Colorado Springs power on display in volleyball postseason

The city of Colorado Springs already has its fingerprints all over the high school volleyball landscape. In a few weeks, those prints might etched a bit deeper.

Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) coach David Barkley makes the point that the three of the top five programs in the state, regardless of classification, have ties to the city.

It's difficult to dispute him.

Barkley, whose team has won four straight Class 4A titles, believes his Indians, nearby 4A rival Lewis-Palmer (Monument) and 5A stalwart Doherty (Colorado Springs) make cases to be top-five squads overall. He also points to 5A Eaglecrest (Centennial) and top-seeded 3A powerhouse Valley (Gilcrest) as teams that could round out the list.

With that in mind, here's a look at how the classifications are shaping up entering this weekend's regional rounds.

Beginning with 4A, Barkley's Indians (19-4) are rolling despite the graduation of standout Janae Vanderploeg. Their losses are to Doherty (twice), Lewis-Palmer and reigning 5A champ Chaparral (Parker) in the season opener. Cheyenne Mountain got the Wolverines back this week, though, in the Indians' own end-of-season tournament.

"The identity of this year's squad is we're a defensive team," Barkley said. "Our outsides are good, but we're most effective when we can get it to our middles and our right side."

With the return of standout setter Monique Domme, Barkley said its "50-50" on whether his squad feels like it's a new season or a carryover from the championship run. Middle blockers Maddie Beal and Mara Barkley, the coach's daughter, also have shined.

"We feel pretty good after hosting that tournament," Barkley said, reeling off a laundry list of top-flight contenders that attended. "It was kind of like playing at state to be honest. But what makes this year different is, last year's team was unbelievably good but the rest of 4A wasn't very strong. They were young teams getting better. This year, they're strong."

There is no better example of that than Lewis-Palmer, which became the first team since Barkley took over in 2004 to defeat the Indians in a league match. The Rangers, with standout setter Abigail Bartalo and sophomore outside hitter Alexa Smith, are among a field of contenders that includes Longmont (21-1) and defensive-minded Windsor (20-3). And don't overlook Elizabeth (22-1), which has won 17 straight.

In sticking with the Colorado Springs theme, Coronado (Colorado Springs) (20-3), Air Academy (17-6) and Mesa Ridge (Colorado Springs) (17-6) also have lofty postseason hopes.

In 5A, let's be honest: it's going to be tough to unseat Doherty. The Spartans (23-0) and coach Tara Hittle have lost only four sets all season — three to Cheyenne Mountain and one to Lewis-Palmer.

Six-foot-4 junior Haleigh Washington put an already potent Spartans group over the top when she transferred from Clear Creek this season. Doherty will face challenges in the form of Eaglecrest and two-time defending champion Chaparral, which has remained potent despite losing MaxPreps National Player of the Year Nicole Dalton (now at Texas) to graduation.

Grandview (Aurora), seemingly always in the title mix, is riding five straight wins and is one of several 17-6 squads looking to do damage in the regional rounds.

In 3A, Valley (23-0) is aiming to capture its second title in three seasons. The Vikings, featured in a MaxPreps story last week, are healthy and loaded.

Balanced and senior-heavy St. Mary's (Colorado Springs) (22-1) also has had a standout season, as has Middle Park (Granby) (21-2). Roaring Fork (Carbondale), Gunnison and Bayfield all enter districts with a 20-3 mark, with Gunnison having won 18 straight. Bayfield was a semifinalist last season.

Don't forget about Eaton (17-6), last year's 3A champ. Colorado Academy (Denver), the 2011 runner-up, enters regionals 12-10.

The 2A field boasts two unbeaten squads in defending champ Lutheran (Parker) (22-0) and Simla (23-0).

Lutheran hasn't lost in more than a year, with the Lions' last setback a 3-2 decision to Colorado Academy on Oct. 15, 2011. Colorado Academy went 28-2 last season before falling to Eaton in the 3A title game.

Lutheran has gone about things in business-as-usual fashion despite entering regionals on a 35-match winning streak.

"We haven't seemed to feel the pressure yet this season," Lutheran coach Alicia Oates said. "The girls have done a great job of focusing on each game and not thinking about what we have done or what we still want to do. They are focusing on the situation at hand, and know that each day we need to work harder than the day before to improve and get to where we want to be."

Led by Laura Beach, Connie Olson and others, the Lions haven't lost a set in their last nine matches. But don't hand the Lions the title just yet. Simla and standout Kenzi Mitchell pose a bona fide threat, as do several others in the classification.

"Simla is very strong this year and would be a very tough team to beat," Oates said. "2A is strong this year with Simla, Akron, Resurrection Christian (Loveland), Fowler, Swink and others. There are a lot of tough teams and no one can be overlooked."

In 1A, all eyes naturally go to Otis and Fleming to begin with. The teams have met in the past four title games with each winning two. Otis is the defending champ and has gone 109-4 over the past four seasons – including three losses this season.

Fleming (16-8) is still in the mix this season, but was beaten handily by Weldon Valley (Weldona) in the District 4 final. Which bring us to our next point. Is this the year Weldon Valley (21-2) breaks through to the finals?

"The biggest thing is, the team has been close to being as good as it is now for a couple years," Weldon Valley coach Jerry Spooner said. "We're a little older and a lot healthier now. We just can't let the pressure get to us just because we have high expectations."

The Warriors play in challenging Region H, which includes Caliche (Iliff). The Buffaloes pushed Weldon Valley to five games in the district semfinals. But if the Warriors are in peak form, they are a title contender.

Outside hitter Rachael McCracken is one of the classification's bests, and Kelsea Eskew and Brooklyn Krehmeyer have patrolled the middle with alarming efficiency. Krehmeyer has been a pleasant surprise as a freshman.

"What I like about both my middles is they're playing their best ball right now," Spooner said.

Weldon Valley enters regionals with a 1A-best 14 straight wins, followed closely by Otis with 12. Stratton, La Veta and Rocky Mountain Lutheran (Denver) are among the others riding hot streaks.