Inter-classification battles between top-ranked teams, league openers among most interesting matchups in first full month of fall season
The 2018 volleyball season is not quite three weeks old – some teams have played only a single game thus far – so the turn of the calendar to a new month means the schedule is about to pick up.
Typically, that would mean some great league matchups are in store, and September has plenty of those. But with a number of tournaments and non-league games still on tap, the upcoming month includes some must-see inter-classification matchups across the board.
Riley Putnicki, Lewis-Palmer
File photo by Ray Chen
Consider that Class 4A's top-ranked and defending state champion
Lewis-Palmer (Monument) plays two No. 1 teams (courtesy of the most recent CHSAANow.com polls) outside of the 4A ranks. The Rangers host current 5A No. 1
Chaparral (Parker) on Tuesday night, and visit defending 3A champion
Eaton on Sept. 22.
The current top two teams in 2A and 1A also tangle later this month when 1A's
Kit Carson travels to play 2A
Yuma on Sept. 29.
What affect do those games have on the standings? Outside of RPI considerations, not much necessarily. But it gives volleyball fans around the state an opportunity to see some of the state's elite programs go head-to-head for bragging rights.
With that in mind, here is a look at 10 games to watch in September, including tonight's big Chaparral and Lewis-Palmer tilt:
Class 5A
• Fort Collins (Fort Collins, Colo.) (4-1) at Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) (1-1), 5:30 p.m., Sept. 12One of the biggest matches in the Front Range League comes early, with a pair of top-five teams facing off next week. The Lambkins are off to a strong start that includes a four-set victory over top-ranked Chaparral, but the team was swept by No. 2
Cherokee Trail (Aurora) the same day in the championship of the Regis Jam Tournament. Junior
Hannah Serbousek averages more than nine assists a set and
Erika Jones is going for 6.6 digs a set. … Fossil Ridge, Fort Collins and
Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins) finished in a three-way tie for first in the FRL standings last fall, with the SaberCats falling in five sets to
Castle View (Castle Rock) in the state semifinals. The team opened with a loss to Chaparral before sweeping
Erie. Seniors
Riley Zuhn,
Catie Semadeni and
Mataya Megson are a potent combination at the net.
• Valor Christian (3-0) at Chatfield (Littleton) (3-0), 6:30 p.m., Sept. 27One year removed from reaching the 4A title game, Valor Christian moved up a classification to 5A and joined the Jeffco League. The Eagles swept their first three matches, with senior
Courtney Lane leading the team in kills with 34 and
Maddie Allen adding a team-high 25 digs. Valor opens Jeffco play Sept. 20 and faces two-time defending league champion Chatfield on the 27th. … The Chargers are also 3-0, though the team has a tough upcoming slate with Fort Collins and Cherokee Trail. Senior
Hope Theander (29 kills) leads four players with at least 21 kills. Senior
Alexa Alameddin is averaging nearly six digs a set.
• Eaglecrest (Centennial) (3-0) at Cherokee Trail (5-1), 6:45 p.m., Sept. 27This bout between Centennial League heavyweights could play a factor in the league standings. Eaglecrest has played some close matches early in the season, with junior
Audrey Black (3.8 kills) playing well up front. The Raptors have to play 10th-ranked
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) two days before meeting up with Cherokee Trail. … Speaking of the Cougars, after an opening loss to Chaparral, few teams have played better. Cherokee Trail won the Regis Jam Tournament and has taken on a number of ranked opponents early. Junior
Sami Campion and sophomore
Amaya Messier have combined for 128 kills, and junior
Sydney Cole leads five players with 50-plus digs at 73.
Class 5A/4A
• Chaparral (6-1) at Lewis-Palmer (1-0), 6 p.m., Sept. 4This is one of the inter-classification matchups that will be fun to watch. After a loss to Fort Collins in the Regis Jam, Chaparral bounced back to defeat defending state champion Castle View in five sets. The Wolverines also own victories over Cherokee Trail and Fossil Ridge. The team's offense has been balanced at the net, and freshman setter
Katie Dalton has provided a lift as well. … Defending 4A champion Lewis-Palmer has played just one match, but the team has a busy month that includes games with the top two teams in 5A and 3A's top-ranked Eaton. The Rangers return a handful of all-state talent, including three first-team selections in
Gianna Bartalo,
Riley Putnicki and
McKenna Sciacca.
• Ponderosa (Parker) (6-1) at Castle View (3-2), 6 p.m., Sept. 27This Continental League matchup features a 4A Ponderosa team that has won six of its first seven matches going up against defending 5A state champion Castle View. Ponderosa, save for a five-set loss to No. 2 Cherokee Trail, has been on fire out of the gate. Junior
Jordyn Miller is averaging 3.3 kills a set, four players have at least 33 digs and sophomore
Abbey Telesz has 116 assists and 13 aces. … Castle View was senior-heavy a year ago, and the team is coming off tough losses to the 5A's top two teams in Chaparral and Cherokee Trail. But junior
Leanne Lowry and sophomore
Marissa Coney each have 53 kills, and Lowry has 109 digs.
Morgan Leadens leads the team with 114 digs.
Class 3A
• Eaton (2-0) at Faith Christian (Arvada) (1-0), 6 p.m., Sept. 11The four semifinalists from last November square off in non-league matchups next week. Eaton has dominated 3A over the past several years, and the Reds are off to another good start. The matchup with Faith Christian and the clash with Lewis-Palmer are the only non-league games the team has in September. Seniors
Mackenzie Harris and
Quinci Johnson were strong in sweeps of Lamar and Buena Vista, as was the play of sophomore libero
Mckynna Gentry. … Faith Christian has a busy week at the Jefferson Academy tournament, playing a handful of games over two days. The Eagles opened with a sweep of
Resurrection Christian (Loveland) where junior
Allure Padilla tallied 31 assists and 14 digs.
• University (4-0) at Lutheran (Parker) (1-0), 6 p.m., Sept. 13University has powered through its first four contests, not giving up a set along the way. The Bulldogs have a challenging month, facing 4A No. 2 Holy Family and 2A No. 1 Yuma, in addition to starting Patriot League play. Seniors
Abby Schaefer and
Madelyn Malm have combined for 96 kills and Schaefer leads the team with 80 digs. … Lutheran, the 3A runner-up last fall, opens with three of its first four opponents coming from the Patriot League. The Lions dispatched
Valley (Gilcrest) to start the season behind 15 kills from returning all-state talent
Payton Brgoch and 14 digs from sophomore
Bella Vezzani.
• Resurrection Christian (1-1) at Platte Valley (Kersey) (1-0), 6:30 p.m., Sept. 20This Patriot League contest features a pair of teams looking to keep pace with Eaton and University. Resurrection Christian, which swept defending 2A state champion
Lyons before falling to Faith Christian, still has Lutheran, Valley and Eaton before facing Platte Valley. The Cougars have some talented seniors and a handful of freshmen in the rotation. Setter
Bryce Lienemann is also second on the team in digs. … Platte Valley will compete in the Lewis-Palmer tournament this weekend before facing Faith Christian and then Resurrection Christian. The team received a balanced effort in a sweep of
Highland (Ault) to open the season, with
Kassi Shoemaker and
Brianna Ley combining for 37 digs.
Class 2A/1A
• La Veta (3-1) at Swink (5-0), 2 p.m., Sept. 15La Veta, ranked fourth in 1A, goes up against 2A's fifth-ranked Swink in the middle of the month. La Veta is coming off a loss to defending state champion Kit Carson, albeit an impressive one. The Redskins took Kit Carson to five sets, with senior
Kaylee Corsentino notching 24 kills and junior
Nya Sciacca going for a team-high 17 digs. … Swink played well in August with five victories. Four players have at least 29 kills through the five matches, paced by senior
Skyler Jones' 39.
Brianna Denton and
Brooklyn Mueller have combined for 42 blocks.
• Kit Carson (2-0) at Yuma (2-0), Sept. 29Another of the big clashes between top-ranked teams pits defending 1A state champion Kit Carson against the 2A runner-up in No. 1 Yuma. Kit Carson, which didn't drop a set in 2017, had to go to five to get past La Veta on Aug. 31. Senior
Tess Hornung has paced the Wildcats with 21 kills, and
Olivia Isenbart has 14 kills, 13 aces and nine blocks. … Yuma has a busy month with 12 matches, and the clash with Kit Carson closes out September. The Indians opened with sweeps of
Sedgwick County and Pine Bluffs (Wyo.), with senior
Chasey Blach recording 15 kills and 18 digs against Pine Bluffs.
