Colorado high school volleyball teams to watch as 2021 spring season takes shape

Some champions such as Fleming and Chaparral (Parker) will try to defend their titles, while schools like Palmer Ridge (Monument) look to make history with their first championship wins.


Class 5A
Chaparral: The defending 5A champs stumbled a bit with a loss to Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch), but should still be very much in the conversation as a team capable of winning state. Tiffany Little leads the team with 50 kills, while sophomore Makenzie Brandon has been huge around the net with 11 blocks. Makenzie Rice leads the team with 51 assists, and the Wolverines have also scored 33 points off her 56 serve attempts.

Mountain Vista: The Golden Eagles became the first team to take down Chaparral this season, which elevated their status to top dog in 5A. Kelli Ell leads the team with 86 kills, while Breklyn Pulling has 76. As a team, Mountain Vista has a staggering 278 kills with 204 of them coming from three players. Ell also leads the team in service aces (19) while Pulling has the team lead in blocks (26).

Rampart (Colorado Springs): A pair of Division I-bound hitters would give any team a chance at contending for a championship. Riley Simpson and Anjelina Starck had the Rams just four points away from a semifinal appearance last year and are aiming to do a little better than that when the state tournament rolls around this season.

Players to watch: Katie Gallery, Pueblo West; Morgan McChesney, Ralston Valley (Arvada); Sydney Stenson, Bear Creek (Lakewood).

Class 4A
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs): After narrowly missing out on last year's state championship match, Cheyenne Mountain looks determined to capture its first state championship since 2015 and its seventh title since 2008. Emma Delich and Karlee Pinell have a combined 100 kills, and Jessie Duytschaever has 133 assists. A come-from-behind win over Rampart on March 24 has only bolstered Cheyenne Mountain's championship ambitions.

Niwot: Considering there are just two seniors on the roster, the Cougars are playing at an extremely high level this season. They hope to return to the 4A state title game after advancing there in 2018, only to lose to Lewis-Palmer. Zoe Gibbs leads the team with 60 kills, while Natasha Terekhova and Morgan Daugherty also have at least 40. MacKenzie Demmel leads the team with 14 blocks.

Palmer Ridge: The focus on volleyball in Monument has shifted from Lewis-Palmer to rival Palmer Ridge. The Bears have looked strong this season, taking down both L-P and Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs) in dominant fashion. Madison Wilson and Riley Anderson each average at least 3.2 kills per set and give the Bears a good shot at being the first team other than Cheyenne Mountain and Lewis-Palmer to win a state title since 2007.

Players to watch: Paige Morgan, Weld Central (Keenesburg); Brenna Reagan, Fort Morgan; Sophia Rinn, Eagle Valley (Gypsum).

Class 3A
Eaton: After a two-year hiatus as state champions, Eaton looks more than ready to retake the 3A crown. Sydney Leffler is leading the team with 45 kills, and the squad overall isn't reliant on one specific way to score. Abbey Hays leads the team with 54 points coming off her serves despite only four aces to her name. In 76 attempts, her service percentage sits at 100.

Lutheran (Parker): The Lions dethroned Eaton as champs in 2018 and returned to the state championship game in 2019, only to fall to Sterling. They have a trio of big hitters to help them get right back into the championship picture as Audrey Brgoch has 54 kills, while Kaitlyn Beskur and Kenzi McSpadden each account for 31. McSpaden is also tied for the team lead in blocks with Carys Norten as each have seven.

University (Greeley): The Patriot League has been dominant in the sport for the better part of the last decade, and the Bulldogs are hoping to jump into the conversation. Daryn Whitmoyer has 49 assists and has set up Kylie Williams, Logan Conlin and Chloe Ruhl for big hits. That trio has totaled 96 kills and helped the Bulldogs start the season 5-0 while dropping just a single set.

Players to watch: Avah Armour, Manitou Springs; Sydney Henry, Sterling; Lora Ortega, Alamosa.

Class 2A
Meeker: Sophomore Emma Luce has been on a mission to establish herself as one of the best hitters in the state. So far, so good as she's put down 102 kills, second in the state, regardless of classification. She has her team sitting at 4-0 and building momentum as it gets into the heart of its league schedule.

Sedgwick County (Julesburg): If there's one thing the Cougars have learned this year, it's how to emerge victorious during a close match. They stand at 6-2 on the season, with four of their matches having gone to a deciding fifth set. Gabrielle Powell, Jensen Renquist and Kierra Ehnes all have at least 30 kills, giving the Cougars a multi-dimensional offensive attack. Whitney Walter and Alison Woodhams each have at least 58 assists on the year.

Wiggins: Perceived as a top team in the classification, the Tigers have been on a championship hunt to start the season. Rachael White, has put down 65 kills and amassed 20 aces already this season while Avery Burdette has added 21 aces to the cause. Burdette also leads the team with 213 kills. The Tigers lost a 3-2 thriller against Fleming but have handled every other opponent to step in their path.

Players to watch: Erin Brown, Dolores; Ryanna Pruett, Fowler; Araina VenJohn, Hotchkiss.

Class 1A
Fleming: The defending champions are off to a solid start. With two big hitters on the roster, Fleming is certainly a threat to claim the 1A championship. Kally Kirkwood leads the classification with 101 kills, and teammate Whitney Chintala is third with 76. In their first six matches, the Wildcats dropped just two sets, both of which were to Wiggins.

Simla: A fast start is providing hope. Simla won its first five matches of the season in dominating fashion. Like Fleming, the the Cubs have dropped only two sets. Kaitlyn Rector leads the team with a .280 hitting percentage, and Mercedes Smith has been on-point setting the ball all year, totaling 40 assists in a March 20 win against Calhan.

Wiley: So far, the only loss Wiley has taken this year is to Fleming, but that shouldn't discount its chances at a state tournament run. Beyond the loss to the Wildcats, the Panthers have decisive wins over Yuma, Kit Carson and Springfield. Junior Demi Wollert is hitting at .304, and Jaelin Parker has been a big blocking presence around the net.

Players to watch: Becca Bleak, Otis; Mattie Crouse, Stratton/Liberty; Chastine Kocher, Bethune.