’ll need some help to win the Ark Valley and get the automatic berth into the regional round, as they’ve lost both matches with the Lady Longhorns and trail them in the league standings. The Lady Panthers will host 2A #41 Las Animas on Friday, and then #19 Eads visits on Monday for a crucial non-league contest. Wiley follows that up with a home match against #31 South Baca in league play.

#21 SANGRE DE CRISTO LADY THUNDERBIRDS (10-7, 4-0 SOUTHERN PEAKS)

Sangre de Cristo has all but locked up the Southern Peaks title and with it, a guaranteed spot in regionals. The Lady Thunderbirds already own wins over their two closest challengers in the league and they wrap up league play on Thursday against #51 Creede. They’ll have a shot to really boost their standing in the Seeding Index on Saturday when they host 2A #10 Hoehne.

#22 CAPROCK ACADEMY LADY EAGLES (11-6, 4-5 WESTERN SLOPE)

The Lady Eagles have dominated their non-league opponents this season to the tune of a 7-1 mark, but league play has been a different story. Five of their six losses have been inside the Western Slope. But, with so many 2A and 3A teams on that slate, Caprock’s RPI has been boosted, even with their losses. They’ve won two straight (both in non-league action) after dropping three in a row. The Lady Eagles finish their regular season with nothing but league matches. That begins on Saturday at 2A #57 West Grand. Tuesday, they will welcome 2A #32 Olathe in for a visit.

#23 FLATIRONS ACADEMY LADY BISON (7-7, 4-0 5280)

Flatirons Academy had won six of its last seven matches heading into Tuesday’s contest with #57 Mile High Academy. The Lady Bison were just a half game back of #17 Belleview Christian for the lead in the 5280, with neither team having a league blemish. Thursday night sees the Lady Bison hosting #29 Denver Waldorf in a big league contest. On Saturday, Flatirons Academy heads to Caliche for a tournament, in which the Lady Bison will face #44 Elbert, #45 Peetz, and 2A #44 Wray. Their big showdown with Belleview Christian is next Tuesday at home, and most likely will decide who wins the 5280 and nails down a regional berth.

#24 CHEYENNE WELLS LADY TIGERS (6-9, 0-4 HIGH PLAINS)

The Lady Tigers have been playing very well lately, winning three straight, but none have come inside the High Plains. They have three five-set losses on the season, falling to #8 Cheraw and #15 Kit Carson, as well as 2A #27 Burlington. Friday brings the last opportunity to collect a league win, as Cheyenne Wells hosts #19 Eads. The Lady Tigers will also have a home triangular on Saturday, with #13 Hi-Plains and #2 McClave on tap. They will be home on Tuesday to face #37 Flagler.

#25 ARICKAREE LADY BISON (10-9, 1-2 YWKC)

Things looked bleak for Arickaree’s postseason chances when the Lady Bison dropped a four-setter at home to #28 Lone Star last Tuesday. However, a win over Flagler last Friday, coupled with some big wins by teams they own victories over, the Lady Bison are still knocking on the door of a postseason berth. Their next three opponents are all inside the top 15 of the Seeding Index, beginning with Friday’s trip to #4 Otis. They have not beaten Otis during the MaxPreps era, dropping all 23 meetings. In fact, Arickaree has only won five sets in that time, four coming in the last three tries. Next weekend has matches with #14 Granada (Thursday) and #3 Stratton (Friday) at home.

#26 GENOA-HUGO/KARVAL LADY PIRATES (7-10, 2-3 UNION PACIFIC)

The Lady Pirates had a rough go of things in the Stratton Bash last Saturday, dropping two of three matches. They’ve lost four of their last five overall. If the season ended today, all four of the teams to beat GH/K in that stretch would be in the postseason. The only team they have lost to that isn’t currently occupying a postseason spot is Arickaree in the season-opener. That strength of schedule is keeping the Lady Pirates in contention for a regional berth. The tough slate continues on Thursday when they host #9 Idalia. Next Tuesday, they will go on the road for a UP contest against #53 Deer Trail.

#27 SPRINGFIELD LADY LONGHORNS (6-6, 6-1 ARK VALLEY)

With the Lady Longhorns leading the Ark Valley, they are on the verge of stealing the final postseason spot by way of the automatic berth. They avenged their lone league loss, a five-setter to #46 Kim/Branson very early in the season. Their win came in three sets last week. Tuesday’s five-set win over Wiley made it three straight for the Lady Longhorns with two coming against the Lady Panthers. Lainee Leathers had 18 kills on Tuesday, pushing her over the 500 mark for her career. Springfield will try to get its first non-league win of the season on Saturday when #10 La Veta visits. It’s back to league action next Tuesday with a trip to Walsh on the docket.

#28 LONE STAR LADY LONGHORNS (9-10, 1-2 YWKC)

The Stratton Bash last Saturday created some problems for Lone Star, as the Lady Longhorns dropped their first two matches, putting them on a three-match skid. However, they bounced back to beat #32 Kiowa to claim seventh place in the event. Overall, Lone Star has lost five of its last seven, hurting its chances of making the postseason. Their stretch run begins on Monday with a little trip to Hi-Plains.

#29 DENVER WALDORF LADY SPARTANS (12-7, 4-1 5280)

While so much of the attention in the 5280 goes to Belleview Christian and Flatirons Academy, Denver Waldorf still has a chance to share the league title. That equation begins with beating the Lady Bison on Thursday and wrapping up with a final victory over Rocky Mountain Lutheran in a couple weeks. The Lady Spartans would also need Flatirons Academy to beat Belleview Christian next week. That would create a three-way tie atop the standings. To get the automatic berth into the postseason, a team must win its league outright. In the event of a three-way tie, Denver Waldorf would need to finish high enough for an at large berth, meaning they would have to jump over at least five teams, and possibly six.

#30 CALICHE LADY BUFFALOES (4-9, 0-5 LOWER PLATTE)

While it might be hard to believe that a team with only four wins could be in the postseason conversation this late in the regular season, Caliche still gains a mention because of the strength of the LPAA. As of Thursday morning, that league had teams ranked #1 (Merino) and #11 (Haxtun) in Class 1A. In Class 2A, the LPAA had #1 Wiggins, #3 Sedgwick County, #16 Yuma, and #20, all of whom are locks for the postseason. For the Lady Buffs, they carry a six-match losing streak into Friday’s rivalry contest at Merino. They follow that with matches against Peetz, Wray, and Belleview Christian in their home tournament on Saturday. They still have contests with Wiggins, #16 Fleming, and Idalia on their schedule.

KEY MATCHES INVOLVING TOP-20 TEAMS

Looking at some of the matches this weekend that either involve teams that look to be safely in the postseason or will impact them, on Thursday, #35 Pikes Peak Christian hosts Kiowa. The Lady Eagles already have one loss in the Black Forest, but they host #5 Simla on Monday. They need a win on Thursday and then need to upset the Lady Cubs to create a tie atop the league standings.

Thursday night also has Fleming hosting Sedgwick County. The Lady Wildcats have lost their last two outings, including a second five-setter this season to Weldon Valley, followed by a sweep loss to Simla. They have won nine of 10 against SedgCo, but that lone loss came last year.

On Friday night, #14 Granada visits #15 Kit Carson inside the High Plains. The two are part of a logjam with #8 Cheraw for second place in the league behind McClave. Kit Carson has not lost to the Lady Bobcats in the MaxPreps era, bringing a 21-0 mark in the series into the match. Granada has won four sets in that run.

Saturday could be a big day for Stratton, as the Lady Eagles visit 2A #11 Strasburg with the lead in the Union Pacific at stake. Both teams went into Thursday unbeaten in the league. Stratton still has a big match on Tuesday against Burlington and will face 2A #26 Limon in the season’s final week.

Monday is highlighted by the aforementioned match in the Black Forest between Simla and Pikes Peak Christian. Simla has won 15 straight against the Lady Eagles in the MaxPreps era, and has not dropped a set since 2008.

The Tuesday slate is loaded with some huge non-league contests. Fleming travels to Holyoke, Otis goes to Haxtun, and La Veta visits 2A #18 Trinidad.

And, in a rare Wednesday night affair, #18 De Beque visits 2A #7 Plateau Valley in a non-league contest.