One of the state’s most impressive runs – in any sport – came to an end Tuesday night.
No. 4 Fossil Ridge’s girls volleyball team started fast out of the gate, earning a small measure of revenge for last November’s state finals loss with a 25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22 victory over No. 2 Valor Christian.
It was the first loss for the two-time reigning Class 5A champion Eagles since the 2021 state tournament, a run of 72 consecutive victories.
The SaberCats had hit their first skid of the season in an out-of-state tournament, dropping four of five matches. But Fossil Ridge rebounded by sweeping Rocky Mountain and Loveland before downing Valor on Tuesday.
The team can all but lock up the Front Range League crown with a victory over 4A No. 10 Windsor on Thursday.
With just more than two weeks remaining in the season, league crowns around the state could be decided in the coming week. Here is a quick overview of the state’s five classifications going into the stretch run of the regular season:
Class 5A
Chaparral is one of those teams on the cusp of a league crown. The top-ranked Wolverines (16-1, 9-0 in Continental play) would run the table with a victory over No. 5 Rock Canyon next Tuesday. … No. 7 Pueblo West can do the same in the Colorado Springs Metro on Thursday against Pine Creek. The Cyclones (14-1, 8-0) have won 10 in a row. … Eighth-ranked Denver South plays Denver East for the City League crown Thursday. Both teams are 5-0 in league play. … No. 10 Cherokee Trail has a one-game lead and the tiebreaker over Cherry Creek in the Centennial League with one league game remaining.
Game of the (last) week: Fossil Ridge def. Valor Christian 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22)
Game of the (upcoming) week: No. 5 Rock Canyon at No. 1 Chaparral, 6 p.m., Oct. 22
Class 4A
Palisade scored another big victory last Thursday, clinching at least a share of the Southwestern League crown with a four-set triumph over previous No. 5 Montrose. Addie Ritterbush paced the No. 3 Bulldogs (13-2, 8-0) with 18 kills and 20 digs, and Sabrina Landman added 16 kills and 20 digs. … Lewis-Palmer responded to a tough loss to Cheyenne Mountain by downing then-No. 8 Lutheran in four sets last Friday before sweeping Palmer Ridge on Tuesday night. The No. 2 Rangers match up with Cheyenne Mountain one more time, on Oct. 24. … No. 6 Battle Mountain finished off Western Slope League play unbeaten with victories over Summit and Rifle.
Game of the (last) week: Palisade def. Montrose 3-1 (25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 25-9)
Game of the (upcoming) week: No. 9 Lutheran at No. 5 Cheyenne Mountain, 5:30 p.m., Friday
Class 3A
One could make a case that the biggest game of the week regardless of classification takes place Thursday night. Top-ranked and undefeated Eaton hosts No. 2 Platte Valley, with the winner wrapping up the Patriot League. Eaton (17-0, 9-0) still has No. 6 Resurrection Christian on the schedule Oct. 24, while Platte Valley (15-1, 9-0) finishes the regular season with Liberty Common and Weld Central. … No. 3 Lamar is the only other unbeaten in 3A, and the Thunder (14-0, 8-0 in Tri-Peaks) is in the driver’s seat in league play. Lamar will see No. 4 Alamosa on Saturday in tournament play. The Mean Moose (15-3, 8-0 in Intermountain), which fell in five sets to 4A Durango on Tuesday, also will see No. 8 Sterling and 2A No. 7 Colorado Springs Christian on Saturday. … No. 7 Gunnison (14-2, 7-0 in Western Slope) has a two-game cushion in league play with two contests remaining.
Game of the (last) week: Durango def. Alamosa 3-2 (25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 12-25, 15-13)
Game of the (upcoming) week: No. 2 Platte Valley at No. 1 Eaton, 6:30 p.m., Thursday
Class 2A
Top-ranked Simla saw its bid for an undefeated regular season denied last Thursday with a four-set loss to 1A’s No. 1 Merino. The Cubs (17-1, 6-0 in Black Forest) can clinch league play outright with a victory Thursday. … No. 2 Sedgwick County was handed its first in-state loss, falling to 1A’s Idalia last Saturday. The Cougars visit undefeated Merino on Friday. … No. 4 Swink bounced back from a loss to Hoehne with five victories in seven days that included a five-set triumph over 3A’s Vanguard School in tournament play. Daisy Heberlie had 13 kills and 14 total blocks in that victory.
Game of the (last) week: Merino def. Simla 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 19-25, 26-24)
Game of the (upcoming) week: 2A No. 2 Sedgwick County at 1A No. 1 Merino, 4 p.m., Friday
Class 1A
It was a big week for the top teams in 1A. Unbeaten Merino (13-0, 5-0 in Lower Platte) topped No. 5 Wiggins on Oct. 8 before toppling 2A’s No. 1 Simla last Thursday. The Rams have a massive league showdown Friday with 2A’s second-ranked Sedgwick County. … No. 2 Idalia swept those same Cougars last Saturday. Three players paced the Wolves (15-2) with eight kills each. Idalia faces No. 5 Otis on Friday. … Speaking of Otis, the Bulldogs toppled then-No. 4 Stratton in four sets last Friday. Madelyn Willeke had 19 kills and Aedyn Tribelhorn added 15 kills and 14 digs. … No. 3 Fleming had its 10-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night to 2A’s No. 9 Haxtun.
Game of the (last) week: Merino def. Simla 3-1 (25-21, 25-18, 19-25, 26-24)
Game(s) of the (upcoming) week: 2A No. 2 Sedgwick County at 1A No. 1 Merino, 4 p.m., Friday/No. 5 Otis at No. 2 Idalia, 5:30 p.m., Friday
