RPI points and standings of course are impacted by every match but there’s only one contest remaining on the 3A volleyball schedule this week that will determine a league champion.  That match is found inside the Metro where Lutheran meets Faith Christian on Tuesday night.  The winner is the outright champion as both teams enter the contest with one league loss.
Lutheran hosts the Tuesday night clash and the two squads could meet again later in the week during the end of season league tournament.  We’re still tracking down the pairings and schedule for that event.
Colorado Academy (7-2) is third in the chase but cannot move up because their two losses are against Lutheran and Faith Christian.  As a result, they come up short in a tiebreaker against either opponent.  The Mustangs have also finished their league schedule.
Machebeuf is the club that has handed both Lutheran and Faith Christian their lone league loss but the Buffs enter the final week fourth in the standings (6-3) and could fall to fifth if Prospect Ridge beats Skyview Academy as expected on Tuesday.  With a win, the Miners also move to 6-3 but grab the fourth spot based on their head-to-head win over Machebeuf earlier in league action.
Faith Christian is 3rd in the RPI and Lutheran 7th so both clubs will be at home for regional tournaments next week as the top 12 teams in the standings earn the right to host.  Machebeuf (10th), Colorado Academy (11th) and Prospect Ridge (12th) also remain in that chase so each one of their remaining matches is critical to whether they play at home next week or head out on the road.
Peak to Peak (18th) will be a regional tournament qualifier. Skyview Academy (34th) and St Mary’s Academy (35th) are also in line for a possible bid.
Elsewhere, every league champion has been crowned and those teams earn automatic playoff bids but will still be focused on their RPI standing.
The Patriot league currently holds three of the top four spots in the RPI as Eaton is 1st, University 2nd and Resurrection Christian 4th.
Eaton captured the Patriot title with a perfect 10-0 record and will finish their schedule by competing in the high-level Cheyenne Mountain Tournament Friday and Saturday.
University placed second and will take part in the Legend Tournament this weekend.
Resurrection Christian has lost three straight but continues to move up higher in the RPI based on competition.  The Cougars lost to Valley and Eaton in league play and then dropped a five-set meeting with 2A defending state champion last Friday.  They need a win over Strasburg on Tuesday to lock down fourth place in the Patriot.  Then the Cougars head south to the Manitou Springs Tournament.
Valley is the third-place team from the Patriot, has one more win than Resurrection Christian and beat the Cougars in conference play but the Vikings are only 16th in RPI points.  They will likely be on the road in the regional tournament next week.  They’ll also be traveling this week; heading to the Coal Ridge Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
Sterling is 19th in RPI and Platte Valley 22nd so the league will get at least six teams into the regional tournament.  A seventh possibility is Frontier Academy as the Wolverines are 31st in RPI.
Centauri is fifth in RPI so the Falcons will continue their tremendous season staying at home in La Jara for a regional tournament next week.  The Falcons beat Bayfield twice on their way to a 10-0 mark and the Intermountain league championship.  They’re also the lone unbeaten team left in Class 3A overall (19-0).  The Falcons could face another league champion at the Buena Vista tournament this Saturday.
Despite not winning the league title, Bayfield is also headed to regionals.  The Wolverines are 17th in RPI this week and safely in the tournament field.  Pagosa Springs is 32nd and Alamosa 33rd but neither can pack their bags for the post-season just yet.
Buena Vista is the Tri Peaks champion as the Demons went through the 12-game schedule without a loss.  Despite the tremendous run, the Demons may be on the road for regionals.  They’re 14th in RPI and will need to climb past the likes of Machebeuf, Colorado Academy, Prospect Ridge and Coal Ridge (10-13th) to find a place in the top 12.
Lamar ended up second to Buena Vista and lost to the Demons head-to-head but the Savages will likely be at home next week.  They’re 9th in the RPI standings and sit 19-2 overall.  The Savages have one more league match remaining against Vanguard on Saturday but they’ve already locked up the runner-up spot.  Lamar also meets 4A Pueblo County in non-league play on Tuesday; a match that should boost their RPI strength of schedule.
Colorado Springs Christian (20th), Rye (25th), Manitou Springs (29th) and St Mary’s (30th) are four other Tri Peaks teams likely in the regional field.   La Junta (37th) and Florence (39th) are on the bubble.
Coal Ridge has just one loss on the season and is the Western Slope champion but may join Buena Vista as league winners not hosting a regional tournament.  The Titans are 13th in RPI this week and will go to Vail Mountain on Tuesday before hosting their own two-day tournament this week.  It’s a solid field so Coal Ridge should get a bump in their strength of schedule.  Whether it’s enough to get them into the top 12 to host a regional won’t be known until the final standings are published.
Aspen (21st), Delta (23rd) and Cedaredge (26th) will be in the 36-team regional tournament but all three will be on the road.  Gunnison is 40th overall but there’s a tight battle for the final few positions.  The Cowgirls trail the 35th team (St Mary’s Academy) by only .004.
Middle Park beat Bennett to win the Frontier regular season championship and again last week to capture the league tournament.  Despite those two wins, the Panthers still sit two spots behind the Tigers in the RPI standings.  Both teams should host regional tournaments next week but Bennett is currently 6th in RPI and Middle Park 8th.
The Frontier will get only two other regional tournament berths as DSST-Stapleton is 15th and Pinnacle 24th in the RPI.
Eagle Ridge Academy cruised past DSST-College View in three sets Monday to officially claim the Confluence title.  It’s the fourth straight league title for Eagle Ridge.  They were 27th in RPI points before the win and will be the only league member in the post-season bracket.
At least one and possibly two teams that compete in 4A leagues could join the 3A regional bracket.  Weld Central won the 4A Colorado 7 conference crown but comes into 3A for the post-season.  The Rebels are 28th in RPI and will be included in regionals.  Englewood is 36th and is part of that four-way battle for possibly the last two available spots.
Please note the RPI numbers we used for this report originated from numbers posted by CHSAA on Monday October 23rd.  The standings change daily based on results turned in and will be different throughout the week.  RPI standings will be finalized and regional tournament pairings announced on Monday October 30th.