DENVER – It has been five years, but the Fleming girls volleyball team is back on top in Class 1A.
On Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum, the No. 3-seeded Wildcats (25-4) won a tough five-set match, 20-25, 25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 15-7, over top-seeding defending champion No. 2 McClave (25-3) to claim their program’s first state title since 2019.
“A lot of hard work has paid off at this point,” Fleming head coach Megan King said. “This group of seniors has worked since their freshman year. Most of them have played since their freshman year and they put in the work, they put in the offseason and they just grew closer as the years went on. I think they hit this game and they said, ‘It’s our time and we’ve worked so hard, so it’s just time to let it go.’”
Fleming is now sixth all-time in Colorado history with eight girls volleyball state titles.
Saturday’s victory provided Fleming with some much-needed revenge, as the Wildcats fell in five sets to McClave during the regular season on Nov. 14.
Following Saturday’s trophy-winning victory, King gave credit to her senior group that led the team to a state title after the Wildcats finished runners-up three times since 2020.
Ashley Bornhoft was a freshman the last time the Wildcats had reached the championship game. They were swept by Merino in 2022.
As a more polished player, she averaged just under 4 kills per set heading into the state tournament and put together a solid performance across the last three days.
“This senior group really pulled everybody closer together,” King said. “They were a good bunch of leaders this year for us and everybody followed their lead. Mentally, physically, they just were there when we needed them and they showed up in big moments for our younger kiddos.”
Last season was the McClave Cardinals’ first state championship.
To reach Saturday night’s finals, Fleming won 3-1 over No. 1 Merino. In the opposite semifinal, McClave swept No. 4 Flatirons Academy.
