With 168 teams competing in the regional volleyball tournament this week, it was an impossible task to produce a team capsule on every club in every class.  Colorado Preps instead, has compiled some notes on each classification as teams try to qualify for the state tournament by winning regional events this Friday and Saturday.  The notes will be released in two batches with the first providing coverage for Classes 1A, 2A and 3A.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HALEY REEDY

 

CLASS 1A

There are four regular season rematches on tap in the regional round this weekend.

  • REGION 2:  Springfield beat La Veta 3-1 on October 23rd
  • REGION 5:  Wiley swept Cheyenne Wells 3-0 on September 21st
  • REGION 6:  Stratton downed Otis 3-0 on September 11th
  • REGION 8:  Simla upended Cheraw 3-2 on October 16th

Region 8 seems to be the most competitive bracket on paper as all three qualifiers are league champions.  Cheraw (19-4) won the High Plains title, Dove Creek (20-3) grabbed the San Juan crown and Simla (14-9) took the Black Forest championship.  And with Simla scoring the aforementioned win over Cheraw and Dove Creek totaling the most wins, all three regional matches should be considered toss-ups.

Flatirons Academy and Belleview Christian (21-2) have the best records for teams not hosting regionals this weekend.  They finished 1-2 in the 5280 division.  Flatirons is also one of three league champions that are not hosting regionals; joining Dove Creek and Simla on that list.

Idalia (15-5) has the fewest wins of any regional host.  All others won at least 18 matches with Briggsdale and Haxtun compiling the best records (20-3).

Fleming (18-5) has qualified for the last 15 state tournaments in Class 1A.

All eight regional champions earn automatic berths in the state tournament and once tournaments this week are completed, four wildcards will be added to the state field.  Those four selections will be made based on RPI standing issued on November 8th; the Monday after regionals.  That’s a change from previous seasons where RPI standings from the end of the season were used to determine wildcard selections.

 

CLASS 2A

There are three regular season rematches on tap in the regional round this weekend.  Each occurred in the final three weeks of the regular season.

  • REGION 1:  Crowley County downed Custer County 2-0 as part of the Chargers Classic on October 23rd
  • REGION 2:  Mancos topped Sanford 31 on October 15th.
  • REGION 10:  Hoehne swept Sargent 3-0 on October 26th

The top three seeds are unbeaten against 2A competition this year

  • Sedgwick County (19-3) – losses to Chase County NE, 1A Fleming and 3A Liberty Common
  • Meeker (22-1) – fell to 3A Centauri on the final weekend as part of the Buena Vista tournament
  • Fowler (21-2) – fell short to 3A Lamar and Alamosa

Half of the hosting sites are held by teams inside the Lower Platte (Sedgwick County, Holyoke & Wiggins) and the Santa Fe (Fowler, Rye, Hoehne) conferences.  Dayspring Christian and Denver Christian are also both members of the Mile High conference.

Two league champions did not receive a top 12 seed so they are playing on the road this weekend.  Sargent won the Southern Peaks championship and the 15th seeded Farmers head to Hoehne in Region 10.  Addenbrooke Academy beat 3A DSST-Byers to land the Confluence league tournament title but they’re headed to Holyoke for the Region 6 event.  Neither host team won their respective conference championship.

Limon (13-10) has the most losses for any host club and also have the fewest wins among teams in their region (#11).  Monte Vista (15-8) and West Grand (14-6) are the two other clubs in that bracket.

Wiggins is the defending state champion and is seeded seventh but the Tigers have the second most losses for any host (14-9).

Meeker (22-1) has the most wins for any 2A program with Fowler (21-2) next in line.  They’re the only two teams in the division with wins in at least 20 matches this season.

Yuma (9-14) has been to 10 consecutive state tournaments and qualified as the #22 seed during the 2021 spring season.

 

CLASS 3A

There are three regular season rematches on tap in the regional round this weekend.

  • REGION 4:  University downed Academy 2-0 at the Manitou Springs tournament last weekend
  • REGION 8:  DSST-Montview moved past Prospect Ridge early in the season at the Machebeuf Tournament.
  • REGION 9:  Delta outlasted Pagosa Springs 2-1 at the Coal Ridge tournament last weekend with game five ending up 15-13.

Half of the host sites are based from the Patriot league as Resurrection Christian, University, Liberty Common, Sterling, Eaton and Platte Valley all get the chance to play at home this weekend.  The Metro (Lutheran & Faith Christian) and the Intermountain (Alamosa & Bayfield) both get two host sites.

Neither the Confluence or Colorado conferences earned a bid in the regional tournament bracket.  Addenbrooke Academy was the champion of the Confluence and they are entered in the 2A division.  Weld Central grabbed the Colorado title with the Rebels joining the postseason in Class 4A.

Lamar (23-0) is the only volleyball team in the entire state in any class that made it through the regular season unbeaten.  Their combined wins are just four less than the overall total of regional opponents Aspen (16-5) and Stargate (11-12).

Resurrection Christian (21-1) was unbeaten until the last day of the season when they lost to University in the finals of the Manitou Springs tournament.

Many records across the bracket are deceiving due to strong scheduling.

  • Faith Christian (17-6) – every loss is against a 3A team that is hosting a regional tournament this weekend.
  • Platte Valley (15-8) – the Broncos have four losses to 3A hosts this weekend with four others to teams in either Class 4A or 5A
  • Strasburg (14-8) – the Indians finished 3-7 in conference play but the rugged Patriot league slate got them into the bracket
  • Bayfield (15-8) – the Wolverines won the Intermountain league championship but had a whopping 13 matches against Class 4A or 5A clubs.
  • Eaton (13-10) – the Reds have the worst record of any 3A host but six losses are against 4A and 5A competition.  Three others are to teams hosting regionals this weekend.

Liberty Common (18-4) has earned their highest ever playoff seed for volleyball as the Eagles are fifth in the bracket.  They will face James Irwin (16-7) and Kent Denver (14-9) and two wins will give them their first ever state tournament trip.

Two versions of the 3A playoff bracket were posted this week.  The first included incorrect data from the coaches poll so a new set of pairings were released later in the day.  Valley probably heads the list of teams frustrated with the second set of pairings.  They were first seeded 10th and slated to be at home this week but the second set placed the Vikings 13th and on the road to Bayfield; a long way from their Weld County home.