CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL WEEKEND PREVIEW
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
What an incredible slate of games this weekend has on tap! Ranked vs ranked match-ups, top teams being challenged by squads knocking on the door of the rankings, and important league contests abound. We will use the MileHigh Prep Report Media/Coaches poll until next week, when enough data has been accumulated for the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index.
FRIDAY
#3 IDALIA (7-0) AT #7 HI-PLAINS (6-2)
Idalia has been off for almost two weeks after beating #4 McClave in five sets. Hi-Plains has won five straight with Tuesday’s four-set victory at 2A Wray. Hi-Plains can go a long way toward locking up the YWKC league title with a win, but the Lady Patriots have not beaten Idalia as a standalone program since 2012. Idalia did lose four of five to the Flagler/Hi-Plains co-op. A win by the Lady Wolves not only keeps their hopes of claiming the league title alive, but also keeps #9 Otis in the mix.
#9 OTIS (5-3) VS GENOA-HUGO/KARVAL (6-2)
Otis has won its last two matches, both in YWKC league play, with the most recent coming on Tuesday. The Lady Bulldogs swept Bethune and still has hopes of winning the league title. Genoa-Hugo/Karval is coming off a nice win over 2A #7 Burlington in Union Pacific play on Thursday night. The Lady Pirates have won four straight since a loss to #2 Stratton two weeks ago. Genoa-Hugo/Karval owns a slight 4-3 lead in the recent history of the series, with the last meeting coming two years ago. The Lady Bulldogs won that in a sweep.
#10 CHERAW (4-1) VS CHEYENNE WELLS (5-4)
This is a big one in the High Plains, as Cheraw sits second in the league behind McClave and Cheyenne Wells shares third with Granada. The Lady Wolverines have won four straight since their season-opening loss to McClave, while Cheyenne Wells has put together two wins in a row after a bumpy stretch that had dropped the Lady Tigers below .500 on the season. Cheyenne Wells owns a 13-11 advantage in the recent history between the two sides, but Cheraw has won the last five, including a five-setter last season.
GRANADA (5-3) AT EADS (7-1)
We already took a brief look at the High Plains, but this match is another big one in that league. Granada has lost two of its last three, including a 3-0 loss to 2A #6 Swink on Thursday night. Still, the Lady Bobcats only have one league loss (Cheraw). Eads has put two straight wins on the board, beating Miami-Yoder and Wiley over the last two weeks. This is the league opener for the Lady Eagles, who have dominated the series recently, winning 22 of the last 24. One of the Granada wins came last year, but Eads won the last two.
LA VETA QUADRANGULAR
La Veta (6-2) is hosting a quad with some tradition-rich programs in the field. Sangre de Cristo (6-6) has had some very good runs in the postseason recently, as have the hosts. Center (6-3) is off to a great start in 2A this season, and Evangel Christian (6-3) has already picked up a couple very nice wins in the first half of the season.
SATURDAY
#1 MERINO (7-0) VS KIT CARSON (1-8)
This match-up won’t have quite the buzz as it has had in the past, with Kit Carson riding an eight-match losing streak into the contest. The young Lady Wildcats have had trouble finishing sets, and have been swept seven times in the losing streak. Merino just keeps chugging along, with the Lady Rams picking up an impressive 3-0 win at #6 Weldon Valley on Tuesday. The series is tied at five wins apiece, but Merino has won each of the last three years in sweeps.
#2 STRATTON (4-0) VS ARICKAREE/WOODLIN (7-7)
It’s been a bit of a disjointed start to the season for Stratton, who has only played four matches in the first five weeks. The Lady Eagles won all four in sweeps, including one over Caliche last Friday. Arickaree/Woodlin jumped out of the gates 6-0, but had lost seven of the last eight heading into a match at Akron on Friday. Whether its been Stratton, Arickaree, or either as part of a co-op, the Lady Eagles have won 11 of 14 matches in the series. The last loss for the hosts was back in 2017.
#7 HI-PLAINS (5-2) AT BRIGGSDALE (3-4)
Briggsdale has had some uncharacteristic struggles this season, but just snapped a three-match skid with a five-set victory over Prairie last Saturday. The Lady Falcons visit Peetz on Friday night, so they could bring some momentum into the contest. Briggsdale has swept the Lady Patriots in each of the last three years.
#8 SARGENT (9-0) AT CENTENNIAL TRIANGULAR
The feature match in the Centennial Tri has Sargent putting its perfect mark on the line against Primero (13-1), who tasted its first defeat last Friday. The Lady Bulldogs have won two straight since. Centennial comes in at 3-3. The Lady Rams had their two-match winning streak snapped on Thursday as they were beaten 3-0 by Questa (NM).
#10 CHERAW (4-1) VS SPRINGFIELD (4-2)
It’s a non-league match, but it holds a lot of weight in the RPI. Springfield lost its first two matches of the season to South Baca and Eads, both in five sets. Since, the Lady Longhorns have won 12 of 14 sets played. Springfield has won 14 of the last 18 with Cheraw, but they are just 2-2 in the last four.
SOUTH BACA (6-3) AT EADS (7-1)
The two teams that own wins over Springfield will square off in non-league play. South Baca has not won more than nine matches in a season since 2019, but a great start to the year has the Lady Patriots looking forward and not at the past. They have won three straight and sit atop the Ark Valley by a game over Wiley. Eads has dominated the series, going 12-4-1 since 2008.
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