CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – EARLY WEEK
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Once again, there has been quite a bit of shuffling in the chase to gain a top-12 finish in the CHSAA rankings and earn a home match in the regional round. With some contests featuring teams currently in those spots, and others making a bid to snag one, the early part of the week in Class 1A could lead to even more jostling.
THURSDAY
#2 MCCLAVE (14-4) AT #11 EADS (9-6)
Despite not playing in 10 days, McClave returned to the #2 spot in the rankings to start the week. The Lady Cardinals have won their last seven outings, with the most recent one coming on October 3rd in four sets over #7 Hi-Plains. Avery Hemphill (21) and Blaire Howe (13) combined for 34 kills in that win, and Yesenia Almanza recorded 46 assists. Eads enters the contest with a pair of sweep wins over #23 Holly and #21 Idalia in its last two matches. Aspen Nelson posted 12 kills and 14 digs in the latter of those two wins. Jordynn Turcotte and Peyton Eder served six and five aces, respectively. McClave has won the last seven matches with Eads.
#4 SARGENT (13-1) AT 2A #19 BUENA VISTA (10-3)
Sargent has had to wait 10 days to try to get rid of the taste of its first loss of the season, as the Lady Farmers fell to 2A #6 Dolores in four sets back on October 3rd. Kandace Pargin (14) and Denver Holman (11) had a total of 25 kills in that loss, and Aubree Ullery added 30 assists. Buena Vista has won its last seven, including a five-setter over Monte Vista, also on the third of the month. The Lady Demons nearly let a 2-0 lead slip away in that one, eventually taking the fifth 16-14. Macy Reevis registered 33 digs, and Reese Crites tallied 20 assists. BV picked up wins in the series in 2022 and 2023, both in five sets, while Sargent won in five sets in 2024, and four sets last year.
#7 HI-PLAINS (12-5) VS #10 CALICHE (10-6)
Hi-Plains had an impressive run in the Stratton Bash on Saturday, beating 2A #22 Burlington, #14 Flagler, and #6 Cheraw, all in 2-0 sweeps to win the tournament title. Brianna Rueb put away a total of 29 kills in the three wins, while Cambria Seaman recorded 24 in that span. Addison Richards directed the attack with 58 total assists. Caliche had its brief two-match winning streak snapped by 2A #8 Sedgwick County last Tuesday. Faye Lueck and Alexis Breidenbach had seven kills apiece for the Lady Buffs in the sweep loss, and Ellie Willis added six. This will be the first match between Hi-Plains and Caliche since the 2013 state tournament. Caliche won that in three sets.
#12 OTIS (13-5) AT #13 HAXTUN (11-7)
Otis has won three straight heading into this important non-league clash, the last two coming in YWKC action against Lone Star and Washington County, both in sweeps. The Lady Bulldogs only allowed 28 total points in the latter of those two victories. Haxtun has lost its last three, most recently to 2A #2 Merino in three sets last Friday. Ashlyn Wolff tallied eight kills and four blocks in that loss. Scarlett Crossland added 13 digs. Otis got a sweep victory last season, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 10-7 lead in the series. Haxtun had won the two previous meetings.
THURSDAY
#1 SIMLA (16-1) AT 3A #15 THE VILLAGE (9-9)
Simla got its 16th consecutive victory by way of sweep last Saturday, as the Lady Cubs took down 2A #5 Evangel Christian on the road. The win came by scores of 25-7/16/14, with Carlee Cox and Kinlee Cox recording 15 and 10 kills, respectively. Trenna Kochera and Haylee Easler added eight apiece. The Village has not seen action since the second and third of the month, when the Lady Mountaineers played seven times in the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. They went 4-3, with a win in their final match against Cicero Prep. This will be the first meeting between Simla and The Village.
#2 MCCLAVE VS #6 CHERAW (14-3)
Cheraw had its six-match winning streak snapped by Hi-Plains in the finals of last Saturday’s Stratton Bash. The Lady Wolverines had earned a spot in that match by beating Genoa-Hugo/Karval in two, and #15 Stratton in three. Bristyl Barratt had eight kills in the title match loss, and Emi-Lee Marquez tallied 10 digs. Raimy Sisson chalked up 10 assists. The winner of this match will remain in contention for the High Plains league title, but would need Swink to lose another league contest to do so. McClave has won four straight against Cheraw, and 20 of the last 25.
#5 GRANADA (15-4) AT #23 HOLLY (10-6)
Granada’s winning streak reached four with a sweep of Walsh last Friday. The Lady Bobcats were able to avoid a letdown following their big win over #3 Swink the night before, as they limited Walsh to just 25 total points. Camryn Coleman put away 14 kills, and Dayzriana Quintana picked up a dozen digs. Leila Pizarro served six of the team’s 19 aces. Despite back to back losses to Eads and #16 South Baca last week, Holly still comes into the week with double digit wins for the first time since the 2018 season. The Lady Wildcats had not won more than eight matches in a season since then. They have a Tri at Syracuse (KS) on Tuesday, where they will face the hosts and Elkhart. Holly had won 21 of 22 meetings with their rivals dating back to 2007, but Granada currently owns an eight-match winning streak in the series.
#7 HI-PLAINS AT BETHUNE (5-12)
Bethune’s slide reached four with losses to Kit Carson and Idalia last weekend. The Lady Bobcats have not won a set in their losing streak. Natalia Millan and Jessica Adolf had 11 digs apiece in the YWKC league loss to Idalia on Friday. Julia Strobel tallied seven kills and 11 digs a night earlier against Kit Carson, and Peyton Killian led the team with 16 digs that night. Hi-Plains is 20-2 against Bethune since 2007, with wins in the last 13 meetings, all by sweeps.
#8 PRAIRIE (14-3) VS 2A #12 HOLYOKE (11-6)
Prairie locked up the North Central league crown with sweep wins over #26 Briggsdale and Weldon Valley late last week. Macie Jaeger (15) and Hannah Kugler (14) combined for 29 kills in the match with Briggsdale, and Molly Walker racked up 34 assists. Kugler had 11 more against Weldon Valley, while Walker and Jaeger added six apiece. Holyoke swept Cheyenne Wells last Saturday, marking the sixth win in the last seven matches for the Lady Dragons. The lone loss came to Merino earlier in the week. Holyoke has won eight of 12 meetings with Prairie, including a four-set victory last season.
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