Colorado volleyball state tournament showcases top talent

Grandview (Aurora) volleyball coach Patty Childress admits the days leading up to this weekend's Colorado state tournament are filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Her Wolves head to the Denver Coliseum this Friday as the top seed and favorite to hoist the Class 5A state title trophy when the tournament wraps up Saturday night. It's a journey that began just about a year ago at the 2012 championships, when Grandview finished runner-up to Doherty (Colorado Springs).

That loss served as motivation for the Wolves, who also dropped a five-set match to the Spartans to open the current campaign. But since that season-opening loss, Grandview has gone 23-1 and hasn't dropped a set since beating Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) 3-2 on Oct. 10.

"We've been playing very well lately, for sure," said Childress, who has led the Wolves to eight state finals, winning championships in 2004, 2005 and 2007. "We just need to keep it going. There's always a worry that you might have peaked at the wrong time, but you try to combat that by constantly talking and communicating so you can overcome slumps and errors."

Another reason Grandview should be immune to prolonged slumps is its balanced attack, meaning it doesn't rely on only one or two players to carry it. The Wolves have two strong setters in seniors Kylie Copple and Alyssa Svalberg, and they have several options on the attack, including senior Morgan Montgomery and junior Haley McLaren.

And Childress isn't worried about the pressure of being a No. 1 seed, or having a target on the team's back, either.

"We've been in the situation before," Childress said. "We understand the process and we should be fine. It's hard not to look ahead sometimes, but it's our job as coaches to make sure they don't do that."

Childress admits the Wolves would love another shot at Doherty, which earned the No. 7 seed and is on the opposite side of the bracket. That means if Grandview and the Spartans meet up again at this year's tournament, it will happen in the championship game.

"I know the kids would really like to (play Doherty)," Childress said. "We've definitely made some big strides since the last time we faced them. We've really come a long way and are a much stronger team than last time."

Arapahoe (Centennial), which finished second behind Grandview in the Centennial League, is the tournament's No. 2 seed, and is in the same pool as the Spartans, who feature Penn State commitment and 2012 Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year Haleigh Washington. No. 3 Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) and No. 4 Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch) round out the top seeds in 5A.

Lewis-Palmer (Monument) nabbed the top seed in Class 4A after winning the Pikes Peak League title and the Region I championship. But the Rangers have been humbled recently, falling to conference rival and defending state champion Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) in straight sets on Oct. 26 during the Indians' regular season-ending tournament.

Cheyenne Mountain, which earned the No. 3 seed, beat Lewis-Palmer in last year's state championship match, a loss that has spurred the Rangers all season.

"From the first day of practice this year, you could tell the girls have been super motivated," Lewis-Palmer coach Susan Odenbaugh said. "The practices and drills have been more competitive than at any time since I've been with the program."

The Indians, meanwhile, seem to be peaking at the right time and bring a seven-match winning streak into the tournament. Cheyenne Mountain has dropped only three sets during that stretch, including two during a five-set victory against their state tournament first-round opponent, 10th-seeded Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch).

No. 2 Longmont and No. 4 Thomas Jefferson (Denver) round out the top seeds. Of note, Thomas Jefferson became the first Denver Prep League team to qualify for the state tournament since 1984.

A pair of Patriot League teams grabbed the top two seeds in Class 3A, with conference champion Eaton earning the No. 1 slot, while defending state champion Valley (Gilcrest) is No. 2. The Reds secured the league championship by knocking off the Vikings in four sets on Oct. 17, as Eaton had a huge match from junior Kortney Lockey, who finished with 30 kills and 7 blocks.

The Reds' only loss this season came against Manitou Springs, which was seeded third despite finishing with an undefeated record. The Mustangs beat Eaton 2-0 during the finals of the Bishop Machebeuf Tournament on Sept. 7, and have only dropped four sets all season.

Platte Valley (Kersey), the only team to take Manitou Springs to a fifth set this year, earned the No. 4 seed.

Resurrection Christian (Loveland) is the No. 1 seed in 2A after rolling to an undefeated record through regional play. The Cougars have dropped only five sets all season and scored a four-set victory against defending champion Lutheran (Parker) on Oct. 16.

That was one of only two losses for the Lions this year, and Lutheran earned the No. 2 seed. No. 3 Fowler and No. 4 Paonia round out the rest of the top seeds.

There will be a new champion in Class 1A, as last year's title winner, Weldon Valley (Weldona), failed to make it out of regionals. Dove Creek is the top seed, followed by last year's runner-up Caliche (Iliff), Otis and Fleming.