CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEKEND
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
It’s already been an interesting week in Class 1A, and the weekend schedule could provide even more fun story lines. From a Friday that will include half of the CHSAA top-12 teams in action, to a Saturday filled with tournaments, the rankings on Monday morning could have a very different look.
FRIDAY
#3 SWINK (16-1) AT SPRINGFIELD (8-10)
Swink bounced back from its loss to #5 Granada to sweep its way through its own Swink Classic last Saturday. The Lady Lions dumped 2A Custer County, 3A The Vanguard School, and Sangre de Cristo, all in three sets. Daisy Heberlie put down 49 kills over the three matches, and Emma Gacnik added 33. Larriana Taggart recorded 48 digs, and Kashlyn Blasingame had 81 assists. Springfield took a three-match winning streak into last Friday’s match with 2A #24 Las Animas, but the Lady Longhorns could not extend it to four, as they fell in four sets. Jaylee Mort was strong at the net, recording 12 kills and eight total blocks, while Jersey Speck tacked on nine kills, four total blocks, and 19 digs. Tyler Mackey also had nine kills to go with 11 digs. Tinley Jenkins added 19 digs, five aces, and the duo of Dakota Reid and Finley Hume had 17 assists apiece. Swink’s won three straight and seven of the last 11 in the series, but this is the first meeting since 2023.
#6 CHERAW (15-3) AT #19 WILEY (12-6)
After finishing second in last weekend’s Stratton Bash, Cheraw visited #2 McClave on Thursday and the Lady Wolverines came away with a five-set victory to grab sole possession of second in the High Plains. Sophomore Bristyl Barratt registered a career-high 26 kills, and was one of four Lady Wolverines with double figure digs (16). Emi-Lee Marquez led with 18, while Tristyn White and Tinley Leake added 15 and 13, respectively. Leake also had 15 kills, and White tallied nine. Raimy Sisson distributed 34 assists. Wiley pushed its winning streak to four with a sweep of Cheyenne Wells last Friday, Cheraw has won the last three matches against Wiley, but it’s the Lady Panthers with a 10-6 lead since 2010.
#8 PRAIRIE (14-3) VS PEETZ (9-10)
Prairie took a five-match winning streak into Thursday’s contest with 2A #12 Holyoke, but lost in five, The Lady Mustangs now host Peetz, looking to complete an unbeaten season in the North Central. They beat the Lady Bulldogs in four sets about a month ago, as Hannah Kugler (23) and Macie Jaeger (15) combined for 38 kills. Molly Walker tallied 38 assists, and Kali Sutter had 20 digs for the Lady Mustangs. Nataleigh Kalb led Peetz with 12 kills and 12 digs in that match, and Jaidynn Reiman added eight kills and 15 digs. Trinity Moreno served four aces for the Lady Bulldogs. Peetz is coming off a sweep loss to Fleming last Friday.
#9 PLATEAU VALLEY (11-4) AT 2A RANGELY (11-7)
Plateau Valley ran its streak to three with a big sweep of 2A #14 North Fork in Western Slope play last Thursday. That gave the Cowgirls the tiebreaker for second place in the league. Vivian Arthur led the way with 16 kills, and Ava Johnson added 11 kills and 11 digs. Siena Fino tallied 22 digs and five aces, and Morgann Miller recorded 21 assists. Rangely sits eighth in the league after Tuesday’s sweep victory of Grand Valley. The Lady Panthers had lost four of their previous five outings before getting that win. Plateau Valley took a pair of sweep wins last year, but it’s still Rangely holding a 16-14 edge in the MaxPreps era.
#11 HAXTUN (12-7) VS 2A #9 ARKON (11-6)
Haxtun gutted out a tough five-set victory over #15 Otis on Tuesday, with Ashlyn Wolff (19) and Scarlett Crossland (10) combining for 29 kills. The Fightin’ Lady Bulldogs registered 105 digs as a team, 21 by Wolff and 20 by Leah Edwards. Peyton Biesemeier (15), Torrie Wernsman (15), Crossland (14), and Haylie Carpenter (13) all finished in double figures as well. Akron was surprised by Fleming in three sets on Tuesday, as the Lady Rams fell for the third time in their last four matches. Madison Woods tallied nine kills, and Molly O’Neil went for eight. Rylee Fountain led the back row with 23 digs, while O’Neil tacked on 14. Payton Marshall and Ella Koch both had 10. Koch also registered 15 assists. Akron collected a four-set win last year to break a four-match winning streak in the series by Haxtun. Overall, the Lady Rams have won 12 of the last 21 with Haxtun.
#12 STRATTON (12-5) AT 2A #6 SEDGWICK COUNTY (13-3)
After winning two out of three at its own tournament on Saturday to take third place, Stratton picked up a win in Union Pacific play on Tuesday, beating 2A #29 Byers in five. The Lady Eagles led 2-1, but had to win the fifth by a 15-8 score to avoid the loss. Kinsleigh Brachtenbach had 22 kills, and Rilynn Weickum added 19. Kennedy Henschel recorded 24 digs, and Kaylynn Brandon and Gracie Miltenberger tacked on a dozen apiece. Brandon also had 25 assists, and Miltenberger supplied 20. Sedgwick County got its sixth consecutive victory by beating 2A #21 Yuma 3-2 in LPAA action. The final four sets were decided by three points or less, with the Lady Cougars taking the fifth 15-13. This will be the first meeting between Stratton and SedgCo in the MaxPreps era.
SATURDAY
#9 PLATEAU VALLEY VS 2A HAYDEN (7-10)
Hayden entered Friday night’s match with De Beque having lost five of its last six and sitting 11th in the Western Slope. The Lady Tigers fell to Rangely last Thursday in a sweep. Plateau Valley has won the last two meetings with Hayden to take a 14-12 advantage in the series since 2007.
STERLING TOURNAMENT
As is usually the case, the Sterling tournament has a loaded field, including #4 Sargent. The Lady Farmers enter the event after beating 2A #22 Buena Vista in three sets on Tuesday. Kandace Pargin powered the attack with 15 kills, and Aubree Ullery racked up 27 assists and six aces. Denver Holman had a team-high 13 digs. Sargent will face 2A #1 Wiggins, 3A #21 Lamar, 2A #2 Merino, and 3A #7 Sterling in scheduled matches.
CALICHE TOURNAMENT
Tenth-ranked Caliche is hosting its annual tournament, with four other teams in the field. Joining the Lady Buffs will be #27 Creede, #31 Lone Star, Nucla, and 2A Clear Creek. Everyone plays three matches, with the exception of Caliche, who will only play Nucla and Creede. All matches are best of three.
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