On the road again! MaxPreps and the Army National Guard made a stop in Parker, Colorado to pay tribute to the Lady Wolverines of the Chaparral High School Girls Volleyball team. This truly amazing team earned the honor by clinching their second straight Colorado Class 5A state championship with an undefeated season and was ranked No. 5 in the nation by MaxPreps' Freeman poll.
The 2nd Annual MaxPreps Girls Volleyball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard arrived at Chaparral on Friday, January 20, 2012 to a packed house with the boys' varsity basketball team in an intense battle with their local rivals. Upon entering the school, I was greeted by Athletic Director Gary Thompson & introduced him to Lieutenant Colonel Christopher De Witt of the Colorado Army National Guard. After setting up our Tour display, we encountered Coach T.R. Ellis, whose enthusiasm and pride in being honored was immediately evident by the huge smile she wore on her face. Her team quickly gathered and followed her lead, by expressing their thanks for the recognition to LTC De Witt and MaxPreps representative, Gerry Valerio.
At 8:45pm the basketball game entered into a special extended half time and the court was turned over to Gerry Valerio of MaxPreps. Gerry quickly got to the point as to why the team was being honored, citing their incredible undefeated season and their No. 5 national ranking out of 17,000 girls volleyball teams ranked by MaxPreps. As an added twist, he singled out senior player Nicole Dalton and presented her with the MaxPreps National Volleyball Player of the Year trophy. Nicole humbly accepted the award. Gerry then introduced LTC De Witt from the Colorado Army National Guard. LTC De Witt paid tribute to Coach Ellis and the Lady Wolverines, by commending them for their determination, dedication and perseverance. He compared their superior team work skills to the qualities that are highly valued among the men and women of the Army National Guard. Addressing the team directly he declared, "...you guys knocked it out of the park!" and then presented Coach Ellis with the prestigious "Minuteman" trophy or as it is officially known as, the Army National Guard national ranking trophy. She graciously accepted and expressed her gratitude for receiving this honor, as the crowd erupted into applause and gave the team a standing ovation.
Congratulations to the Chaparral Girls Volleyball team for an amazing season!
