Colorado high school boys volleyball programs establishing championship credentials

Through their play on the court, some teams are truly establishing themselves as threats to win a state crown, while several players are leaving their mark on stat sheets in each match they play.

Bear Creek (Lakewood): The Bears have the distinction of being the only team to hand Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) a loss this season. That came in the very first match as they edged the Bruins in five sets. They looked strong since then but did lose a crucial match to Legend (Parker) on March 25. They've since avenged that loss with a four-set win on April 11. Bear Creek has also seen its fair share of close battles but came out on the winning side against both Douglas County (Castle Rock) and Cherokee Trail (Aurora). The team has worked hard to earn its place as a top-five team in the MaxPreps rankings and has no intentions of falling below that mark anytime soon. Carson Kneisl has been a nightmare for the Bears' opponents as he has 146 kills and is averaging 5.8 kills per set. He also shares the team lead in blocks with 25. Brody Montgomery and Reed Kaufman also have 25 blocks and Griffin Hotchkiss has 24. The Bears net defenders have made it difficult for teams to get kills down all season, and it's one of the reasons why they have been such a consistent winner.

Cherry Creek: The Bruins have looked solid all season. The only blemish on their record was a five-set loss to Bear Creek. That was maybe the most competitive match all season, and Cherry Creek took the loss despite playing very well. Senior Miles Manthe has been a big swinger all season and has 159 kills as of April 11. Josh Guthrie has also been a big offensive threat with 119 kills. Tyler Van Hare leads the team in total blocks with 31, and Asher Nofziger is right there with him at 30. Zack Filene has been a rock defensively with 98 digs, but perhaps more impressive is that he has zero dig errors. Beyond the loss to Bear Creek, the Bruins have dropped just five sets all season and still have a tough stretch of the regular season to get through. They will take on Eaglecrest (Centennial) and Cherokee Trail as they try to establish themselves as the top team in the state heading into the postseason.

Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs): The Thunder remain undefeated heading into the final two weeks of the regular season and have emerged as one of the top teams. They have been dominant and have yet to drop a single set. Five players have at least 45 kills, with Josh Livergood (94) and Caden Zippwald (82) leading the way. Ty Heater has recorded 19 blocks, with Zippwals and Jason Hamel each adding 10. Tyler Sack and Carter Phillips have done a masterful job of setting up the hitters as Sack has 123 assists to Phillips' 122. If there is one knock on the Thunder at this point of the season, it's the lack of top-level competition. Although, those concerns were eased a little bit as they got a 2-0 tournament win over Douglas County on April 4.

Legend: The Titans' three losses this year came against Cherokee Trail, Douglas County and Bear Creek, all three of which should contend for a state championship when the postseason begins. Of the three losses, none of them were sweeps, which gives an indication that Legend is capable of hanging with the top teams in the state. The Titans don't necessarily put up flashy numbers as Landon Waltz leads the team with just 87 kills. Braedon Lenon is crucial to the Titans getting into their offense as he has a team-high 104 digs with just two errors. Reece Lindstrom also helps run the offense as he has 18 service aces to go with a team-high 149 assists. With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the Titans have two wins over teams in the MaxPreps top 10, which will be a huge mental boost when they begin postseason play.

Thornton: The Trojans have dropped just seven sets all season and the only loss was to Eaglecrest on March 12. Since then they have played sound volleyball and are still a bit of an under-the-radar team as the regular season heads into its final stretch. A solid hitting combination of Ryan Johns and Zach Soung give them a potent offensive attack that will be needed to hang with the likes of a Cherry Creek or Discovery Canyon. Johns leads the team with 141 kills, while Soung adds 97. Both are also hitting above .220. Soung has been on-point with his serves as he leads the team with 45 aces and gets an average of 1.2 per set. Freshman setter Rafael Urbina has emerged as one of the best young setters in the state with 325 assists. The Trojans are riding a 12-game winning streak and are trying to close the regular season strong to give them momentum for a postseason run.

Individual standouts

Michael Hedley, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch): The Eagles are still looking for some consistency in terms of winning matches, but Hedley has been one of the best setters in the state, win or lose. He averages 8.7 sets per set and has shown a great ability for getting the Valor hitters in position to record some kills.

Brody McKinney, James Irwin (Colorado Springs): McKinney leads the state in kills and has proven himself as arguably the most effective hitters in Colorado. His 173 kills have helped James Irwin attain its 10-7 record. He's also second on the team in digs with 138 and he averages 2.6 digs per set.

Marcus Medina, Pueblo South: Of all hitters with at least 100 kills, Medina has the highest hitting percentage at .369. His efficiency has been a big boost for the Colts as they try to cement themselves as a top-10 team in the state. His best game of the season came in a win over the Colorado Springs School in which he totaled 21 kills and had a hitting percentage of .679.

Tristan Rowley, Vista PEAK Prep (Aurora): The freshman has been a stone wall for opposing hitters to get through. He has 91 total blocks, 21 of which have been solo. His 91 blocks are the most in the state and his two blocks per set are third-best in the state, right behind teammates Benjamin Allred and Jaryd Peterson.