Top 10 Colorado Volleyball Matches for October

The get-to-know you portion of the season is over.

With the nonleague and cross-classification matchups mostly crossed off the schedule, October represents the stretch run, a time in which teams have established their contender/pretender status and are angling for high finishes in their respective leagues.

With that, here's a look at 10 matches to watch in October, spanning all classifications. Of note, we bend the rules slightly for Class 1A, which features two monster matches on the final day of September.

Class 5A
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) at Arapahoe (Centennial), 6:15 p.m., Oct. 5
This one is the perfect storm of intrigue. Area rivals, Centennial League rivals, two teams ranked in the CHSAANow.com poll and, ah yes, two teams on 10-match winning streaks. No. 4 Arapahoe (11-2) will look to protect its home floor behind the aptly-named Killy Winz, who has been lights-out for the Warriors. Cherry Creek, getting a solid season from 5-foot-10 sophomore Katie Sherman, has dropped only two sets during its unbeaten streak.

Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) at Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch), 6 p.m., Oct. 25
The Continental League has been beastly this season, as four of the Top 10 teams hail from the Douglas County-based league. Rock Canyon (10-1) continues to hold on to the top spot, but will have to oppose all three of the league's other ranked teams in the month. That includes a date with No. 7 Chaparral (Parker) on Oct. 6 and a season-closing match with Highlands Ranch on Oct. 27. But this one against No. 6 Mountain Vista (9-1) and senior Alyssa Oswald might be the most compelling of the bunch.

Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) at Denver East, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 26
This cross-classification matchup will serve as a solid litmus test for each squad on the cusp of the postseason. Denver East, ranked No. 3 in 5A, will seek a momentum-building performance behind senior Chase Jackson. Cheyenne Mountain, ranked second in 4A, has other ideas, as the Indians and hard-hitting Casey Ahrendsen will look to propel itself into the playoffs on the strength of a road win against a quality big-school opponent.

Class 4A
No. 6 Silver Creek (Longmont) at No. 5 Niwot, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 4
Junior Rylee Anderson has been fantastic for Silver Creek, averaging 5.3 kills a game (201 overall) in helping the Raptors to a 12-1 mark. Silver Creek's only loss this season was to Niwot on Sept. 8, a four-set home defeat that spurred a nine-match winning streak. Now the Raptors will have the chance to return the favor on the No. 5 Cougars' home floor, but don't expect Mackenzie Fidelak and Co. to be gracious hosts in this Northern League showdown.

Lewis-Palmer (Monument) at Cheyenne Mountain, 6 p.m., Oct. 20
Although Cheyenne Mountain is already on this list, we'd be remiss not to include this one between the top two teams in 4A – teams that have combined for the past seven championships in the classification. Top-ranked Lewis-Palmer (13-0) has ascended to No. 21 in MaxPreps' XCellent 25 and hasn't lost a set since Aug. 30. Sophomore McKenna Sciacca already has 414 assists. Odds are, this will be for all the marbles in the Pikes Peak League.

Class 3A
University (Greeley) at Sterling, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 11
Living in the immense shadow of Patriot League-rival Eaton is never fun for these two, but University might be moving up from No. 8 after Thursday's win against Valley. The Bulldogs and star Katherine Potter can make even more noise if they knock of No. 2 Sterling at the Tigers' homecoming in this one. Sterling (11-3) and setter extraordinaire Kyndall Feather have won six in a row, all in straight sets.

No. 3 Valley (Gilcrest) at No. 1 Eaton, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 20
Valley has grown weary of playing the Washington Generals role to three-time defending-champion Eaton, and the Vikings have an opportunity here to give the Reds something to think about entering the postseason. The No. 3 Vikings (10-4) lost a four-set match to Eaton in early September, but Brooke Schilling and her teammates have improved and are eager for another shot. Eaton (13-1) and standout Tarynn Sieg have won 13 straight since an opening loss to Lewis-Palmer.

Class 2A
Denver Christian at Dayspring Christian (Greeley), 6 p.m., Oct. 6
Let's be clear: Many eyes are on Dayspring Christian's season-ending match with Resurrection Christian (Loveland), the Eagles' former 2A thorn that has moved to 3A this season. If Dayspring (13-0) remains unbeaten, that one indeed will be huge for Kelsi Donoho, Katie Kurz and company. But first, the No. 2 Eagles have to take care of business in their own classification, and No. 10 Denver Christian will be a solid test with senior Brittney Anton in the fold.

Class 1A
Flagler at Kit Carson, 6 p.m., Sept. 30
Sure, this one technically is one day before October, but its effects undoubtedly will be felt long into the month. That's because neither team has lost this season, and No. 2 Kit Carson (11-0) will puts its unscathed mark on the line on its home floor against a third-ranked Flagler (10-0) squad that hasn't lost a set this season. Kit Carson, behind super sophomore Tess Hornung, has only dropped one. Flagler counters with senior outside hitter Megan Moore.

Fleming at Weldon Valley (Weldona), 5:30 p.m., Sept. 30
This one isn't quite as good as the Flagler-Kit Carson matchup, but it's close. That's why we'll also let it slide as a not-technically-October contest. Top-ranking Fleming's only loss was to 3A St. Mary's (Colorado Springs), and the Wildcats have been sharp behind senior setter Kalyn Serrato. No. 4 Weldon Valley would like nothing more than a measure of revenge for a five-set loss to Fleming on Sept. 1. Anna Sanchini had 26 kills for the Warriors in that one.