Chaparral’s 3-2 win over top-ranked and undefeated Ponderosa paid off this week when the Class 5A district seeds were announced. The Wolverines are the fifth seed, getting to host its segment of the tournament this weekend.
Chaparral’s late-season victory flurry has come after a bad patch early in the year. The Wolverines were ranked No. 1 at the start of the season, but plummeted after losses to Chatfield and ThunderRidge at the Smoky Hill tournament.
Yes, those losses were only 2-0 as a result of the tournament format, but the Wolverines took another hit by getting swept by Grandview. In those losses, Chaparral had serving problems and also relied too much on setting the back row for attacks.
Since then, however, Chaparral has won 10 of its past 11 matches. The loss was at Highlands Ranch, and the Falcons went on to win the Continental League. The Wolverines also showed remarkable resolve in beating Ponderosa, rallying from a two-set deficit to win.
“I think it all kind of led up to this,” right side hitter Skylar Johnson said. “We started off kind of rocky, then put it together in the final match. It was nice that (the victory came against) our rival.”
The Wolverines have a tall team and likely the best blocker in 5A with junior Anna Faul. Coach TR Ellis also has probably the best bunch of blockers on any team, with Nicole and Karlie Dalton both quite adept and Mikinzie Moydell and Johnson also contributing. That quintet has an average height of 6-1.
Chaparral, though, did not register a single block in the opening set against Ponderosa and Mustangs coach Rob Graham said his team hit higher than .400 in the second.
Ponderosa outside hitter Caitie Breaux said the gauntlet has been thrown for dealing with the loss.
“Graham told us, in our last huddle, he told us, ‘We can make the choice. We choose to work hard in practice and be determined and do it, and make it all the way to state, or we can blow on it.’”
Another Skylar
Rampart libero Skylar Lewandowski is having a good couple of weeks. She just committed to play at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and has broken the state’s career dig total with 1,126 shattering Breanna VanDerMost’s old mark of 973.
Also, Lewandowski is only two aces away from setting Rampart’s career high total in aces. She has 154, trailing Kristen Karlik’s record.
East not the least
It was neither a surprise that the Continental League placed three teams in the top nine seeds for districts, nor that the Denver Prep League has three of the bottom eight seeds.
But it might have comes as a shock that 14-7 Denver East was the seventh seed, not the eighth. A closer look at the Angels’ results late in the regular season showed a win against No. 8 seed Monarch, plus another over Air Academy. The five-set victory against Monarch handed the Coyotes just their second loss all season.
Lone Front Rangers
Despite the dropping of Monarch to No. 8, the Coyotes and much of the rest of the Front Range League have outstanding attackers. Kaleigh Humphrey leads the way for Monarch, Laura Steiner (only a sophomore) leads Fort Collins, Fairview has Amy Parlier and Emily Kiser, Legacy counts on Quincey Noonan, Tawni Warren is tops for Mountain Range and Michie Johnson is the same for Rocky Mountain.
Grace under fire
Grace Gordon is a key find for Grandview this season, but those who know her background aren’t too surprised that the sophomore setter has stepped in for Wolves coach Patty Childress. Gordon is the daughter of the former Janet Saunders, a three-time All-American at the University of Pacific.
Still, it’s not a case of Grace being trained to set most of her life. “Actually, when I was little, I was a DS,” Gordon said. “Everyone thinks that she taught me all the way. She gives me little tips and stuff, but she never actually taught me to set. I probably have it from her blood.”
Ranch in driver’s seat
The only 5A district having a two-day tournament is at top seed Highlands Ranch. The Friday competition begins at 5 p.m. Falcons coach Lou Krauss was unhappy a few seasons ago when his team had to play two consecutive playoff matches with only a 30-minute turnaround.
Krauss believed there should have been a longer break for rest and hydration, so now that he gets to call the shots in terms of the District 1 schedule, it will be spread out. One good thing is that all of the other five teams are within easy driving distance of the tournament, with fourth team Brighton being the farthest away.