MileHigh Prep Report

CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

A new season comes as part of the new two-year cycle, and there are quite a few changes in Class 1A volleyball. Reclassification brings new teams to the class, with a few moving out, and realignment took place, altering some of the leagues. This year, the classification will feature a pair of defending champs, as Fleming, who won the 1A title last year, and Simla, last year’s 2A champion, are both in the field. Let’s take a look at each team in the class.

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This league will see two new faces on the 1A side of the ledger, including Arma Dei Academy. The Lady Griffins are joined by Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory. Both are new members of CHSAA, and both will look to establish a solid foundation for their respective program.

Front Range Baptist won the league last year, with three players recording triple digit kills. Emma Gerrard (180), Leni Dorfeld (161), and Hadyn Woods (155) all accomplished the feat as juniors. Dorfeld led the team with 51 aces, while Gerrard and Emi Gamet followed with 42 and 41, respectively.

Mile High Academy finished second in the 5280, and recorded a winning record for the second straight season. The Lady Mustangs also had three underclassmen with at least 100 kills last year, led by Lia Zachawerus with 158. Esti Mautz followed with 103, and Addy Dodds tallied 101. Zachawerus and Mautz are juniors this year, while Dodds enters her senior campaign. MHA also has two returning setters in Alaina Hickman and Carissa Donovan, both of whom registered more than 200 assists.

Denver Waldorf was just one win out of second last year, The Lady Spartans only had one hitter in triple digit kills a season ago, and she has graduated. Lara Gregory was second with 73, and also finished ranked first on the team in aces (58), total blocks (57), assists (312), and third in digs (140). This is her senior season.

Rocky Mountain Lutheran was fourth in the standings last year, and came up just one win shy of finishing .500 overall. Katelyn Brekken had a nice freshman season, finishing second on the team with 81 kills and 19 total blocks. The Lady Eagles bring back their top four back row defenders, led by Sofia Meza-Villa (199), and Jadyn Morgan (150).

Fifth place in the league last year went to Denver Jewish Day. Complete stats were not available, but the Lady Tigers will return a lot of experience from that squad. Adi Bielsky, Nia Samake, Elinor Sezanayev, Sharona Hoffman, Tamar Goldberg-Butler, and Annabelle Dennis are a listed as returnees from last year.

ARKANSAS VALLEY

There are no additions, nor subtractions, from last year for the Ark Valley. South Baca won the league and came up just one win away from 20 on the season. The Lady Patriots were bounced by Hi-Plains in regionals. Most of the roster returns, including senior Sarah Elmore, who enters the season with 870 career kills after picking up 382 last season. Completing the dynamic 1-2 punch on the attack is junior Abigail Anderson, who recorded 265 kills as a sophomore. Mary Brewer returns to lead the back row after pacing the Lady Patriots with 249 digs last year. Elmore (215), Anderson (174), and Brielle Bond (148) will also help the defense. South Baca will have to find a replacement for their setter, who graduated.

While the season did not go as well as hoped, Springfield did post a winning record overall, while finishing second in the league. Cobi Mackey is primed for a big junior year after leading the Lady Longhorns with 269 kills, 50 aces, and 296 digs. Jaylee Mort (124 kills, 47 total blocks) and BriLynn Jackson (27 total blocks) give the Lady Longhorns a strong presence at the net, while Dakota Reid (150 digs), and Tyler Mackey (115 digs) help bolster the back row. Reid stepped into the setter position last year and racked up 411 assists as a junior. Springfield lost three seniors, including two of their top three back row defenders.

Wiley posted a winning record in league play, earning third place, but was well under .500 overall last season. Despite the lack of wins, Lylah Reinhardt still had a very good sophomore season, leading the Lady Panthers with 202 kills, 43 aces, 28 blocks, and 289 digs, while also finishing second with 158 assists. Jacee Kravig led in that category with 205. Wiley’s back row defense had six players with more than 100 digs, and another with 91. Joining Reinhardt are McKenzie Mapes (280), Kravig (184), Anistin Gonzales (172), Gaige Pankey (148), Kynlee Dechant (128), and Sage Cole (91).

Fourth place finisher Holly recorded eight wins for the third straight season, and for the fourth time in the last five years. The good news for the Lady Wildcats is that almost everyone returns, as they only lost one to graduation. Allison Rushton (147) and Lillian Parker (132) led the attack, and Natalia Garrido racked up 329 digs. Parker added 230 digs, while Anayi Cerros and Miranda Valdez pitched in 157 and 145, respectively, Maykynna Neugebauer registered 212 assists, and Luci Schwab tacked on 148.

Kim/Branson and Walsh had one league win apiece, as they split during the season. Walsh got a four-set win early in the schedule, and the Lady Mustangs took a wild five-setter later on. Kim/Branson did not have complete stats available, but the program had a good group of juniors who should be back. Charlee Buhrle, Kennedy Cranson, Gabby Rios, and Allie Whitney have been key contributors in their careers.

For Walsh, graduation took quite a toll on the program, as five seniors who were important members of the roster moving on. However, there are some nice pieces returning, led by senior Ava Alley. Alley led the Lady Eagles with 197 assists, and also recorded more than 150 digs. Jaylie Freiberger led the back row with 184 digs. Madilyn Tedder registered 62 kills as a freshman, while River Loader was second on the team with 23 total blocks.

BLACK FOREST

The Black Forest has a different look this season, with some former members of 2A dropping down. Even though they were part of 2A last year, you have to start off with the Simla Lady Cubs, who won the state title in the bigger classification. They did not drop a set at state, and their 27 wins marked the fifth time in the last seven seasons with at least 24 wins. That includes the last four. The team racked up close to 1200 kills last year, with five players putting down over 100. Carlee Cox led with 321. Brynlee Amedt (248), and Trenna Kochera (193) followed as freshmen. All three were part of a defense that had five players with triple figure digs. Ava Leininger led with 319, and Cox was next with 239, and Amedt added 197. Kochera had 192, and Kinlee Cox tacked on 157. Kochera and K. Cox combined for more than 1000 assists.

The 1A league title went to Pikes Peak Christian last year. The Lady Eagles were undefeated in league play, and won 20 matches for the first time in the MaxPreps era (2007-current). They were knocked out of the regional bracket by Caliche. That was a senior-heavy squad, as the team lost its top two hitter, setter, top blocker, and three of its five leading back line defenders. The return of Sophie Heck (97 kills) and Eden Lopez (341 digs) should help.

Kiowa was your third place finisher in the Black Forest, right behind Evangelical Christian Academy, who was moved up to 2A this season. The 13 wins by the Lady Indians were the most for the program since 2016. Gone is the leading hitter, but Bernice Summers returns after recording 144 kills as a freshman. The defense should be a strength this season, as the Lady Indian return four players with more than 100 digs last year, three of them as freshmen. Emery Kelly (249), Summers (226), and Kaylee Wyer (126) are back as sophomores, and Rylee Wyer (178) is a senior this season.

Elbert recorded its second straight winning season, and grabbed fourth in the league in the process. Paisley Vandergriff was the lone Lady Bulldog with more than 100 kills last season, as the now junior put away 266 last season. While the back row returns three of its top five defenders, one of those lost (Melanie Hermes) had an astounding 528. Jadyn Schmidt returns for a senior year of directing the attack following a 468 assist season.

In its second season in 1A, The Colorado Springs School collected 13 wins, giving it a winning mark for the first time since the COVID season of 2020-21. That was good enough to take fifth in the league. Mia Vargas led the Lady Kodiaks with 114 kills and 83 digs as a sophomore, while Jordan Seto recorded 198 assists as a junior.

Hanover did not win a league match, finishing in seventh behind Miami-Yoder, who is now in 2A. It marked the third straight losing season for the Lady Hornets. They were led at the net last year by a freshman, with Avah Venzor registering 74 kills and 29 blocks. The team lost its top four defenders, all of whom had more than 100 digs.

Monument Academy is in just its third year as a program, the first two being spent in 2A. The Lady Lynx have only won three matches in their first two seasons. One of those was last year.

Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind played six matches last year, going 1-5. That was the first win for the Lady Bulldogs since 2021. They did not field a team in 2023 or 2024.

CITY

There is only one 1A team in the City league, surrounded by 3A programs. Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy was placed down this cycle after struggling against 3A foes for several years. The Lady Ocelots won six matches last year, only one in league play. They were a senior-laden squad, but Esmeralda Gonzalez recorded 40 aces and 105 digs as a junior.

FISHERS PEAK

Once again, the only way a member of the Fishers Peak league can qualify for the regional round is to finish within the top-24 of the CHSAA/MaxPreps rankings. With only three teams in the league, the league does not meet the auto-qualifying criteria (minimum of five teams) to get the league champion in otherwise.

Primero completed a third straight winning season, earning 18 victories and taking the league crown. The Lady Bulldogs made their way into the regional bracket, but were eliminated by Granada. Jaleysia Atkins and Jaelie Bowie were big factors last season, as they led the attack with 226 and 189 kills, respectively. They were both over 200 digs, and those numbers may go up significantly, as the team lost three seniors who combined for well over 800 digs. Their top setter from last year is also gone.

It was a pretty rough season for La Veta, who only won two matches. However, one was in league play, giving the Lady Redhawks second place. This year’s squad is very young, without a senior on the roster. They will bring back junior Avery Mendez, who was second on the team last year with 258 digs. Ellianna Efeoglu tallied 162, and Elena Lewis also reached triple digits with 125. Bryanna Chamberlain was the team leader in assists with 168.

After posting a 1-40 mark over the previous two seasons, including a winless 2024, Manzanola showed progress by winning four matches last season. Just two seniors were lost to graduation, so there’s a good chance for the program to build upon that momentum. Chasity Chavez is a standout on defense, having registered 249 digs last year. No one else had more than 75.

FOOTHILLS

The Foothills is a mixed league, containing schools from 1A through 3A. The lone 1A program is Poudre Community Academy, which has only recorded six wins in the last four seasons, their first four as a member of CHSAA. The Lady Warriors went 0-20 last season, and only had very limited stats available.

HIGH PLAINS

There’s a new face joining the High Plains this cycle, and it will make an already stout conference even tougher. Swink, who has won at least 19 matches in each of the last three seasons, and qualified for the 2A state tournament in each of those seasons, drops to 1A. The Lady Lions went 24-5 and won the 2A Santa Fe crown last season. They are one of three teams out of the High Plains to be ranked in the top-five of the MHPR preseason poll. Part of that high ranking is because the team returns three strong hitters in Daisy Heberlie (244 kills), Emma Gacnik (196), and Kashlyn Blasingame (109). Larriana Taggart heads into her senior season with 1164 career digs, 608 last year. Heberlie added 390 digs, and Blasingame tallied 269. Blasingame topped the Lady Lions with 523 assists last season.

McClave enters the season having won the league title four straight years. In that time, the Lady Cards have gone 20-0 against league foes, and have compiled an overall record of 98-15, with a state championship. They finished second last season, losing a five-setter in the championship match to Fleming. McClave had beaten Fleming in five earlier in the tournament. The Lady Cards lost two outstanding hitters to graduation, but Avery Hemphill returns for her senior season. She enters it with 944 career kills, 350 of them last year. She’s also recorded more than 1000 digs in her three previous seasons. After registering one assist as a freshman, Yesenia Almanza stepped up and collected 811 last year. Hemphill (291), Addison Vallejos (270), and Almanza (253) all finished with more than 200 digs. Adding to an already deep and talented roster, McClave picked up senior Kashlee Randel as a transfer from Akron. She brings with her more than 1200 career assists and close to 800 career digs.

Granada is also a preseason top-five program after the Lady Bobcats won 23 matches, finished second in the league, and qualified for state. Camryn Coleman burst onto the scene with 410 kills as a freshman. She is one of four returnees with at least 100 kills last season, joined by Dayzriana Quintana (173), Emri Marquez (112), and Kinsley Williams (102). Coleman also had a big season on the back line, popping up 421 digs. Quintana followed with 369, while the Lady Bobcats also got 304 from Marquez, 265 from Williams, and 202 out of Leila Pizarro. Williams had 799 assists last year, pushing her career total to 1564.

Third place in the High Plains went to Cheraw, who had its sixth straight winning season. The Lady Wolverines got knocked out of the postseason in the regional round by ECA. Continuing on the theme of good, young talent in the league, Cheraw had four very good freshmen last season, and they showed up all over the team’s stat leaderboard. Tinley Leake (169 kills), Bristyl Barratt (134), and Tristyn White (74) were all featured in the attack and the back row defense, which was led by Emi-Lee Marquez, who racked up 252 digs.

Despite posting a winning record and earning a regional berth, last season left Eads wanting more. The Lady Eagles finished fourth in the league, and lost in four sets to Plateau Valley in regionals. They will bring back a hungry roster, led by senior Anna Wollert, who finished last year with 201 kills, 45 blocks, and 199 digs. The Lady Eagles were tough on the back line, with Bailey Sierra posting a team-leading 460 digs. It was the third straight year for Sierra to record at least 400 in a season, giving her more than 1300 for her career. Peyton Eder (279), Emma Wollert (275), Aspin Nelson (259), and Jordynn Turcotte (138) all return. Nelson recorded 266 assists.

Cheyenne Wells rode the roller coaster last year, with the Lady Tigers struggling to find consistency. They would win one league match, beating Kit Carson, to claim fifth. A big group of seniors are gone, leaving junior Bailey Scheler, and sophomore Brinley Hyle as the most tested returnees. Scheler finished with 54 kills and 128 digs, while Hyle had 160 assists as a freshman.

To say that last year was a difficult one for Kit Carson would be accurate. The Lady Wildcats lost five of their first six, and closed the year with four straight losses. They went winless in the league, But senior Avery Johnson is back to lead a scrappy group of youngsters. Johnson put together a nice junior year, posting 190 kills, 54 aces, 193 digs, and 170 assists. Tressie Golding added 83 kills and 170 digs.

LOWER PLATTE

With Akron and Merino moving up to 2A, only two members of the LPAA reside in 1A, Caliche and Haxtun. Of the two, Caliche had the better season a year ago.

The Lady Buffs got out of the gate with a nine-match winning streak, and rode that to a regional berth. They knocked out Pikes Peak Christian to secure a trip to state, where they went 2-2, with all four matches going at least four sets. The fifth place team in the LPAA lost its top two hitters, who combined for more than 450 kills, but will return Alexis Breidenbach (173) and Faith Lueck (122) as juniors. Caliche had six players with at least 200 digs, and four return. Breidenbach was second with 275, just ahead of Lueck (252), Hayden Walker (233), and Lily Armstrong (225). Armstrong racked up 590 assists as a junior.

Haxtun went 0-8 in the league, but 8-9 against everyone else. The Fightin’ Lady Bulldogs lost their two leading hitters, but thanks to a balanced attack, they return three high quality net players. Leah Edwards leads that group after putting down 135 kills last year. Ashlyn Wolff tallied 112, and Emma Lemesany had 101. Haylie Carpenter guided the attack with 324 assists as a freshman.

MILE HIGH

With the addition of the enrollment multiplier for private schools this year, there is just one 1A team left in the Mile High, Belleview Christian. The Lady Bruins were 11^th out of the 13 teams in the league last year, and finished with a losing record for the second year in a row. Faith Rosiere was second on the team last year with 121 kills, and Anesa Schanke added 95. Schanke was one dig off the team lead with 275, and she led the squad with 264 assists.

NORTH CENTRAL

The NCL looks the same as usual, with no one moving out, and no one being added. The league is the home of last year’s 1A champion, Fleming, and another highly ranked challenger, Prairie.

Fleming was one of only two teams in the NCL to finish with a winning record, along with Prairie, who also qualified for state. The Lady Wildcats went undefeated in league play, but needed five sets to take care of Prairie. After winning their opening match at state, the Lady Wildcats dropped a five-setter to McClave in the next round. They bounced back with a sweep of Sargent and a four-set win over rival Merino to reach the finals. They avenged the earlier loss to McClave, winning the title in five. Last year’s three leading hitters are gone, leaving Hadley Stull as the top returnee with 146 kills last year. Fleming also lost its top two back row defenders, but Hayley Chamberlain had 221, and Stull chipped in 169. Chamberlain also gives the team experience at setter after recording 539 assists last year. Look for big things out of sophomore Hayden Cochran after finishing third on the squad with 35 blocks as a freshman.

Last year was a celebration of Prairie volleyball, as the program was recognized for winning the first Class A championship in 1975. The Lady Mustangs tried to duplicate that result, but ended up going 2-2 in the tournament, eventually losing to Caliche in five to close the campaign. This year is the 50^th anniversary of the second title in program history, and the Lady Mustangs will have one of the best players in the classification in senior Hannah Kugler. She put down 380 kills last year, and also recorded 59 blocks and 301 digs. Macie Jaeger was a huge presence at the net, tallying 251 kills and 62 blocks. They will need to find a new setter, as last year’s graduated following a 1000-assists season. Last year’s top defender, Kali Sutter, registered 336 digs.

After a long run of postseason appearances, many taking the team to state tournament success, Briggsdale tumbled to its first losing record since 2014, going 6-17. There are a lot of reasons for the Lady Falcons and their fans to be optimistic this season. There was only one senior on the team last year, and she was the leading hitter, but Briggsdale’s attack brings Alexa Sullivan (160 kills), Presleigh Herrick (83), and everyone else who recorded a kill. Bailey Loyd returns after picking up 483 assists, and she’s one of three returnees with at least 200 digs last season. Sloane Benson (305), and McKinzee Slinger (292) are the others.

Weldon Valley had the same league and overall records as Briggsdale last season, which snapped a long string of postseason appearances by the Lady Warriors. They lost a couple of very good seniors, but bring back some nice pieces, including Jordan Iungerich (94 kills), and Gracie Eiring (89 kills). The back row defense will be bolstered by the return of the top three diggers from a year ago. Eiring led the way as a freshman with 426, and she was followed by Isabella Petrino with 417, and Iungerich with 346.

Despite going winless in the league, and finishing under .500 on the season, Peetz posted its highest win total (seven) since 2013. The program had not won more than two matches since 2015. As the Lady Bulldogs try to build upon that success, they will have a lot of key pieces back, including their top five hitters. Nataleigh Kalb led the group with 143 kills as a sophomore, and classmate Joslynn Pennington followed with 113. Rylee Raffelson led with 326 assists, and Jaidynn Reiman had a team-leading 312 digs.

SAN JUAN BASIN

The San Juan Basin is a nice mix of 1A and 2A teams. For many years, Dove Creek was at the top, or just out of it. But last year, the top three positions were occupied by 2A members.

The highest 1A team in the final standings was Nucla, who finished fourth, one game over .500 in the league and overall. The Lady Mustangs only had one senior on the roster, so they bring back a lot of experience. Lantry Galley (162) and Shay Snyder (120) led the attack as juniors. Maggie Andrews was tops with 204 digs, and Peyton Naslund ended with 199. Naslund was also the team leader with 210 assists.

Two spots back in sixth was Norwood, who finished with a losing record for the ninth straight season. The eight wins were the third most in that stretch. Last year’s leading hitter was one of three seniors on the roster, but the Lady Mavericks will still have a number of key players back. Ayva Davis (60), Josey Tedder (54), and Charlie Mull (50) finished second through fourth in kills. Tedder paced the squad with 322 digs, over 100 more than anyone else on the roster. Tedder also brings experience at the setter position, as does Holli Johnson.

You have to go back to 2016 to find the last time Dove Creek finished below .500, and they were 12-13 that year. Last year’s squad went 4-17 and finished seventh in the San Juan Basin. Mykaela Fury was the only player with more than 100 kills for the Lady Bulldogs last year, as she finished with 106. No other returning player had more than 35. Fury is also the top returnee on defense after posting 135 digs as a junior. Kaybree Smith racked up 229 assists.

Three of Ouray‘s four wins last season came in league play, but the Lady Trojans still finished eighth in the standings. It was an improvement of three victories over the previous year. They got strong play out of their freshmen last season, with Addison Disser recording 164 assists and 104 digs, and Imogene Demuth having a team-high 169 digs.

The recent struggles for Ridgway continued last year, as the Lady Demons did not win a league match. With one victory for the season, Ridgway has not had a winning record since 2017. The Lady Demons have finished right at .500 one time in that span. While it can be hard sometimes to spot silver linings in difficult seasons, Madison Megahee turned in a solid junior campaign with 112 kills and 167 digs.

SOUTHERN PEAKS

Sargent made it two league titles in as many years after dropping from 2A last cycle. The Lady Farmers have not lost a league game in that time, and have a combined record of 48-8, with two state tournament appearances. Last year’s run ended with a sweep loss by Fleming on the Saturday at state. Most of that team returns, including the Pargin sisters. Kandace led the squad with 475 kills and she enters her senior season 40 away from 1000 in her career. Kimberly was second with 133. Kandace recorded 295 digs, while Kimberly had 173.

Second place in the Southern Peaks went to Creede, who finished with a winning record for the first time since 2018. The Lady Miners return their top three back row defenders in Ava Anderson (151 digs), Jadyn Eubank (130), and Taylor Carpenter (126). No one reached triple digits in kills, but Carpenter (79) and Paisley Anderson (71) combined for 150. Eubank tallied 172 assists.

Three teams finished 3-3 in the league, with the tiebreaker going to Sierra Grande. The Lady Panthers ended with eight wins, an improvement of one over 2024, and matching their highest tally since winning nine in 2018. Underclassmen were all over the leaderboard, as Audrianna Gerardo led with 350 assists, and Eneria Quintana topped with 247 kills and 307 digs. Gerardo also also registered 225 digs, and Issa Wilson added 195 digs.

Sangre de Cristo was also part of that three way tie, and the seven wins on the season for the Lady Thunderbirds matched their lowest since 2010. The program had five 20-win seasons in that span. Belle Bieriger was the top option in the attack as a junior, registering 161 kills. The next closest was Emma Jimenez with 78. Bieriger also led the defense with 182 digs. Layla Sinclair added 154. Desarey Ojeda tallied 207 assists.

The third team in that tie was Centennial, who finished the year at 8-10 overall. It was another step in the right direction for the Lady Rams, who won one match in 2023, and five in 2024. They did not have complete stats available, but did lose five key seniors to graduation.

There was a tie for sixth in the league, with Mountain Valley getting the nod thanks to a win over Antonito in the season finale. It gave the Lady Wolves one more win (five) than the previous season. As they look to continue their steady progress, the Lady Wolves will have last year’s top hitter, Kandra Pollard (111 kills), back. She’ll have familiarity with her setter, as Ivy Jean VanEgmond returns following a 238 assist season as a junior. Those two also led a very busy back row, that had four players top 300 digs. VanEgmond led with 381, and Pollard added 309.

It was another rough season for Antonito, who finished with seven straight losses, and ended the year with just three victories overall. The Lady Trojans have seen their win totals over the last four seasons drop for 10, to seven, to five, and then three. As they try to reverse the trend, the Lady Trojans will have to replace four seniors. Very limited stats were available for the team.

UNION PACIFIC

For the third straight year, Stratton went undefeated in the mixed Union Pacific to win the league title. It was the fifth consecutive UP championship for the Lady Eagles, who have only lost one match in league play in that span. Last year’s run ended with a 1-2 mark in the state tournament, with the second loss coming in five sets to Caliche. The Lady Eagles lost a lot to graduation, but having junior Kinsleigh Brachtenbach back will help. She put down 243 kills last season, and could be in line for a much bigger number this year. She was also second in digs with 210. Stratton also has Kaylynn Brandon (169) and Gracie Miltenberger (80) returning on defense. Brandon brings experience at the setter position after finishing second on the squad with 282 assists last year/

Flagler was fourth in the league, with a pair of 2A squads between Stratton and the Lady Panthers. They reached the regional round, but were swept out of the postseason by Prairie. Most of the roster returns, but the team will have to replace three key seniors from a year ago. Leading the charge is Rylie Berry, who led the Lady Panthers with 297 kills, and Sydnie Berry, who was second with 188. Sydnie led the defense with 362 digs, and Rylie followed with 300. Kenzie Schulte (235), Jenna Schier (209), and Clara Hermes (166) also return after recording triple digits last year. Schulte was tops on the team with 347 assists as a junior.

Genoa-Hugo/Karval was .500 overall last year, and also in league play. The Lady Pirates were another UP squad who qualified for regionals, but they were swept by eventual champion Fleming. It was the second straight regional appearance for the program. Four hitters put away triple digit kills, and the top three are back. Kazlei Vaughn finished with 167, while Rylee Corn and Lexi James followed with 165 and 164, respectively. Jira Kissel was busy at the libero spot, recording 409 digs as a sophomore. The Lady Pirates will need to break in a new setter, as no one on the roster had more than 11 assists last season.

Deer Trail enters the season looking for its first league win since the 2021 season. Despite those troubles, the Lady Eagles have been competitive against non-league foes in that span. They’ll have their two top defenders back from last year, as Fatuma Hussein (213) and Landree Cox (200) led the team in digs as sophomores. Cox is the only returnee who had triple digit kills, finishing with 105, and she was second with 143 assists. The leader in the latter category, Vailini Samate (160), is also back.

WEST CENTRAL

There are only two 1A teams in the mixed West Central, Cotopaxi and Cripple Creek-Victor, and they were the bottom two last year. The league grows from four to six in this new cycle, with the newcomers being on the 2A side.

Third place went to Cotopaxi, who finished one win shy of .500 on the season. It was the second straight losing season for the Lady Pirates, and fourth in five years. With only two seniors on the roster, Cotopaxi got a lot of production from underclassmen last year. Sophie Eggleston had a very good freshman campaign, leading the team with 193 assists, and finishing second with 411 digs. Her classmate, Kyla Espino, is the top returning hitter after collecting 93 kills last year. She also tallied 289 digs. Illiana Herrera chipped in with 153 assists as a junior.

Cripple Creek-Victor struggled through another tough season, as the Lady Pioneers finished under .500. They have not reached that mark since 2010, and the last winning season came the year prior. They will bring back quite a bit of experience, primarily in seniors Savannah Mead, Madison Mead, and Lilly Linneweh. Madison Mead led with 105 kills last year, while Linneweh added 44. Savannah Mead led with 76 assists.

WESTERN SLOPE

The Western Slope is a large, mixed division, with three members coming from 1A. Plateau Valley had the highest finish of the three, taking second last season, with only one league loss. After a rough first year in the classification in 2024, the Cowgirls responded to earn their second 20-win season in the last three. They made it to state, but went 0-2 to end their run. Despite losing their leading hitter, setter, and defender, the Cowgirls still return enough to keep them as a contender. Presley Hawkins (136), Macy Bevan (129), Vivian Arthur (112), and Ava Johnson (112) all had triple digit kills last season. Morgann Miller had 283 assists, and Siena Fino tallied 214 digs.

The next best finish by a 1A team in the Western Slope was by North Park, who took 10^th with one league victory. The Lady Wildcats have not had a winning season since 2014, and last season’s three wins were the fewest for the program since 2011. But, they bring back a number of players who gained valuable experience and finished high on the team’s leaderboard. Paige Solano, Magdalena Moya, Jenna Sessions, Miah Andrew, and Aubrey Baugh all found themselves ranked highly in almost every category.

After back-to-back winning seasons, De Beque was hit hard by graduation and struggled to a two-win total last year, neither in league play. Their top all-around player from last year is gone, but the Lady Dragons have a senior in Ileeyah Herrera, who finished in the top two of most stats. She was second in kills (69), aces (42), digs (128), and first in assists (94). Tylee Graham also returns after a nice freshman season.

YWKC

It was kind of a wonky year for the YWKC last year, as only two teams finished with winning records, and the league champion was just .500 overall on the season. This year, the league gets back up to six teams, after one was unable to field a program.

Otis won the league title in a tiebreaker over Hi-Plains, thanks to a five-set win early in the season over the Lady Patriots. The Lady Bulldogs made it to regionals, but got bounced by Stratton in a sweep, ending their season at 12-12. Their leading setter and defender are both gone, as is their second-leading hitter, but the Lady Bulldogs will bring back some big-time performers, led by junior Kensley Packer. Packer was tops on the team with 213 kills and 45 aces, while also recording 112 digs and 27 blocks. Lydia Willeke just missed triple digit kills by one, and she was second with 231 digs. Hailey Juhl and Ashton Gross combined for close to 70 blocks, and are also threats at the net on offense. Otis will need a new setter, but the program has a history of developing that position.

Hi-Plains had better numbers across the board in that five-set loss to Otis that decided the league title, including points won, but it wasn’t enough for the Lady Patriots to win their first YWKC crown in the MaxPreps era. Still, they finished with the best record (19-7) of a league team, and advanced to the state tournament for the second straight year. They went 0-2, being eliminated by Sargent. Last year’s top two hitters, Cambria Seaman (357) and Brianna Rueb (245) return as juniors after combining for more than 600 kills. Taylor Hartman was also in triple figures with 116. Rueb also led a strong blocking game for the Lady Patriots, recording 65 total blocks. Seaman was solid on the back line, registering a team-high 355 digs. With last year’s primary setter graduating, Maggie Gorton is the leading returnee at the position, having picked up 179 assists.

Lone Star tied for third in the standings, but got the edge over Idalia thanks to a four-set win over the Lady Wolves. The Lady Longhorns had their first winning season since 2019, and matched that season’s win total with 14. They qualified for regionals, but were ousted by Sargent. Lone Star lost some key pieces to graduation, including their top three hitters, leaving Peytyn Kuntz with her 88 kills as the leading returnee. Grace Cochran and Bryn Cook will help solidify the back row, after they joined Kuntz with more than 200 digs. Cochran tallied 286, followed by Kuntz with 259, and Cook with 228. Cochran also handles the setter’s spot, having racked up 525 assists last year, leaving her 65 shy of 1000 for her career as she enters her final season.

It had been a number of years since Idalia had not finished in the top two in the league standings, dating back to 2019. That was also the last time the Lady Wolves lost two or more league matches, or finished with a losing overall record. They bring back a large part of their attack, including last year’s top hitter, Bristal Robertson, who finished with 175 kills. Evelyn Cruz tallied 120, and Taylor Towns was also in triple figures with 107. The back row took a big hit, losing its top two diggers, but Idalia brings back two who had 200 or more. Cruz popped up 236 a year ago, and Robertson tallied 200. Paige Terrell got quite a bit of experience as a freshman as the second setter, and recorded 192 assists.

For the sixth year in a row, Bethune was unable to earn a win inside the league. The Lady Bobcats went into the season looking for a second straight winning mark overall, but could only muster seven victories. On a team that had four seniors, it was a freshman who led the attack, as Nora Wycoff finished with 108 kills. She also had a team-leading 23 total blocks, and was second with 191 digs.

Washington County, formerly Arickaree/Woodlin, could not field a squad last, but the numbers have improved enough for the Stampede to put a team on the court this season. A roster was not available at the time of publication.