Colorado State Volleyball Tournament Preview

Few atmospheres are as live as the state volleyball tournament at the Denver Coliseum, and if you're a fan of multiple classifications, it will probably be too intense to track everything at once.

Beginning Friday morning, 12 teams in each class will engage in nonstop action to whittle down to four, and eventually two. Title matches will be played simultaneously at 7 p.m. Saturday night. Here's a look at the favorites, contenders and potential dark horses in each bracket.

State volleyball pairings

Class 5A
Favorite: Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins). The big-school classification is one of the most wide-open of the bunch, so a favorite label can be precarious here. We'll choose the Sabercats (22-3) because they are the No. 1 seed and because sophomores Riley Zuhn and Catie Semadeni are the truth.
Contenders: Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch), Fairview (Boulder), Chatfield (Littleton), Chaparral (Parker), Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch). Fairview was in the title match last season – the Knights lost to Cherokee Trail (Aurora) – and Rock Canyon was in the semifinals. Give those two the edge for deep-round experience, but don't count out Chatfield, which brought back all 11 players from last season. That includes senior leader Haley Fuller.
Dark horse: Highlands Ranch. Sure, the Falcons come in as the 12th and final seed, but they come in hot. As the No. 20 seed in regionals, Highlands Ranch knocked off No. 5 Denver East to punch their ticket to state.

Class 4A
Favorite: Lewis-Palmer (Monument). Favorites don't get much more pronounced than this one, as the Rangers (25-0) are ranked No. 4 in the nation in MaxPreps' XCellent 25 and are widely considered the top team in the state, regardless of classification. The attack combination of Michaela Putnicki and Lydia Bartalo has been devastating.
Contenders: Eagle Valley (Gypsum), Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs), Montrose, Pueblo West. Don't forget that Cheyenne Mountain is the defending champion. The Indians knocked off Lewis-Palmer in the championship game last season in a matchup of teams that have controlled the classification for much of the past decade. While many are anticipating a rematch, outsiders such as Eagle Valley and Montrose are trying to break the mold.
Dark horse: Holy Family (Broomfield). While working their way into the title mix might be a little ambitious, the No. 7 Tigers (21-4) have been ultra-solid and could surprise some with a deep run. Sophomore Ali Travis has 299 kills this season.

Class 3A
Favorite: Eaton. Another large-scale favorite, the Reds are seeking their fourth straight crown. Their two losses were to 4A No. 5 Lewis-Palmer and 5A fifth-seed Chaparral, and they won one game in each. The Tarynn Sieg-led Reds have gone 106-4 over their championship run.
Contenders: Valley (Gilcrest), Colorado Springs Christian, University (Greeley), Bayfield. Valley and University get their share of Eaton in the rugged Patriot League, but C.S. Christian is probably weary of hearing about how good the league is. The Lions and senior setter Cassie Davis (911) are plenty capable of landing in the title game themselves.
Dark horse: Resurrection Christian (Loveland). The Cougars (19-6) have put on a good show in their first year in 3A, proving they can handle the increased competition after years as a top-flight contender in 2A. Kyra Zuhlke and company will look to keep it going with a deep run here.

Class 2A
Favorite: Dayspring Christian (Greeley). The Eagles (25-0) have lost only eight sets all season, and Katie Kurz has been a savage on the outside with 349 kills. A year after finishing 18-5 and missing state, the top-seeded Eagles are on the warpath.
Contenders: Hoehne, Paonia, Colorado Springs School, Lyons, Yuma. While only a No. 6 seed, don't forget that Yuma is the defending champ, and the Indians and Kenedy Roth are eager to make a run at a second straight. Paonia and Lyons were semifinalists last season and no strangers to the pressures of state. And don't count out Hoehne (22-3), which already has increased its win total by 10 this season.
Dark horse: Fowler. One of the classification's traditional powers, the No. 7 Grizzlies (20-5) are plenty capable with high-level players such as junior Elizabeth Hagerman.

Class 1A
Favorite: Fleming. The top-seeded Wildcats (25-2) have a standout setter in Kalyn Serrato, who has helped three different players register more than 200 kills. After a trip to the semifinals last season, the Wildcats are aiming to close the deal this time.
Contenders: Kit Carson, McClave, Flagler, Springfield. Some would swap out No. 2 Kit Carson as the favorite considering these Wildcats (24-0) haven't lost. Sophomore Tess Hornung (311 kills) has been among the best in the classification.
Dark horse: Weldon Valley (Weldona). The Warriors knocked off Fleming 3-0 in district play on Oct. 29, and they just happen to be in the Wildcats pool as the No. 8 seed. If they can do it again, the Warriors definitely will reach bracket-buster status. Of note, defending champion Otis fills out the pool as the No. 12 seed.