Several league races to be decided as regular season winds down
Video: Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings - Oct. 6The volleyball season is officially in the stretch run, with less than three weeks left for teams to angle for league titles and postseason positioning. While some of that appears to be officially locked down, much is still to be decided.
With that in mind, here's a look at the top 10 games remaining across the state on the regular-season slate:
Class 5AOct. 22: Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) at Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch), 6:30 p.m.Continental League play has been fierce, as the top-flight teams continue to beat up on one another. Four teams entered Friday with one league loss in the top-heavy league, and this one could go a long way toward determining the champ.
Keeping in mind
Chaparral (Parker) and 4A
Ponderosa (Parker) are right in the mix, this one features two of the current top four. No. 2 Mountain Vista (11-3, 6-1), aiming to rebound from Tuesday's five-set loss to Chaparral, is led by the passing tandem of
Taylor Dubray and
Annie Ell. Rock Canyon (11-2, 5-1) counters with junior assist maven
Skylar Lane.
Oct. 27: Chatfield (Littleton) at Cherokee Trail (Aurora), 6:15 p.m.OK, so this
one won't decide any league titles, but it will serve as one heck of a
measuring stick entering the Class 5A postseason. This is the matchup of
the current top-ranked team in Chatfield, which has ascended to No. 20
in
MaxPreps XCellent 25, and the preseason No. 1 in Cherokee Trail (now
third). Junior
Sierra Bartley has been a terror for Chatfield (12-0), as
has senior
Shannon Webb for the Cougars (11-2).
Oct. 29: Prairie View (Henderson) at Brighton, 6:30 p.m.The East Metro League could very well be decided here, as No. 6 Prairie View (12-0) and No. 10 Brighton (13-3) each have a solid opportunity to run the table in league play (although
Rangeview (Aurora) is off to a hot start too at 4-0). Balanced Prairie View is led by 6-foot-2 senior middle hitter
Serena Bruin, while Brighton counters with a solid attack paced by junior
Shaylee Befus.
Class 4AOct. 22: Lewis-Palmer (Monument) at Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs), 6:30 p.m.Supremacy in the Pikes Peaks League likely will in the balance here, as 2014 MaxPreps national champion Lewis-Palmer (16-2) attempts to extend its in-state domination. Both of the top-ranked Rangers' losses were to out-of-state teams in the Nike Tournament of Champions last week. No. 2 Cheyenne Mountain (12-1), which boasts a quarter of players averaging at least 2.7 kills per set, has lost only to 3A No. 1 Eaton and is eager to reclaim its longstanding title as 4A's top squad.
Oct. 27: Longmont at Holy Family (Broomfield), 6:30 p.m.This nonleague matchup figures to be heated and could very well feature two league champions. Longmont coach Holli Stetson has returned after a one-year sabbatical, and her No. 6 Trojans (14-1) have all but clinched the 4A Northern League. No. 7 Holy Family (15-2) has a one-game lead in the Tri-Valley League, although the Tigers will likely have to beat a solid
Windsor squad on Oct. 20 to claim the crown. The Wizards are responsible for Holy Family's lone league loss. Either way, this one will feature top-flight contenders.
Class 3AOct. 19: Resurrection Christian (Loveland) at University (Greeley), 6:30 p.m.Resurrection
Christian had its 70-match winning streak halted Tuesday against
Roosevelt (Johnstown), but that shouldn't take away from this heavy-duty
cross-classification battle. The Cougars, top-ranked and two-time
defending champs in 2A, have received a huge season from junior setter
Saylor Webb and will view the matchup with 3A's No. 3 Bulldogs as
playoff prep type of game. Outside of a loss to top-ranked Eaton,
University (10-1) won 30 of 31 sets.
Oct. 20: Peak to Peak (Lafayette) at Lutheran (Parker), 6 p.m.The rugged 3A Metro League could be decided with this one, as the No. 8 Lions (9-4, 5-0) look to remain unscathed in league against the solid No. 9 Pumas (12-2, 5-1). Peak to Peak encountered a roadblock this week in a five-set loss to
Skyview (Thornton), but the Pumas had won six straight entering the match. Senior
Cayley Walker has had an outstanding season for Lutheran, a former 2A power in its second year in 3A.
Oct. 27: Valley (Gilcrest) at Eaton, 6:30 p.m.Eaton has won 37 straight
matches and has lost only two of 53 sets this season, both to opponents
in higher classifications. The top-ranked Reds (17-0), led by senior
Caiden Rexius, continue to be the benchmark for 3A and appear a lock for
a third straight state title. Although the first match between the
teams was a Reds sweep, the last thing the No. 2 Vikings want is to be
background fodder for Eaton's senior night. They'll be fired up for this
one. The Eaton-University match two days later promises intrigue as
well.
Class 2AOct. 20: Dayspring Christian Academy (Greeley) at Lyons, 6 p.m.While Resurrection Christian gets much of the publicity in 2A, it will be no cakewalk for the Cougars to threepeat. That's because teams like these two are hardly pushovers. Dayspring (14-1) and standout setter
Kelsi Donoho are eager for the key District 7 battle, while Lyons freshman
Kylen Christiansen has melded well with a veteran Lions (13-1) lineup. Each squad has lost only two sets to teams not named Resurrection Christian this season.
Class A Oct. 23: Idalia at Otis, 4 p.m.It doesn't get bigger than this in 1A, with the Nos. 1 and 2 teams set to square off in the regular-season finale. Top-ranked Idalia has a tough one against No. 3 Flagler on Friday, but if coach Kylie Chamberlain and the Wolves get by that one, there's a good chance they'll be vying for an 18-0 pre-playoff record in this one. Otis (13-1) has won nine straight and is getting a tremendous season from senior
Antonya Schaffert.
