Projected Regional Volleyball Tournament Pairings

With only three weeks remaining in the regular season, the Colorado Preps postseason projections for volleyball can get started.  League champions earn automatic invitations to the regional tournament with the remaining positions determined by RPI.  Once the list of qualifiers is set, then the seeding committee can expand into other polling metrics to seed the team in the bracket.  We call them the consensus rankings and we posted the latest edition earlier on Tuesday.

In Class 1A, 24 teams advance to the regional tournament with the top eight seeds hosting tournament.  The winners of each move to the state tournament with four more wildcards selected by RPI added to the field.

For the remaining four divisions, 36 teams qualify for the postseason and are spread out between 12-three team regional tournaments.  The champions of each advance to the state tournament.  No wildcard selections are made.

Our consensus rankings were based on rankings issued before matches began on Tuesday October 12^th.  Projected pairings based on true seed are posted below with a few notes posted to suggest potential changes.

NOTE:  Could see the committee exchange Cheyenne Wells and Prairie in spots 22 and 23 to avoid a conference pairing of Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells in region two.  Travel is not changed that much.  Could also see North Park and Springfield flipped to save some travel distances for North Park.  Otherwise, this is a solid bracket.

NOTE:  Quite a few conference conflicts to deal with including Las Animas-Fowler in Region 4, Heritage Christian-Dayspring Christian in Region 5, Dolores-Ignacio in Region 11 and John Mall-Rye in Region 12.  In each case the lower seed would likely be moved.  Mancos would also be shifted around to stay closer to home instead of heading all the way to Sedgwick County.  Otherwise the travel is not that bad overall.

NOTE:  Conference conflicts include Lamar-Buena Vista in Region 2, St Mary’s Academy-Lutheran in Region 4, Valley-Strasburg in Region 10 and Bayfield-Alamosa in Region 12.  Buena Vista could bump to #33 with St Mary’s Academy and #34 Bennett both sliding down one .  Strasburg and James Irwin could flip spots 27 and 28 to avoid that conflict while Manitou Springs could bump to #13 and let Bayfield and Centauri slide one spot apiece.  There is some concern for teams near the bottom of the RPI as one could get bumped by either Eagle Ridge Academy and Fort Lupton who are 49^th and 50^th overall but remain in contention to win the Colorado conference championship.  If one ends up on top, then that club enters the bracket as a league champion regardless of RPI.

NOTE:  The only league conflict ins found in region 9 between Mead and Longmont but that can be solved by moving Longmont to either 29 and flip with Elizabeth or up to 27 and exchange positions with Green Mountain.  Weld Central is 53^rd in RPI but is unbeaten and tied with Eagle Ridge Academy and Fort Lupton (both 3A) for the Colorado conference lead.  Should the Rebels land the title, they are in the playoff bracket regardless of RPI standings and would replace the lowest seed in the bracket (Pueblo Central).

NOTE:  Have a few conference conflicts to deal with as Fossil Ridge-Horizon are together in Region 4A and fellow Front Range members Legacy and Rocky Mountain are in the Region 5 bracket.  Heritage and Highlands Ranch are both in Region 7 while Legend and Castle View are two Continental teams placed in the Region 9 bracket.  As a result, there would be quite a bit of shifting around in the bottom 12 seeds.  Vista Peak is also a team to remember.  They are 48^th in RPI but sit tied with Brighton atop the East Metro and remain in playoff contention as a potential league champion.