Through another week of volleyball action across Colorado and our weekly polls continue to change as well.  In most cases, the top five or six teams remain in the same order as a week ago but there are slight changes in the bottom few spots including a couple of newcomers.

CLASS 5A

  1. Castle View (13-2)
  2. Mountain Vista (12-2)
  3. Fruita Monument (13-1)
  4. Chatfield (12-2)
  5. Rock Canyon (12-3)
  6. Chaparral (11-4)
  7. Highlands Ranch (14-1)
  8. Rocky Mountain (13-1)
  9. Fossil Ridge (11-3)
  10. Fort Collins (10-2)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Cherry Creek (13-2), Coronado (13-2), Legacy (12-6), Columbine (10-4), Legend (10-5), Denver South (11-3), Denver East (7-5)
NOTES:  Class 5A teams continue to beat up on one another and as a result the polls continue to shuffle each week.  Fort Collins was knocked off by Fossil Ridge last week and due to the fluid nature of the big school rankings, the Lambkins tumbled all the way to tenth this week.  That opens space for Castle View to resume the number one spot.  Highlands Ranch is a very difficult team to rank.  They bump to seventh this week but they lead the Continental conference by one game over three other clubs — and all three are ranked ahead of them.  The Falcons still have Mountain Vista, Chaparral and Rock Canyon on their schedule so they still need plenty of work before claiming the Continental crown.  Cherry Creek and Coronado are a combined 26-4 on the season but cannot crack the rankings this week.
 

CLASS 4A

  1. Lewis Palmer (15-0)
  2. Holy Family (15-2)
  3. Niwot (13-1)
  4. Pueblo West (12-1)
  5. Valor Christian (10-3)
  6. Thomas Jefferson (10-3)
  7. D’Evelyn (12-0)
  8. Palmer Ridge (13-2)
  9. Longmont (13-2)
  10. Eagle Valley (10-4)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Ponderosa (6-8), George Washington (12-3), Durango (9-3), Evergreen (9-5), Pueblo County (12-2), Windsor (9-5)
NOTES:  The only changes in the poll this week involves two more losses from Ponderosa.  The Mustang lost for the third straight time and we finally dropped them from the rankings.  They’re a difficult team to rank as they play a predominantly 5A schedule.  Despite a below five hundred mark, the Mustangs are unbeaten against 4A competition.  Replacing the Mustangs is Eagle Valley.  The Devils lead the Western Slope by one game over Palisade and by two over Glenwood Springs.  They face both this week and wins in both should give them the conference crown.  With Ponderosa falling out, D’Evelyn, Palmer Ridge and Longmont all bump up one spot.  The top six remain in the same order as a week ago.
 

CLASS 3A

  1. Eaton (14-1)
  2. University (12-3)
  3. Lamar (17-1)
  4. Lutheran (13-2)
  5. Centauri (14-00
  6. Resurrection Christian (12-3)
  7. Bayfield (9-5)
  8. Valley (11-5)
  9. Middle Park (11-2)
  10. Machebeuf (12-2)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Coal Ridge (13-0), Bennett (12-1), Faith Christian (10-3), Buena Vista (10-2), Colorado Academy (9-6), Prospect Ridge (10-3), Sterling (12-4), Platte Valley (6-3), Colorado Springs Christian (8-5)
NOTES:  Eaton continues to roll through the rugged Patriot and is the easy choice at number one but after the Reds, the division is very deep.  In fact, there is not room in the poll for Coal Ridge, Bennett, Faith Christian or Buena Vista again this week and those four clubs are a combined 45-6 this season.  University lost to Eaton last week but we keep the Bulldogs at number two as other than two losses to the Reds, they’ve rolled through the 3A division.  Lamar, Lutheran and Centauri again hold down spots three through five.  Bayfield was knocked off by a New Mexico opponent last week and it cost the Wolverines one spot with Resurrection Christian moving to sixth.  The final three spots are unchanged from last week.
 

CLASS 2A

  1. Yuma (14-1)
  2. Lyons (13-4)
  3. Paonia (12-2)
  4. Union Colony Prep (13-3)
  5. Dayspring Christian (12-2)
  6. Hoehne (12-3)
  7. Denver Christian (12-3)
  8. Simla (13-2)
  9. Dolores (13-1)
  10. Haxtun (12-3)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Swink (12-3), Rangely (13-2), Meeker (13-2), Wiggins (13-3), Fowler (11-4), John Mall (9-5), Dawson (11-2), Highland (11-4), Telluride (10-3), Sargent (9-4)
NOTES:  The Mile High league chase continues to be in flux as the deep league sees the top teams taking turns beating up on each other.  This week it was Union Colony Prep who picked up a quality win over Denver Christian.  Coupled with a win over Dayspring Christian the week before and the Timberwolves vault all the way to fourth this week.  Denver Christian, which also lost to Dayspring last week, dropped down to seventh.  Paonia lost to 5A Grand Junction and that cost the Eagles one spot down to third.  Lyons also bumped to second this week.  The Lions are in great position to win the Mile HIgh.  Yuma is number one in our poll and in the RPI numbers that were released on Sunday.  Dropping out of the rankings this week is Swink.  The Lions share the Santa Fe lead with Hoehne but a loss to unranked Sangre De Cristo (1A) at their own tournament cost Swink a spot in the poll.  Haxtun also lost to a 1A school but stays in the poll as that loss came to 2nd ranked and defending state champion Fleming.
 

CLASS 1A

  1. Kit Carson (16-0)
  2. Fleming (14-1)
  3. La Veta (15-0)
  4. Otis (13-3)
  5. Wiley (12-2)
  6. Briggsdale (12-3)
  7. Holly (13-3)
  8. Cheyenne Wells (9-5)
  9. Flagler (8-6)
  10. McClave (11-3)

TEAMS TO WATCH:  Eads (7-4), Dove Creek (8-5), Belleview Christian (14-1), Pikes Peak Christian (10-3), Sangre De Cristo (12-4), Prairie (8-7), Genoa Hugo (8-8), Stratton/Liberty (7-4)
NOTES:  The top seven spots in our weekly poll are almost in the same order as last week.  The lone change involves Wiley and Briggsdale as they exchange spots five and six.  Briggsdale dropped one spot as they lost for the second time to Fleming in the Northern conference.  Wiley meantime went through the week without a loss.  Kit Carson, Fleming and LaVeta continue to dominate opponents.  Kit Carson has yet to drop a set through 16 matches, Fleming virtually clinched the league title by beating Briggsdale and La Veta went through both McClave and Holly to win the McClave tournament title.  Despite the losses, Holly stays put at number seven and McClave re-enters the poll this week.  The Cardinals replace Eads who lost to Swink at the Lions Invitational on Saturday.