CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – SEPT.3RD-5TH
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Several teams notched some very impressive wins late last week and they will be looking to add to that in the early part of this week. Here’s a quick look at some of the top matches on the slate for Tuesday through Thursday, with all rankings coming from the MileHigh Prep Report Media/Coaches poll.
TUESDAY
#1 Merino (4-0) at 2A Holyoke (1-5)
Merino won the title at the NJC Spectacular on Saturday, dropping just one set to #7 Fleming in the championship match. The Lady Rams swept #5 Otis and a good 2A Dayspring Christian in pool play. Holyoke was also in the tournament and lost pool matches to Fleming in a sweep and Arickaree/Woodlin in four. The Lady Dragons dropped their crossover match with Otis in three sets. This contest counts in the LPAA standings.
#2 Stratton (1-0) at Deer Trail (2-4)
Stratton got its season underway last Friday by sweeping #9 Cheyenne Wells on the road. Peyton Ruhs (10) and Sophia Isenbart (9) combined for 19 kills, and Clare Miltenberger added 23 assists and 20 digs. Deer Trail dropped a pair of five-setters in Union Pacific play last week to 2A Limon and Flagler. With this one also counting in the UP standings, a loss would drop them to 0-3 in the league.
#5 Otis (2-2) vs Lone Star (1-2)
Otis lost its two pool matches at NJC on Saturday, falling to Merino in the sweep and then losing to 2A Haxtun in four. The Lady Bulldogs won their final match, beating 2A Holyoke. This is their YWKC opener against their neighbors to the north. Lone Star got swept last Saturday by #3 McClave. This is also the league opener for the Lady Longhorns.
#7 Fleming (3-1) at 2A #1 Sedgwick County (3-0)
Ashley Bornhoft put down 16 kills for Fleming in the loss to Merino on Saturday. The Lady Wildcats had won 10 straight sets to begin the season, including the opener of that match, but then dropped the next three. Brooke Schaefer recorded 24 digs in the loss. Sedgwick County has not lost a set in its first three matches, including a sweep of #6 Weldon Valley last week.
WEDNESDAY
Primero (9-0) vs 2A Trinidad (0-2)
It’s been as close to a perfect start as one could imagine for Primero, who has won 20 of 21 sets played so far. The Lady Bulldogs swept their way through their home tournament last Saturday, beating Manzanola, 2A Center, and Sierra Grande by 2-0 counts. Trinidad has only won one set in its first two matches this season.
THURSDAY
#7 Fleming at 2A #3 Wiggins (3-2)
Going back to the final match at NJC, Fleming is in a stretch where the Lady Wildcats will play three teams ranked in the top-three of their respective class. Wiggins is coming off a 3-0 loss to 3A #3 Platte Valley last week, in which the defense was pounded for 44 kills.
#4 Idalia (4-0), #9 Cheyenne Wells (2-1) at St. Francis, KS triangular
Idalia did not drop a set last week in sweeping Prairie, Caliche, and Peetz, and the Lady Wolves are 12 for 12 in sets played so far. Cheyenne Wells will be looking for a bounce back after falling at home to Stratton last Friday. St. Francis won its opener last Friday and has a match at Goodland on Tuesday.
#8 Cheraw (0-1) at La Veta (4-1)
This will be the first outing for Cheraw since dropping its opener to #3 McClave last Tuesday in four sets. La Veta got 12 kills from Aspen Autry and 10 from Grace D’esposito in a sweep of Kit Carson last Friday. Those two have 53 and 50 kills, respectively, in five matches.
#6 Weldon Valley (2-3) at Flatirons Academy (3-2)
Weldon Valley snapped a three-match slide with a four-set win over Hi-Plains last Friday. It was a rematch of a regional contest from last November, also won by the Lady Warriors in four sets. The Lady Bison pushed their winning streak to two with a sweep of Rocky Mountain Lutheran last week. Freshman Lexi Richman directed the attack with 19 assists.
Eads (5-0) at Hi-Plains (1-1)
Eads broke out the brooms last week, sweeping Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Arickaree/Woodlin, and Kim/Branson. The Lady Eagles have four players with at least 30 kills so far, led by Anna Wollert with 49. Tailee Weeks-Johnson (46), Kara Wilson (39), and Bailey Sierra (30) help keep defenses off balance. Hi-Plains handed Granada its first loss of the season a night before falling to Weldon Valley. It’s a tough week for the Lady Patriots, who visit 2A #8 Burlington on Tuesday.
Dove Creek (5-1) vs Monticello, UT (3-1)
Dove Creek picked up nice wins over a pair of 2A squads last week, beating Mancos in three and Telluride in four. Taylor Barry had 17 kills in the win over Mancos, while Hannah Barry registered 28 assists. Monticello has a match on Tuesday and could enter this match-up on a two-match winning streak if the Lady Buckaroos can pull off the victory.
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