Another important week of volleyball in Class 4A got started on Tuesday with a highly anticipated match between #7 Longmont and Silver Creek. Longmont took the match in three sets but it was much closer as all three games were decided by four points or less.
Rachel Kusbel paced Longmont with 18 kills while Payton Jonason (12) and Caroline Demosthenes (11) also reached double figures. Rylee Anderson led Silver Creek with 25 and Caitlin Volkmann 12 but the rest of the team managed just two.
The win kept Longmont tied for second with Thompson Valley in the Northern conference. Both teams are 5-2 in league play and two back of Niwot. Silver Creek slid into a fourth place tie with Mountain View (both 4-3).
Thompson Valley, which knocked off Longmont last week, scored a five set win over Greeley Central on Tuesday behind 16 kills from Kaelyn Giefer and 15 from Elease Marolf.
Next up for the Eagles is a date with #2 Niwot on Thursday. They need a win there to stay within range of the league leaders as a loss likely eliminates them from the title discussion.
In the Tri Valley, Windsor kept possession of second place and gained some separation by beating Berthoud in three sets Tuesday. The Wizards now sit at 5-1 in league play; one game back of Holy Family but two games up on everyone else.
Ally Kennis and Rylee Greiman each dropped in 10 kills for the Wizards. Ellie Garrett handed out 28 assists and five players reached double figures in digs. Kennis led the way with 18.
Holy Family stayed perfect in league play and won their eighth straight overall downing Mead in three sets Tuesday. The Tigers are off until Saturday when they match up with Cheyenne Mountain. The Indians fell out of the top 10 rankings this week but remain a tough out for any 4A club.
Conference play inside the Jeffco starts up this week and fans didn’t have to wait for the important matches to start. 9th ranked D’Evelyn beat #10 Evergreen on Tuesday and Evergreen faces #3 Valor Christian coming up on Thursday.
D’Evelyn improved to 10-0 with their four-set win over Evergreen winning the final two sets 25-16 and 25-19. Sophia Hoffman powered down 19 kills and Peyton Wright 18. Julie Helm, with 10, was a third Jaguar to reached double figures on the night.
The Jaguars also tossed up 15 aces in the win. Wright paced the team with five and Helm added four. Natalie Haggard handed out 47 assists.
As mentioned, Evergreen, which fell to 7-4, must recover quickly for a road trip to Valor Christian Thursday. The Eagles rolled Green Mountain 3-0 in their conference opener and have won five of their last six. Valor hit 61 percent against the Rams getting 30 kills in just 49 attempts.
Palmer Ridge is up to sixth in the rankings this week and they get the chance to see how they stack up when they challenge Lewis Palmer on Thursday. The Rangers have won three of the last four state championships in 4A and arguably are again the best team in Colorado regardless of class. It’s the conference opener for both clubs.
The Bears have won six-in-a-row and dropped just two sets in the stretch. Their 2-1 win over Coronado at the Elizabeth Tournament avenged an earlier loss to the Cougars. Against Harrison on Tuesday, the Bears totaled 46 kills to just nine for the Panthers. Mac Russ topped the hit list with 17 and Riley Simpson 11. Both are freshmen.
Coach Casey King won his 300th match on Wednesday as Pueblo West rolled Pueblo South. It was a dominant win as the Cyclones gave up just 16 points in three sets. They sit 4-0 in league play and in their customary spot at the top of the South Central.
A key contest in the Western Slope is set for Saturday as Glenwood Springs goes to Eagle Valley. The Demons were unbeaten on the season before last week’s loss to Palisade. That result left the Demons and Bulldogs tied for second one game back of Eagle Valley. All others have at least three losses so it will be a three-team race the rest of the way.
Palisade goes to Steamboat Springs on Friday. Their lone league loss came against Eagle Valley one night after beating Glenwood Springs. Both matches went four sets.
No matches have been played in the Colorado Springs Metro but that changes on Thursday. Widefield (8-3) has the most wins of any league member and they open at Elizabeth. Classical Academy (6-5) is a second league team above five hundred overall but the Titans don’t start their league schedule until next week.
In the Colorado 7, Conifer, Englewood and Fort Morgan have posted conference victories. Fort Morgan topped Skyview last week and meets Alameda on Thursday. Englewood lost a non-league match to 3A Weld Central last week and the Rebels are likely the top challenger to Fort Morgan for the conference crown.
Ponderosa continues their slog through the 5A Continental at #2 Mountain Vista on Thursday. Both teams have one league loss and sit in a third place tie with Castle View. Chaparral and Highlands Ranch, which stunned #1 Castle View on Tuesday, share the top spot.
The Mustangs needed four sets to get by Heritage on Tuesday night. Taylor Wiebold paced the club with nine kills and Kristen Smith added eight.
