MileHigh Prep Report

CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEK ELEVEN

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

The final week of the regular season is here and a lot of teams are still trying to determine what their postseason dreams might look like. The top-12 in the CHSAA rankings following play on Saturday will host regional pairings, with spots 13-24 hitting the road for that round. As always, there is the caveat that the champion of any league with at least five teams will earn a spot in the bracket, even if it finishes outside of the top-24. If the league is a mixed classification one, the champion must win it outright to gain that protection. Here’s our look at the current top-30 in the rankings and what the final week has in store for each.

#1 SIMLA (20-1)

The Lady Cubs have not lost a set to a 1A opponent this season, and have locked up the Black Forest championship. Simla goes to #56 Monument Academy on Tuesday, wrapping up league play. The Lady Cubs will host #3 Swink on Saturday in the regular season finale.

#2 MCCLAVE (16-5)

McClave has finished its High Plains slate in third place. The Lady Cardinals will close the regular season on the road, first at 2A #31 Las Animas on Tuesday. They will also head to #33 Springfield on Friday.

#3 SWINK (19-1)

In its first season as a member of the High Plains, Swink earned the league title, thanks to a head-to-head win over #5 Cheraw. The Lady Lions have a busy final week, beginning with a trip to 2A #55 Fowler on Tuesday. Swink is home on Thursday against 2A #52 Calhan, and then closes out at Simla on Saturday.

#4 GRANADA (17-4)

Granada’s regular season has been highlighted by the Lady Bobcats handing Swink its only loss to date. However, they finished fourth in the High Plains, with losses to Cheraw and McClave. The final week of the regular season has Granada going to #40 Genoa-Hugo/Karval on Tuesday, and hosting #63 Kim/Branson on Friday.

#5 CHERAW (17-4)

Cheraw’s losses have been to four highly-ranked foes, including 2A #5 Evangel Christian, #3 Swink in five, #7 Hi-Plains, and #1 Simla. The Lady Wolverines are the second place finisher in the High Plains, and they will end the regular season on Thursday at #24 Holly.

#6 SARGENT (16-4)

Sargent holds the lead in the Southern Peaks, one win ahead of both #30 Creede and #41 Sierra Grande, with two league matches still to play. One of those is Wednesday at Sierra Grande. That’s followed by a league match at home against #55 Antonito on Thursday. The Lady Farmers close out at 2A #33 Sanford on Saturday.

#7 HI-PLAINS (15-6)

Thanks to a head-to-head win over #12 Otis, Hi-Plains will claim its first YWKC league title in the MaxPreps era, which dates back to 2007. The Lady Patriots still have a league contest on Friday at #34 Lone Star, but even with a loss, they would still own the title by tiebreaker. Before that match, the Lady Patriots will make the short trip to #14 Stratton on Tuesday.

#8 HAXTUN (15-7)

Haxtun sits fourth in the mixed LPAA, behind three of the top-12 teams in 2A. The Fightin’ Lady Bulldogs only have a non-league match at #10 Prairie on Thursday before the end of the regular season.

#9 PLATEAU VALLEY (14-4)

Plateau Valley sits second in the Western Slope, with 2A #3 Vail Christian in first. The Cowgirls wrap up league play on Tuesday against 2A #19 Cedaredge, and will face 4A #16 Glenwood Springs, and 3A #44 Valley, at the Coal Ridge tournament on Friday.

#10 PRAIRIE (16-5)

Prairie claimed the championship of the North Central League, losing only one match on the slate. The Lady Mustangs have the home contest with Haxtun on Thursday, and will visit #25 Idalia on Friday.

#11 CALICHE (13-8)

Caliche sits seventh in the Lower Platte with just one league match left to play. The Lady Buffs go to 2A #56 Wray on Tuesday, and will visit #47 Bethune on Saturday.

#12 OTIS (16-4)

Otis is locked in as the second place team in the YWKC, as the Lady Bulldogs have completed their league schedule. The only match left on the docket is Friday at home against #15 Eads.

#13 FLAGLER (14-7)

Flagler entered the week with the lead in the mixed Union Pacific. The Lady Panthers hosts 2A #22 Burlington on Tuesday, with a victory giving them the league title. A loss creates a three-way tie involving those two and Stratton. Flagler will also host #17 Briggsdale on Saturday.

#14 STRATTON (13-7)

Thanks to a five-set win over Burlington last Tuesday, Stratton is technically second in the Union Pacific. The Lady Eagles don’t control their fate in that league race, but could grab a share of the crown if Burlington beats Flagler on Tuesday. Stratton closes the regular season with non-league matches at home against Hi-Plains, Wray, and 2A #2 Merino. Those are on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, respectively.

#15 EADS (10-7)

Showing the depth of the High Plains, Eads sits in fifth place, giving the league one-third of the top-15 in the rankings. The Lady Eagles close out their league slate at #37 Kit Carson on Thursday, and they will travel to Otis on Friday for a non-league match.

#16 SOUTH BACA (16-5)

South Baca is tied for the lead in the Arkansas Valley with #18 Wiley, and those two will meet on Thursday for the league championship. South Baca will host that match. The Lady Patriots are also home on Tuesday for a non-league clash with Kit Carson.

#17 BRIGGSDALE (12-10)

Briggsdale owns second place in the NCL, with league play completed. The Lady Falcons head to Flagler on Saturday to finish the regular season.

#18 WILEY (14-7)

Wiley still has two matches left in the Ark Valley, including the one at South Baca on Thursday. The Lady Panthers also go to Springfield on Tuesday. Even with a loss, they could still take the league title with a win over South Baca, which would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker.

#19 ELBERT (17-5)

Elbert holds the second spot in the Black Forest, and the Lady Bulldogs are done for the regular season.

#20 BELLEVIEW CHRISTIAN (14-7)

Belleview Christian is eighth in the mixed Mile High, with two more league contests still to play. The Lady Bruins go to 2A #72 Clear Creek on Tuesday, and will host 2A #47 Dawson School on Thursday.

#21 MILE HIGH ACADEMY (17-4)

Mile High Academy is second in the 5280 behind #22 Rocky Mountain Lutheran, due to a head-to-head loss to the Lady Eagles. The Lady Mustangs host #35 Front Range Baptist on Tuesday, and will participate in the league tournament beginning on Thursday.

#22 ROCKY MOUNTAIN LUTHERAN (16-5)

Rocky Mountain Lutheran is the regular season champion of the 5280, with the Lady Eagles going unbeaten in league play. They host #39 Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory on Tuesday, and they beat the Lady Knights earlier in the season during league action. The Lady Eagles will also participate in the league tournament, starting on Thursday.

#23 PRIMERO (17-6)

Primero is the champion of the Fishers Peak league, but with only three teams in the league, the Lady Bulldogs don’t have protection into the regional bracket. They would need to remain in the top-24 of the final CHSAA rankings o my the field. Their regular season is finished.

#24 HOLLY (12-9)

Holly’s last winning season came in 2018, and the program went 1-22 in 2022, but the Lady Wildcats are on the verge of claiming a spot in the postseason. They are sitting third in the Ark Valley, and have completed league play. The Lady Wildcats have home non-league contests this week, with #42 Cheyenne Wells on Tuesday, and Cheraw on Thursday.

#25 IDALIA (11-11)

Idalia finished third in the YWKC, and its postseason hopes will come down to Friday’s match at home against Prairie. The Lady Wolves most likely need a win to get into the bracket.

#26 PEETZ (10-11)

After securing third place in the NCL, Peetz is close to punching a ticket into the postseason. The Lady Bulldogs will need a bit of help, but they can do themselves a big favor by beating 2A #9 Akron on the road on Tuesday. Peetz finishes the regular season at home on Friday with Cheyenne Wells.

#27 FLEMING (7-15)

Following a 1-8 start to the season, Fleming’s postseason hopes were all but nonexistent. However, the defending state champs have been much better in the second half of the season and are at least in the discussion. Their only remaining contest is against Merino on Tuesday. The Lady Wildcats would need a victory and a lot of help to get into the bracket.

#28 THE COLORADO SPRINGS SCHOOL (15-7)

The Colorado Springs School won its first 10 matches of the season, but is just 5-7 since. The Lady Kodiaks are fifth in the Black Forest, with a home match against #29 Kiowa on Tuesday. That’s the end of the regular season for TCSS.

#29 KIOWA (9-10)

Kiowa enters Tuesday’s match with TCSS in fourth place inside the Black Forest. That will be the final league match for the Lady Indians, who will conclude the regular season on Saturday at the Strasburg tournament.

#30 CREEDE (16-5)

Second place in the Southern Peak currently belongs to Creede, thanks to a win over Sierra Grande. The Lady Miners finish the regular season on Friday with a league match at #46 Centennial.