After coming up short in 2A volleyball title game for second year in a row, Indians rally behind talented duo of Robinson and Blach; Lewis-Palmer (4A) and Eaton (3A) look to continue dominant runs
For four years running, the
Yuma volleyball team has set a precedent that other teams in Class 2A would love to, at the very least, attempt to equal.
Yuma standout Cody Robinson has the Indians primed for
another run at the Class 2A state championship.
File photo by Ray Chen
The Indians have reached the 2A state championship game in every season since 2014. It is an impressive run unmatched since Fowler made nine consecutive appearances in the title game from 1991-99, winning six of those contests.
But the final game of the season hasn't been as kind to Yuma. The Indians won the title in 2015, but came up short in the other three seasons, including each of the past two campaigns.
With a pair of all-state seniors returning to a team that won 25 games a year ago, Yuma coach Jenny Noble told her team on the first day of practice that they would need to figure out a way to take that next step.
"I said I'm going to throw new things at you and break the mold," Noble said. "We have to do something to make us a little bit better. We haven't achieved up to our potential and our goals."
The Indians open 2018 as the top-ranked team in the 2A preseason poll. Senior outside hitter Cody Robinson was a first-team all-state selection a year ago, finishing second on the team in kills (356) and digs (369). Senior middle blocker Chasey Blach made the second team and paced Yuma with 453 kills and 80 blocks.
"They're just two solid players that anybody would love to coach. They both give everything they have and they want to learn, so that makes it easy for me to trust in what they're doing," Noble said. "We always rely on them offensively and defensively, and that's going to be no different. We really look to them to get the job done and set the tone."
Yuma graduated three seniors, including libero Kyle Rayl and all-state setter Kenedy Roth. Junior Reagan Nolin will move to setter. It isn't an easy task to replace two positions that are so important on the floor, but Noble said the team had a really good summer and 36 players showed up for the first day of practice - the most she has had in her tenure.
"Everybody is enthusiastic," she said. "It's kind of a testament to the players of the past for helping to build this thing and keep it going."
The group is eager to prove themselves in a tough 2A field, especially coming off last year's disappointing finish. Yuma's only regular-season loss in 2017 came to 3A's
University (Greeley), and the team didn't drop a set through its first three state matches.
But a
Lyons squad that split its two pool-play matches and had to win a tiebreaker to reach the semifinals proved itself in the title game. Sophomore Taylor Maguire recorded 21 kills for the Lions, and Yuma's mistakes led to a hitting percentage of just .090.
"It felt like we weren't ourselves for whatever reason in that championship game," Noble said. "Nothing went like it had been going for us all year."
Lyons graduated Player of the Year Sarah Stevelinck and a cast of seniors, but Maguire and senior setter Kylen Christiansen were captains in 2017.
Meeker and
Wiggins were paced by junior second-team all-state picks in
Kassie Luce and Chloe Baker, respectively, a year ago.
For the teams that reach the state tournament this fall, the bracket will feature a much different look across the board. Classifications will move from pool play to a double-elimination tournament up until the semifinals, when the format switches to single elimination.
"I'm pretty excited about that. I was a proponent of it," Noble said. "If you get a tough early opponent, you've got a chance to keep going and fight your way back. I think it's going to be a great change for our classification."
The volleyball season opens Thursday with three games. Here is a brief overview for each of the state's five classifications headed into the 2018 season:
Class 5A
Defending state champion: Castle View (Castle Rock)
Riley Zuhn, Fossil Ridge
File photo by Tom Hanson
Nov. 8-10, Denver Coliseum
Overview: One year after winning the 5A crown,
Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) saw its season end with a heartbreaking five-set loss to eventual champion Castle View in the semifinals. But the SaberCats graduated only four seniors, and were paced by some talented juniors, including 6-foot-5 middle blocker Riley Zuhn and 6-1 outside hitter Catie Semadeni. That's a big reason why Fossil Ridge was ranked first in the 5A preseason poll. … Castle View was senior-heavy, though second-team all-state libero
Leanne Lowry is only a junior. …
Chaparral (Parker), a semifinalist in 2017, is ranked second in the preseason poll. The Wolverines lost some size to graduation but are still stacked at the net, led by second-team all-state selection
Kira Thomsen. …
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) made a strong run to the title game and was one set from a championship. The Bruins had some standouts last fall, including junior outside hitter Katie Sherman and libero Molly Chapman. …
Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) graduated Player of the Year Keeley Davis and her 577 kills, but the Jaguars were one of 5A's youngest teams. …
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) moves up a classification after reaching the 4A championship game.
Lily Thomason and
Courtney Lane combined for nearly 500 kills between them as juniors.
Class 4A
Defending state champion: Lewis-Palmer (Monument)State tournament: Nov. 8-10, Denver Coliseum
Overview: Lewis-Palmer earned its seventh state title and fourth in five years in 2017. The Rangers were undefeated, and had three players make the first team in all-state in juniors Riley Putnicki and McKenna Sciacca and sophomore Gianna Bartolo. Kessandra Krutsinger made the second team as a junior, meaning the Rangers return a boatload of talent to a team that dropped only six sets all year. …
Holy Family (Broomfield), which took Valor Christian to five sets in the semifinals, also returns some talented players. Ali Travis led the team with 384 kills as a junior and Peyton Frank was all-state as a sophomore. …
Niwot lost POY and all-around talent Mackenzie Fidelak, but the Cougars return 6-3 middles
Emma Falk and
Zoe Gonzales, and
Audrey Richard was second on the team in kills. …
Palmer Ridge (Monument) lost only three games in 2017 and had four standout freshmen emerge as starters. ... With Valor no longer in 4A Jeffco,
Evergreen could make a move. Senior Claudia Dillon was all-state as a junior after finishing with 351 kills and 219 digs. Katie Hays had 458 assists as a junior.
Class 3A
Defending state champion: EatonState tournament: Nov. 8-10, Denver Coliseum
Overview: Eaton is on a run unparalleled in the state. The Reds have captured five consecutive 3A state
Mackenzie Harris, Eaton
File photo by Matt Daniels
championships and six out of seven, and have not dropped a set in any of those title games. Both of the team's losses came to 4A Lewis-Palmer. Mackenzie Harris led Eaton with 475 kills as a junior. …
Lutheran (Parker) got off to a bumpy start with a pair of losses before going on an impressive run that carried the Lions all the way to the title game. Payton Brgoch led the team with 281 kills as a sophomore, and Abby Akers wasn't far behind with 243. Setter Kennedey Johnson was all-state as a sophomore. …
Faith Christian (Arvada) also had some youth on its side in the form of sophomore setters
Allure Padilla and
Sophia Keister. … The Patriot League was loaded once again. Besides Eaton, University,
Resurrection Christian (Loveland) and
Sterling each won at least 20 games, and
Valley (Gilcrest) finished with 19 victories. Each of the four made the state tournament. University, which fell to Eaton in the semis, was paced by juniors Madelyn Malm at the net along with libero Abby Schaefer and setter Alexsei Vierya. … Resurrection Christian took University to five sets at state in pool play. Morgan Watson was all-state as a sophomore, and libero Megan McDaniel and setter Bryce Lienemann were only juniors.
Class 2A
Defending state champion: Lyons
State tournament: Nov. 8-10, Denver Coliseum
Overview: Lyons became the fourth state champion in four years in 2A. Taylor Maguire led the team with 379 kills as a sophomore; Kaylen Christiansen notched 977 assists as a junior.… Wiggins defeated Lyons in pool play but fell to the Lions in a tiebreaker. Chloe Baker recorded 1,053 assists for the Tigers as a junior, though the team lost leading hitter Tori Jordan to graduation. … Meeker upended
Swink and
Simla in pool play before falling to Lyons in the semifinals. Krissie Luce led the team with 317 kills as a junior, and Kassie Luce had 908 assists. Libero Lila Klinglesmith also returns. …
Denver Christian defeated Fowler to reach the semifinals. Junior
Anna Kaemingk was second on the team a year in kills (240) and first in aces (97) and digs (261).
Jenna Peters and
Jenai Haman split time at setter as juniors. … Swink graduated only one senior and returns the majority of its squad. … Simla moves forward without all-state standout Jerraldawn Rector, but
Riley Maranville and
Kegan Hamacher return.
Class 1A
Defending state champion: Kit CarsonState tournament: Nov. 8-10, Denver Coliseum
Overview: Kit Carson was simply on another level in 2017 on its way to the 1A state championship. The Wildcats were undefeated and didn't drop a single set all season in 28 matches. Tess Hornung led the team with 248 kills and 335 digs as a junior, earning Player of the Year honors. The team graduated all-state talent Micayla Isenbart, but setter Reyna Isenbart made the second team as a sophomore. …
Fleming graduated standouts Alli Keisel and Bailey Chintala, but Jenna Lengfelder was third on the team in kills and was third in digs. Kendyl Kirkwood had nearly 900 assists as a freshman. …
La Veta lost only one match all season, and it came to Fleming in the semifinals.
Kaylee Corsentino led the team with 296 kills and 299 digs as a junior;
Nya Sciacca was second in kills, second in digs and recorded 98 aces. …
Otis graduated only two seniors off a team that made the semifinals. MaKenna Metzler led the team in kills as a junior. …
McClave's Jordan Parker tallied 302 kills and 316 digs as a junior; Rebecca Steerman led the team in digs and assists as a sophomore.
