CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEKEND
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Quite a few teams in the top-12 of the latest release of the CHSAA rankings find themselves in big matches this weekend. There has been a lot of shuffling in the bottom half of that field, but the top-6 have been very much locked in their spots for awhile.
FRIDAY
#1 SIMLA (13-1) VS KIOWA (6-4)
The sweep streak of Simla reached 13 straight matches, as the Lady Cubs downed Elbert in three sets on Tuesday to move to 2-0 in the Black Forest. They only gave up 19 total points in the match. Kiowa dropped its first match in league play on Tuesday, falling to Pikes Peak Christian in five. That puts the Lady Indians at 3-1 in the Black Forest. The first three sets were all decided by two points, with two going into extras. Bernice Summers put down 13 kills and recorded 26 digs, while Jules Montgomery tallied four aces and five total blocks. Rylee Wyer added 23 digs. Simla owns a 21-10 lead in the series since 2007, including wins in the last eight meetings. The teams have not played since 2023.
#5 CHERAW (10-2) VS CHEYENNE WELLS (2-10)
Cheraw has not played since dominating Walsh in a sweep last Saturday. The Lady Wolverines gave up a total of 20 points in that victory. Seven different players collected at least one kill, led by Tinley Leake with nine, and Bristyl Barratt with eight. Cheraw dealt 23 aces, including six from Barratt, five from Brilyn Miell, and four apiece by Raimy Sisson and Tristyn White. Cheyenne Wells suffered its third straight sweep defeat last Thursday against 2A Burlington. Bailey Scheler led the Lady Tigers with seven kills and 20 digs. Brinley Hyle added nine assists and two aces. Since 2007, Cheraw and Cheyenne Wells have each won 13 times. Cheraw has won the last seven.
#6 GRANADA (11-4) AT #14 EADS (7-5)
Granada enters this important High Plains contest having lost three of its last four, including a four-set defeat by #4 McClave on Tuesday. Camryn Coleman finished with 24 kills. No one else had more than six. She also led a busy back line with 18 digs. Leila Pizarro recorded 17, while Dayzriana Quintana and Kinsley Williams tallied 16 apiece. For Quintana, that pushed her over 1000 for her career. Williams added 38 assists, sending her over 2000. Eads picked up a big upset victory over #8 Hi-Plains in five sets on Tuesday, with the Lady Eagles taking the fifth by a 17-15 tally. Jordynn Turcotte led a trio in double figure kills with a dozen. Emma Wollert and Aspen Nelson added 11 apiece. Turcotte also had seven aces. Bailey Sierra registered 41 digs, pushing her career total to more than 1500. Aubrey Mitchek (37), Nelson (32), and Peyton Eder (30) all recorded 30 or more, as the team posted 172. Eads is 23-3 in the series during the MaxPreps era, but Granada took a 3-0 victory last year.
#9 FLAGLER (11-4) AT IDALIA (6-6)
Flagler picked up a tough five-set win over #16 Stratton on Tuesday, gutting out a 27-29, 26-24, 25-18, 23-25, 15-12 victory to keep a share of the lead in the Union Pacific. Sydnie Berry had a career-high 25 kills and 21 digs, while Rylie Berry tacked on 23 kills and 35 digs. Kenzie Schulte tallied 27 digs and 20 assists, and Elexx Lahm went for 23 digs and 31 assists. Idalia went into Tuesday’s match with #24 Lone Star coming off a win over Washington County last Thursday. Flagler and Idalia have each won seven of the last 14 meetings, with the Flagler taking a sweep victory last year.
#10 PLATEAU V ALLEY (8-4) AT 2A WEST GRAND (7-6)
Plateau Valley suffered its first loss in the Western Slope last Friday, falling to 2A #2 Vail Christian in three sets. Vivian Arthur led the Cowgirls with 11 kills. Nobody else had more than one. Morgann Miller picked up 15 assists, and Siena Fino (13) was the lone player with double digit digs. West Grandtraveled to Lake County on Monday and claimed a 3-1 victory in league play. Brooke Terryberry paced the Lady Mustangs with 11 kills and five aces, while Cora Osborne and Jocelyn Holmes tacked on eight kills apiece. Devon Mahorney and Lina Steinle each served up five aces, and Teagan Burchez added 25 assists and 12 digs. West Grand has taken 14 of the last 21 with Plateau Valley, but the Cowgirls have won five of the last six, including two last year.
#12 HAXTUN (11-4) AT 2A #14 SEDGWICK COUNTY (9-3)
Haxtun got its sixth straight win by beating Peetz in five sets on Tuesday, earning the victory with a 15-9 fifth. Leah Edwards led the attack with 17 kills, while Ashlyn Wolff and Lily Firme added 14 and 11, respectively. Edwards and Peyton Biesemeier shared the team lead with 12 digs apiece, and the duo of Scarlett Crossland (22) and Haylie Carpenter (19) combined for 41 assists. Sedgwick County crossed into Nebraska on Thursday and took a 3-1 win over Perkins County. The Lady Cougars lost the opener 23-25, but won the next three by identical 25-20 scores. Sedgwick County has won five straight against Haxtun, and is 25-15 in the series since 2007.
SATURDAY
#3 SARGENT (12-0) AT DOLORES TRI
Sargent travels to Dolores for a tri with the 2A #9 Lady Bears and 2A #6 Ignacio. The Lady Farmers go into it having won 18 straight sets since trailing 2A #4 Evangel Christian just over two weeks ago. They swept Sangre de Cristo in Southern Peaks play on Tuesday, getting 11 kills and five aces from Kandace Pargin. Kimberly Pargin and Denver Holman added eight kills apiece, and Zoey Barlow cranked out four aces.
#4 MCCLA VE (13-4) AT #8 HI-PLAINS (9-4)
McClave ran its winning streak to six by downing Granada on Tuesday in four sets, and then sweeping 2A #34 Rye on Thursday. Avery Hemphill (28) and Blaire Howe (17) combined for 45 kills against Granada, and the duo had 38 total digs, 22 by Howe, which tied Yesenia Almanza for the team lead. Almanza also recorded 51 assists, one shy of her career-high. Myla Oquist, Madeline VanDyke, and Addison Vallejos all had six total blocks apiece. Hemphill had 20 more kills against Rye, and Almanza tallied 36 more assists. Hi-Plains bounced back from its five-set loss to Eads on Tuesday to earn a four-set win at #7 Prairie on Thursday. McClave has won six of the last seven against Hi-Plains, including a 3-1 victory last year.
#7 PRAIRIE (9-3) AT CALHAN TOURNAMENT
Prairie’s four-set loss at home to Hi-Plains on Thursday snapped an eight-match winning streak for the Lady Mustangs. They go into the Calhan tournament with matches scheduled against the 2A hosts and Elbert. La Veta, Pikes Peak Christian, and 2A Peyton are also in the field
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