CLASS 1A VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW – WEEKEND
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
With just two days left in the regular season, most of the postseason field in Class 1A has been set, outside of the actual placement in the bracket. A big portion of the group has finished its schedule, but there are still a few matches this weekend that will have a big impact. The rankings are from the CHSAA update on Friday morning.
FRIDAY
#9 PRAIRIE (17-5) AT #24 IDALIA (11-11)
Prairie picked up a big sweep of #11 Haxtun on Thursday, allowing the Lady Mustangs to swap spots with them in the rankings. It also all but secured a home regional for the Lady Mustangs, who have won three straight. Idalia enters the match in the final qualifying spot, but most likely needs a win to make the bracket. A win could possibly jump the Lady Wolves up a couple of spots. Idalia has lost three straight, and five of its last six. Prairie got the win last season, snapping a run of six straight victories by the Lady Wolves.
#13 OTIS (16-6) VS #14 EADS (11-7)
Both teams are still in the hunt for a regional hosting position, as they trail #12 Flagler for the final one of those. Otis has won its last three matches, while Eads has won its last two. Otis beat Eads two years ago, and Eads got the win last season.
#15 STRATTON (13-8) VS 2A #2 MERINO (17-5)
Stratton is also still in the mix to grab the last regional hosting spot, and an upset of the second-ranked team in 2A would go a long way to securing that goal. The Lady Eagles got a sweep of 2A Wray on Thursday night, breaking a two-match slide that included losses to #11 Haxtun in five, and #7 Hi-Plains in three. Merino won its third in a row, beating #28 Fleming in three on Tuesday. Including the time when Stratton was part of the co-op with Liberty, Merino has won seven of eight against the Lady Eagles since 2010. The Lady Rams won in a sweep last year.
#25 PEETZ (10-12) VS CHEYENNE WELLS (2-19)
Should Idalia lose to Prairie, Peetz could grab the final qualifying spot with a win of its own against Cheyenne Wells. The Lady Bulldogs have lost two in a row, to Otis and 2A #10 Akron. The loss to Otis was in five sets. Cheyenne Wells is on a 12-match losing streak after falling to #23 Holly in four on Tuesday. The Lady Tigers have only won 10 sets all season. This is just the third meeting between Peetz and Cheyenne Wells in the MaxPreps era, with the Lady Tigers winning in 2018 and 2019.
SATURDAY
#1 SIMLA (21-1) VS #3 SWINK (21-1)
Both teams are set to host regional pairings, and Simla is locked in as the top overall seed. But, Swink could potentially jump #2 McClave for the second seed with a win. Plus, it’s rare to get a match-up like this on the final day of the regular season. Simla has won 21 straight matches and still has not lost a set to a 1A opponent this season. Swink has won eight straight (all by sweep) since its loss to #5 Cheraw. Special recognition goes out to the libero of the Lady Lions, Larriana Taggart, for surpassing 2000 career digs recently. Simla and Swink have only played two other times in the MaxPreps era, with the Lady Cubs winning in 2012 and 2017.
#12 FLAGLER (15-7) VS #18 BRIGGSDALE (12-10)
There is no shortage of teams lined up behind Flagler, looking to take the regional hosting spot away from the Lady Panthers. Flagler has won its last two, including a sweep of 2A #24 Burlington on Tuesday to claim the Union Pacific title. It is possible for the Lady Panthers to get the win and still slip in the rankings, with how close Otis is behind them. Briggsdale clawed its way back into the picture with a four-match winning streak, but that was snapped last Saturday in a loss to #10 Caliche. Flagler and Briggsdale have only played three times in the MaxPreps era, with none coming since 2017. Briggsdale won that meeting, while the Lady Panthers got wins in 2014 and 2015.
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