CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL REPORT by Kerry Sherman

Picture by OTSportsChek (Genoa-Hugo vs Flagler)

CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL REPORT

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Several teams have recently locked up league titles, securing their spots in the upcoming regional tournament that is less than two weeks off. We’ll take a quick look at who has stamped their name in the postseason registry, and who is still fighting for one of the last spots. All rankings are from the Tuesday morning release of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index. Remember, a league must have at least five members for its champion to get the automatic regional qualifying berth.

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Mile High Academy currently owns a two-game lead in the league standings, and the Lady Mustangs have three league matches left to play. They have slipped to #25 in the Seeding Index, and if they finish the regular season there, whoever is sitting 24^th is out of the bracket, unless they are also a league champion. The two teams closest in the league standings, Front Range Baptist and Denver Waldorf, are 44^th and 45^th in the Index, so their only path to the postseason is by winning the league.

ARKANSAS VALLEY

South Baca has already secured at least a share of the league title, and can gain the automatic qualifier spot with a win over Wiley on Thursday. The Lady Patriots are the team currently occupying the #24 position in the Seeding Index, which puts #23 Prairie firmly on the bubble. Springfield (#32) is the next closest league team to the top-24, so the Ark Valley is likely only getting its champion in the field.

BLACK FOREST

Evangel Christian, Elbert, and Kiowa finished in a three-way tie for the league title, so there shouldn’t be a guaranteed spot in the bracket for the Black Forest. Of the three, ECA is safe at #16. Elbert is #26, with two potential league champions sitting in the two spots directly above the Lady Bulldogs. Kiowa sits 36^th.

FISHER’S PEAK

With only three members, there’s no automatic regional spot for the league champion. However, La Veta (#13) and Primero (#19) should represent the Fisher’s Peak as at large teams.

HIGH PLAINS

McClave holds the tiebreaker over Cheraw for the top spot in the High Plains thanks to a win over the Lady Wolverines early in the season. The Lady Cardinals wrap up their league schedule this week against Eads, and are a lock to host a regional, sitting #6 in the Index. Cheraw (#8), Eads (#12) also hold hosting spots. Granada (#17) and Cheyenne Wells (#18) give the league five teams in the 24-team bracket.

LOWER PLATTE

Merino (#1) is in and would have to lose its final two league matches to not earn the LPAA title. Those remaining league tilts are against #29 Caliche and #31 Akron. Neither of those two will make the bracket.

MILE HIGH

Only two members of the Mile High are in 1A, and of those two, only Flatirons Academy is in the field of 24. The Lady Bison (#11) lead the mixed classification league by a game over both Lyons and Heritage Christian, a pair of top-10 2A programs. All four remaining matches for Flatirons are in league play, including the regular season finale against Heritage Christian.

NORTH CENTRAL

Fleming (#3) is the champion of the NCL and is a lock to host a regional. Briggsdale (#15) and Weldon Valley (#20) will join the Lady Wildcats in the bracket. Prairie really needs to move up a spot in the Index to feel more comfortable, with two potential league champions sitting right behind them. Both could bump the Lady Mustangs out of the postseason.

SAN JUAN BASIN

Dove Creek (#7) already has a regional spot nailed down. The only business left for the Lady Bulldogs in the regular season is grabbing the league title. They can do that with a win at 2A Ignacio on Saturday. The other three 1A teams in the league (Norwood, Nucla, Ouray) are out of the mix for regionals, with none higher than 42^nd.

SOUTHERN PEAKS

Sargent (#10) put itself in the bracket by claiming the Southern Peaks title in its first year as a 1A member of the league. The question is if the Lady Farmers can hold onto a hosting spot. All of their remaining matches are against 2A opponents, with only two ranked in the top-25 of the classification. It looks like Sargent will be the league’s lone representative in the postseason, as the next team in the Index is #33 Sangre de Cristo.

UNION PACIFIC

Stratton is safely in the bracket as a regional host at #4 in the Index. The Lady Eagles can wrap up the UP title with a win on Tuesday over 2A Burlington. Should they lose, a three-way tie for the crown is possible. Genoa-Hugo/Karval has slipped out of a hosting spot, now sitting 14^th, but has already punched its ticket into regionals. Flagler has made a strong push in the last few weeks, but at #27, it doesn’t seem that a postseason berth is in the cards for the Lady Panthers this year.

WEST CENTRAL

Cotopaxi is the highest ranked 1A team in the West Central at #48, meaning there won’t be a representative in the field of 24. Custer County will be in the 2A bracket.

WESTERN SLOPE

De Beque is currently in the field, sitting 22^nd, but the Lady Dragons can’t afford to slide another spot, or they’ll find themselves in the same situation that Prairie is in. Plateau Valley (#28) and North Park (#47) will be left out in the cold.

YWKC

Idalia (#2) secured just the fourth league title for the program in school history by beating #5 Otis last Friday. Both teams will host regionals, and it looks like #9 Hi-Plains will as well. Winning the Peetz tournament last Saturday helped boost Lone Star to #21 in the Index. If the Lady Longhorns can hold that spot, or even improve a bit more, they will be the league’s fourth representative in the bracket.