CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW by Kerry Sherman

CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Things are starting to get interesting in several leagues, as the regular season heats up in Class 1A. As we’ve gone past the midway point of the season, we shift to the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index as the metric for rankings. The Tuesday release of the index is used for this preview of the top match-ups in the first half of the week.

TUESDAY

#20 SPRINGFIELD AT #40 KIM/BRANSON

#35 WALSH AT #25 SOUTH BACA

With only 24 teams qualifying for the regional bracket, the Arkansas Valley could get two in the field, as South Baca currently sits atop the standings, but Springfield is the only team actually inside the top-24. Both of the listed matches are in the league, with the second place Lady Longhorns visiting fifth place Kim/Branson and third place Walsh at the league leaders. Springfield really can’t afford many losses and still hold onto an at large berth. For everyone else in the Ark Valley, the only route in looks to be by winning the league. South Baca already owns the tiebreaker over Springfield.

2A #3 DEL NORTE AT #9 SARGENT

These teams are a combined 20-0, making this one of the most anticipated matches of the season. After opening the season with a pair of sweeps, the last seven matches for Del Norte have gone the distance, including three consecutive five-setters. Conversely, Sargent has won each of its 11 matches in sweeps, with the Lady Farmers owning a perfect 27-0 mark in sets played. Both teams are in the Southern Peaks, but that league is split into a 1A division and a 2A division, so this is officially a non-league contest.

2A #9 VAIL CHRISTIAN AT #26 DE BEQUE

Hovering right around the final postseason spot, De Beque already helped itself out with a five-set win over #27 Plateau Valley last week and an upset of the Lady Saints would likely push the Lady Dragons inside the top-24. The Lady Dragons have won four straight and five of their last six overall. Vail Christian has won its last three, including a sweep of Plateau Valley last week.

#8 CHERAW AT 2A #7 SWINK

A five-match winning streak has Cheraw comfortably in a regional hosting position, but a win over neighboring Swink could improve that spot. Swink rides a seven-match winning streak into the contest, all coming in sweep fashion.

2A #19 MANCOS AT #6 DOVE CREEK

The lead in the San Juan Basin is on the line when these two red-hot squads meet up. Mancos has won seven in a row, while the Lady Bulldogs are on a six-match streak. Dove Creek swept the Lady Bluejays back in August in a non-league clash that started the winning streak. The Lady Bulldogs have only lost one set in their streak. Mancos has only dropped three sets in its current streak.

THURSDAY

#25 SOUTH BACA AT #20 SPRINGFIELD

As noted above, South Baca leads the Ark Valley with Springfield right behind the Lady Patriots in the standings. South Baca holds a sweep victory over the Lady Longhorns, so things can get cloudy in a hurry if Springfield avenges that loss.

#36 BETHUNE AT #17 GRANADA

At this point, Bethune is still a long shot to make regionals, but the Lady Bobcats are only two wins away from matching the program’s highest total during the MaxPreps era (2007-current). They have not had a winning season in that time. Granada made regionals last year for the first time in more than 20 years and while that group of Lady Bobcats is currently safely in the bracket, they have been inconsistent lately. They are just 2-3 in their last five.

#22 FLATIRONS ACADEMY VS 2A #5 LYONS

Flatirons Academy is flirting with the bubble, but a league win over Lyons would go a long way to helping the Lady Bison punch their ticket into the postseason. They’ve won five of their last six, with the lone blemish coming in a sweep by #15 Evangel Christian Academy. Lyons has put together six straight wins, five by sweep, since a season opening five set loss to Forge Christian.

#18 WELDON VALLEY AT #14 BRIGGSDALE

Both teams are currently safely in the postseason bracket, but the winner helps its chances of possibly hosting a regional. Briggsdale has won three in a row since snapping a three-match losing streak. Weldon Valley has lost its last two, with the Lady Warriors being swept by #3 Merino and #8 Fleming. The Lady Falcons and Lady Warriors split a pair of regular season meetings last year.

#28 LONE STAR AT #8 FLEMING

Lone Star is trying to get into a postseason spot, but the Lady Longhorns had their four-match winning streak snapped last Saturday in a five-set loss against #39 Akron. Fleming has won four straight, all by sweeps, since a five-set loss to 2A #2 Sedgwick County. The Lady Wildcats have won all six meetings with Lone Star in the MaxPreps era, without dropping a set.

#19 CHEYENNE WELLS AT 2A #12 BURLINGTON

It’s been a series of ups and downs for Cheyenne Wells, with the Lady Tigers having gone 2-2 in their last four. After beating Walsh and 2A #41 Holyoke, they dropped a tough five-setter at Cheraw last Saturday. Burlington won its first six on the season, but then lost two straight (Sedgwick County, #11 Genoa-Hugo/Karval) before getting back in the win column against 2A #42 Byers last Friday. Burlington won last year’s meeting in five, rallying from an 0-2 hole.