Postseason volleyball gets started this weekend, as the regional round will narrow the field to eight teams, who will compete at the state tournament at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, beginning May 12th. We take a quick look at each region.

Two clubs have already been eliminated as Springfield and Cotopaxi have been dropped from the bracket due to COVID concerns.  They will not be replaced in the bracket as with other sports, once a bracket is announced, replacement teams are not allowed in.

Colorado Preps will post tournament schedules and results in a sister story as well.  Final scores this weekend can be reported by text to 970.380.7737.

Photo is courtesy of OT SportsCheck.

 

REGION 1:  #1 FLEMING (12-2), #16 COTOPAXI (10-3), #24 LA VETA (7-6)

Fleming is the defending champion in Class 1A and winner of the North Central. The Wildcats had their 16-match winning streak (dating back to the 2019 state tournament) snapped last Tuesday when Merino beat them in three sets. Their last loss had been against La Veta in five sets. They finished the season with a tough three-set loss to Sterling, the defending champion in Class 3A.

Sophomore Kally Kirkwood leads the team with 216 kills and is second in blocks (18). Junior Whitney Chintala is second with 171 kills, while being tied for the lead in aces (22). She’s also first in digs with 251. Senior Kendyl Kirkwood leads with 395 assists and 25 blocks, and is second with 150 digs. Samantha Pope is tied with Chintala with 22 aces, and Madi Serrato has 20. Maddy Harms has 13 blocks.

Cotopaxi was eliminated due to COVID issues.

La Veta finished outside the top 24 in the seeding index, but as champions of the Fishers Peak, the Redskins earned the final spot in the regional field. They won their final three matches of the regular season, and four of their six losses this season came against regional qualifiers (South Baca, Otis, Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Cotopaxi). The Redskins have reached the state tournament five consecutive years.

The Redskins have not reported complete stats, but through 28 sets, sophomore Kendyl Eddleman led the team with 115. No one else had more than 39. Senior Mary Goins had 136 assists in 22 sets, and junior Aaliyah Malden-Reynolds had tallied 97 digs, 39 kills, and 24 aces in 28 sets.

 

REGION 2:  #2 WILEY (13-1), #15 MCCLAVE (9-5), #23 EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN (9-4)

Building upon last season’s state tournament appearance, Wiley rolled to an Arkansas Valley title during the regular season. The lone blemish on the record of the Panthers was a three-set defeat by Fleming in the Kit Carson tournament. They have won 11 straight matches since that loss.

Junior Demi Wollert (156) and sophomore Fatima Gomez (144) have combined for 300 kills so far. Gomez has added 22 aces and 69 blocks, while Wollert has chipped in 20 aces and 157 assists. Macy Rowan leads with 430 digs and 34 aces. Grace Pendleton (57) and Jaelin Parker (46) have more than 100 blocks between them. Taira Weber leads the squad with 217 assists.

McClave jumped out of the gates with seven straight wins, but struggled down the stretch, dropping five of its final seven. All five of those losses came against regional qualifiers, including a 3-0 defeat by Wiley.

Mariah Enciso leads a balanced attack, racking up 74 kills in 48 sets. McKayla Kinniston (65), Edith Mungaray (58), and Tehya Dickerson (47) give the Cardinals four solid options in the hitting game. Kinniston has 37 aces, while McKenzie Kinniston has 35. Gentry Martin’s 230 assists are tops on the team.

Evangelical Christian finished third in the Black Forest behind Simla and Elbert. The Eagles lost to both of those team, dropping six of seven sets in the process. Their other two losses also came against regional qualifiers (Colorado Springs School and Cotopaxi). They enter the postseason having dropped three of their last five matches.

Maddie Castro (73) and Elana Sutton (71) are the top two options in the attack, combining for 144 kills. Castro is second with 26 blocks. Micah Elpers is tops in blocks with 29, and also leads with 35 aces. Sydney Hood has served up 34 aces and is second with 121 assists, while Kaitlyn Coddington has 33 aces and 132 assists.

 

REGION 3:  #3 MERINO (12-2), #14 ELBERT (10-2), #22 FLAGLER (6-6)

Merino shared the LPAA crown with Wiggins and Sedgwick County, and enters the postseason winner of its last 12 matches. The Rams lost a total of four sets during their current winning streak. They closed out the regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Flagler last Friday.

Three players have more than 100 kills for the Rams, led by Taysa Conger with 228. Makenna Sutter has added 138, and Faith Trenkle has 117. Those three have combined for 92 aces, 75 blocks, and 582 digs on the season, as the top three in each category. Madison Sutter is responsible for 463 assists.

Elbert finished second in the Black Forest, dropping only a three-set contest to Simla. The Bulldogs have won four straight since that loss, and have taken six of their last seven overall. Two of the wins during that stretch were against regional qualifiers in Cotopaxi and Evangelical Christian.

Olivia Lay is the primary weapon at the net, leading the team with 121 kills. The senior also has 30 aces and 10 blocks. Freshman Zadie Mackey is tops with 11 blocks. Jessica Smith has registered 329 assists and a team-high 34 aces.

Flagler got off to a 4-1 start, including a four-set win over Otis. But, the Panthers limped to the finish line with losses against Stratton/Liberty, Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Briggsdale, Limon, and Merino nearly knocked them out of postseason consideration.

Senior Katelyn Klann averages close to four kills a set, pounding a team-high 155 during the regular season. She’s also tops in digs with 173. Sydnie Santala is second with 74 kills, and is tied with TeriAnne Saffer for the lead in aces, with 18. Saffer is second to Skyler Hawks with 10 blocks. Hawks has 15. Kendyl Saffer is first with 157 assists, while freshman Jaylie Stone has 141.

 

REGION 4:  #4 SIMLA (14-0), #13 GENOA-HUGO/KARVAL (8-4), #21 FLATIRONS ACADEMY (7-6)

Simla was one of the most dominant teams during the regular season, regardless of classification, dropping only four sets all season. Two came against qualifier Kit Carson. That was one of four wins over teams still playing in the postseason.

Seniors Kaitlyn Rector (220) and Halle Lutz (133) have combined for all but 82 of the team’s 437 kills this season. Lutz has added team-high totals of 155 digs and 73 aces, while Rector is second with 12 blocks, four behind Ryann Eurich. Mercedes Smith averages close to nine assists a set, recording 351 this season.

All four of Genoa-Hugo/Karval’s losses in the regular season were against regional qualifiers, and two went the distance. The Pirates only went 2-2 in their final four outings, with losses to Stratton/Liberty in five and Kit Carson in a sweep. They also own wins over Flagler, Otis, and La Veta.

The Pirates have three players with at least 100 kills, led by junior Glorya Carr with 186. She also leads the team with 35 aces and 35 blocks. Seniors Dixi Lockhart (133) and Brylie Miller (100) are the other two main options in the attack. Miller is second on the squad with 26 blocks, while Lockhart is second in digs with 206. Mindi Carr leads that category with 275. Tessa Smith runs the offense, registering 344 assists.

Flatirons Academy won the Class 1A state title in girls basketball and with many of the same players participating in volleyball, the Bison struggled out of the gate. They dropped their first two matches, but went on to win their next four. Three of their losses took place last week, including a five-setter to Belleview Christian that determined the 5280 championship.

Madison Smith tops the squad in kills with 84, with Bryn Durrill second at 47. Sophomore Margot Marcantonio has recorded 178 assists, while also leading the team with 50 aces. Freshman Emily Dehaan has a team-high 37 blocks, one more than Katelynn Coulter. Rylee Osborn’s 276 digs are more than the next two highest totals on the squad, combined.

 

REGION 5:  #5 STRATTON/LIBERTY (13-1), #12 DOVE CREEK (11-2), #20 SOUTH BACA (7-7)

Stratton/Liberty’s bid for a perfect regular season came to an end on the final day, as the Knighted Eagles were downed 3-2 by Briggsdale. They had only dropped six sets in their first 13 matches. The Knighted Eagles went 5-1 against regional qualifying teams.

Kennedy Frank is good for just over four kills per set, leading the team with 191 on the season, but the junior is far from the only option for the Knighted Eagles. Classmate Hannah Rigirozzi has added 109 kills, followed by senior Lucero Ontiveros (100), and freshman McKenna Notter (97). Rigirozzi (25) and Ontiveros (19) are the only members of the team with double digits in blocks. Mattie Crouse does a bit of everything, leading with 428 assists, to go with 236 digs, and 56 kills. Senior libero Crystal Bouchier is first with 348 digs.

Dove Creek rolled to an unbeaten mark in the San Juan Basin, earning wins over 2A qualifiers Dolores and Telluride, and also added a non-league win over Sangre de Cristo. Their losses during the season were to Cotopaxi and Montezuma-Cortez, the #2 seed in Class 3A.

Four Bulldogs have recorded between 86 and 101 kills on the season. Pacing that group is Kylie Gatlin (101), followed by Grace Hatfield (87), Kobie Beanland (87), and Trista Barnett (86). Five members of the team have recorded at least 130 digs, led by freshman Kalie Gatlin (162) and Hatfield (161). Kalie Gatlin also leads the team with 363 assists, while Kylie Gatlin has a team-best 21 aces.

South Baca struggled against top competition this season, posting a 1-6 mark against regional qualifiers. The lone win came against La Veta. The Patriots have alternated wins and loss over their last nine matches, coming in off a win over Walsh.

Alissa Hebberd is the clear #1 option for the Patriots in the attack, piling up 215 kills, more than four per set. The senior is also tops in blocks with 47, and is one of four on the team with more than 200 digs (230). Kieley Stegman leads with 279, while also being second in kills (83), and tied for second with 26 aces. Jentry Patrick has added 20 aces, and 262 digs. Mariah Stegman has registered 23 aces, 177 digs, and 162 assists, while Jadyn Patrick has chipped in 216 digs and 139 assists.

 

REGION 6:  #6 SPRINGFIELD (12-2), #11 OTIS (11-3), #19 WELDON VALLEY (7-7)

Springfield was eliminated due to COVID issues.

Otis faced six regional qualifiers during the season, posting a 3-3 mark in those contests. Each of the losses (Stratton/Liberty, Flagler, Genoa-Hugo/Karval) came in four sets. The Bulldogs enter the postseason on a six-match winning streak, during which they dropped a total of three sets.

Senior Becca Bleak has been responsible for nearly five kills per match, recording 222 to date. Sophomore Rowan Tribelhorn is next with 127. Bleak is also tops with 38 aces, and second with 280 digs and 14 blocks. Tribelhorn leads with 22 blocks. Senior Anthoneya Schaffert has recorded a team-leading 302 digs, and freshman setter Ali Hornung has registered 438 assists, with only 31 errors in almost 1300 chances.

Weldon Valley played one of the toughest schedules in 1A and the Warriors found wins against postseason teams hard to come by. They played eight matches against teams in the regional round, posting a 1-7 record in those matches. The win was in four sets against Genoa-Hugo/Karval. The Warriors only won two sets in their seven losses.

The Warriors haven’t entered complete stats, but through their first 29 sets, Kaitlyn Keating (68) and Hope Baessler (62) were the leaders in kills. Baessler was leading in digs with 96, and Keating was on her heels with 81. LizAnn Jones had a team-leading 17 aces, with Kaitlyn Gallegos serving up 15. Freshman setter Jaci Sanders had 142 assists.

 

REGION 7:  #7 BRIGGSDALE (11-3), #10 KIT CARSON (9-5), #18 HAXTUN (6-8)

Briggsdale enters the postseason with a six-match winning streak, the last being their five-setter against Stratton/Liberty last Saturday. The only loss of the season by the Falcons against a 1A opponent came to Fleming in three sets, just prior to their current winning streak. The other two losses were to 3A qualifiers University and Platte Valley. They went 4-0 in their other matches against postseason teams.

Kylie Krise leads the way with 177 kills, with freshman cousin Jenna Krise following at 92. Kylie has also tallied 25 aces and 171 digs. Shelby Hoffman leads the squad with 320 digs, including 68 in the win over Stratton/Liberty. Emily Johnson has a team-high 55 blocks, and Courtney Krise has recorded 324 assists.

Kit Carson went 3-5 in eight matches with postseason qualifying teams, two of the losses coming to 2A squads. Only one of the Wildcat wins went more than three sets, and that was a four-set victory over Eads in the season opener. They dropped two of their final three matches to close the regular season.

Tess Johnson has 100 kills to lead the team, but three other Wildcats are hot on her heels. Kenzie Waggoner has added 99, while Cally Booker-Rady (89) and Stephanie Framel (83) are also over 80 on the season. Those four have combined for 74 blocks, all but 18 of the team’s total. Senior libero Tieler Randel has a team-high 379 digs. The duo of senior Allison Gekeler (181) and freshman Sedonia Isenbart (151) have combined for 332 assists.

Haxtun is the only team in the field to enter with a losing record, but the Bulldogs were seemingly matched up with a postseason team almost ever time out. The Bulldogs went 2-7 against teams playing this weekend, with the wins coming over Weldon Valley in five, and 2A Yuma in four. Otis and Merino are the only 1A teams with wins over Haxtun this season.

Juniors Allie Thompson (164) and Taylor Schram (132) are the focal point of the Bulldog attack, combining for close to 300 kills, but Haxtun has also pulled 88 kills from Megan Walker and 73 more from Cassidy Goddard. Goddard is tops with 39 blocks, while Schram leads with 197 digs. Schram also has a team-leading 234 assists, with Thompson adding 194.

 

REGION 8:  #8 BELLEVIEW CHRISTIAN (11-0), #9 SANGRE DE CRISTO (11-3), #17 CHERAW (10-4)

Belleview Christian lost a total of three sets on the way to a 5280 championship. That marked the grand sum of sets the Bruins dropped on the season, as they earned sweeps in nine of their 11 matches. They only played two contests against postseason teams, picking up wins over Flatirons Academy and 2A Addenbroke Classical Academy.

Bethany Long (98) and Alicia Valenciano (82) combine to average five kills a set. They also have a total of 53 blocks to their credit. Elaizha Nelson paces the team with 35 aces and 166 assists, while Jessica Aldstadt adds 146 assists. Victoria Mallory has a team-leading 187 digs.

Only one of Sangre de Cristo’s three losses were against a 1A opponent, a five-set defeat by Dove Creek. Their other losses came at the hands of Centauri, a 3A qualifier. The Thunderbirds did not drop a set on their way to claiming the Southern Peaks title.

Avery Palmgren and Ashley Mortensen are 1-2 on the team in kills, registering 108 and 102, respectively. Palmgren leads the way with 49 blocks, while Mortensen is tops with 52 aces. Jordyn Cantu is one of four T-Birds with 100 or more digs, leading the team with 184. Renae Sinclair, who is second with 120 digs, has 285 assists entering the postseason.

Cheraw had four matches against postseason teams during the regular season, registering a 1-3 mark. The lone win came against South Baca to open the season. The only loss that wasn’t at the hands of a regional qualifier was a five-setter against 3A La Junta. The Wolverines have won seven of their last eight matches.

A pair of juniors lead the hitting parade for the Wolverines, with Morgan McReynolds having 108 kills and Kenzie Bartholomew adding 94. McReynolds also has a team-high 168 digs. Bartholomew is tied with KJ Phillips for second on the team with 30 aces. They are two behind Sheridan Honey. Honey also has the lead with 161 assists.