Colorado boys volleyball hoping to build on first sanctioned high school season

Play began in early May, and the regular season is set to wrap up next week. The season faced an unfortunate obstacle in beginning during a year in which the COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc for all high school sports. Nevertheless, all indications about this first season are encouraging: the sport is off to a great start and will continue to grow in the coming years.

"The only disappointing thing has been the number of schools (participating)," James Irwin coach Mike Prusinowski said. "But that's a COVID thing and a result of budget cuts. That was the reason that a lot of the schools that we expected to have a team this year didn't."

Prusinowski has been a big advocate in the sanctioning of boys volleyball and was a state leader when it was only played as a club activity.  But when the CHSAA Legislative Council green lit the sport into varsity status, he was happy to see the hard work of several coaches and athletic directors around the state pay off.

But he's not satisfied with just getting the sport sanctioned. He's excited to see how the sport will grow as it finds its footing among the rest of the spring sports in Colorado.

"Just about every school that has participated in this CHSAA season has been involved with the boys league that's been run in Colorado for the last 25 years," Prusinowski said. "This is really just a continuation of what those schools have done in the last four or five years. We did see a couple new schools. But the matches we've had and the tournament we had a couple weeks ago have seen some pretty competitive teams."

Others around the state are taking notice. In seeing how the season has played out and the participation numbers, it won't be a shock in the coming years to see more programs dive into the competition as soon as its feasible for them.

"Some schools have already made the decision to add the sport next year," Prusinowski said. "When we get beyond the downfall and the budget cuts (of COVID) we'll get those teams that were involved in the league previously back into CHSAA next season. "

And he plans on seeing the trend continue in the years after that. The buildup of the first official boys volleyball season gave Prusinowski and other coaches and athletic directors high hopes for the number of teams that would participate in the inaugural year. But the pandemic had other ideas.

Not to be deterred, the foundation has been laid and the boys volleyball advocates will continue to work toward their initial championships and try to push it even further.

"Before COVID hit, we were hoping to have about 85-100 teams," Prusinowski said. "This year, we had only 35 or 36. We expect 45 to 50 next year and we're excited to see it grow."

Bear Creek (Lakewood): The Bears are getting contributions from all over the roster this season. They average 12.9 kills per set and have five players who have totaled at least 30 kills on the team. Carson Kneisl leads the way with 57. Wyatt Hobson has been solid with the serve as he's totaled 26 aces this year and average 1.2 aces per set. Shawn Zheng has done solid work around the net as he's racked up 19 blocks.

Douglas County (Castle Rock): The Huskies have to be considered early state championship contenders. They have yet to drop a set all season and feature a triple-threat when it comes to hitting. Freshman Gabriel Repplinger leads the team with 81 kills, and Connor Shumate (71) and Jayden Pascua (68) have provided ample support. Ethan Rossin has shown to be tough to hit around as he's totaled 23 blocks this season.

Eaglecrest (Centennial): The Raptors ran into Douglas County early in the season but have looked solid in every match since. They head into the postseason battle-tested after grinding out a five-set win over district rival Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village). Ayden Shaw and Aiden Bond each finished with 13 kills in the match to lead the Eaglecrest offense. They were crucial in setting up the offense as well as each had at least 24 service receives. Alfred Maiava has been outstanding setting up his hitters as he has 326 assists this season.

James Irwin (Colorado Springs): The Jaguars fell to Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) on May 15 but have been riding a winning streak ever since. Throughout their entire schedule, James Irwin has lost just three sets. Josh Livergood leads the team with 82 kills. Carter Phillips has played a role in the attack as he's racked up 144 assists on the year.

Individual Standouts

Colorado's first season is producing some notable performers as the regular season comes to a close: Colorado stats leaders

Aidan Bond, Eaglecrest: The Raptors senior has been one of the top hitters in the state. He's totaled 130 kills and averages 4.3 kills per sets, which is tops in the state. He has averaged better than five kills per set in five matches this season.

Jordan Cardenas, Cherry Creek: One of the top setters in the state, Cardenas has 288 assists and averages 9.3 per set. He also has 23 aces, eight blocks and 57 digs, making him a crucial all-around player for the Bruins.

Jayden Pascua, Douglas County: The Huskies remain undefeated in part because they have the most efficient hitter in the state. Pascua has 68 total kills and is hitting .425 on the year. His kill percentage is also efficient at 53.5%.

Jordan Rittgers, Pueblo South: Rittgers' play in the back row has been vital in getting the Colts' offense set up this season. He has 169 digs and has also received 150 serves. His 20 aces have helped him serve 88% on the year.