Conference action again headlines our daily Volleyball report as many of the league leaders across the state face high-level opponents tonight. We break down the top pairings in each classification and give some insight on why the matches matter in the big picture.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY VAN HOLLIS
CLASS 1A
Flatirons Academy and Denver Waldorf share the early lead with Belleview Christian atop the 5280 division but one will fall off the pace when they collide this evening. Belleview is the favorite to land the league title as they’ve already placed 16 matches. They don’t meet Denver Waldorf until October 8th and Flatirons on the 14th.
A similar situation is in play in the Black Forest when Evangelical Christian visits Simla tonight. ECA is 1-0 with Simla at 3-0 in league action. They are tied for first with Elbert (1-0) but one will slide down into third following tonight’s match. ECA is also the only club in the conference with an overall record above 500 (6-4).
Haxtun starts the week tied with 2A Sedgwick County (both 4-0) atop the Lower Platte conference. The Bulldogs have a tough week on tap as they visit Yuma on Tuesday and then tangle with Merino on Friday. Merino sits alone in third at 2-1.
TUESDAY RESULTS
- Haxtun swept Yuma 3-0
CLASS 2A
Fowler (8-0) seems in control of the Santa Fe league chase as they have a one game edge on Hoehne and by two games over Rye and Rocky Ford. They’ve beaten all three clubs already in conference play. League order behind the Grizzlies will be helped by Tuesday’s match between Rye and Rocky Ford. The winner moves into sole possession of third place and remains in range of second place Hoehne.
The Grizzlies meantime take a break from their Santa Fe run to battle Calhan in what could be a nice non-league pairing. Calhan is 7-4 overall but fell short in three games to top 10 Soroco last Friday. This is their first match since ending their seven game winning streak.
The Mile High chase will sort out a bit more on Tuesday as Lyons heads over to Highland. The Huskies are 4-0 in conference play and needs a win to keep pace with Denver Christian (also 4-0). Lyons is tied for third with Dayspring Christian and Gilpin County one game off the pace. The Lions also meet Gilpin County on Friday so they need wins in both to keep their league title hopes alive.
In the Union Pacific, Byers could use a win over 1A Genoa Hugo stay unbeaten in the conference. A win also keeps them tied with Limon and Stratton in the top spot.
Sanford also looks to get back in the win column in their rivalry game with 3A Centauri. The schools are separated by just four miles in the San Luis Valley so it’s a fun matchup of schools from different classifications. The Indians picked up a nice win over Sangre De Cristo last Friday but then dropped all three matches at the Simla Tournament; falling to Kit Carson, Dayspring Christian and Soroco.
TUESDAY RESULTS
- Fowler swept Calhan 3-0
- Rye downed Rocky Ford 3-0
CLASS 3A
The highly anticipated matchup between Lutheran and Resurrection Christian set for tonight will be rescheduled as the Cougars are dealing with injuries to two students when they were hit by a drunk driver Monday night. One of the students has already been released from the hospital with a second remaining in critical condition. Colorado Preps sends prayers to the Resurrection Christian community.
Inside the Metro where Lutheran is favored to land the championship, there’s a key matchup between Faith Christian and Colorado Academy. Faith Christian (2-0) shares the early lead with Lutheran, Peak to Peak and St Mary’s Academy. The Mustangs are also considered a top program within the league and could challenge for the top spot if they get by Faith Christian tonight.
Resurrection Christian (4-0) shares the Patriot lead with Liberty Common (3-0) and those two clubs collide on Friday in Loveland but tonight they will watch with great interest the match between University and Eaton. The Bulldogs and Reds are part of a four-team logjam with Platte Valley and Sterling in third place. The winners stays in position for a league title while the loser falls two games back and faces a major uphill climb to get back into contention.
In the Tri Peaks, the most important battle is between Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs Christian. They are two five teams in second place; one game back of highly ranked Lamar (5-0). Manitou has already dropped their league match to Lamar so even with a win, the Mustangs will need some help from a league team to gain a share of the title. Colorado Springs Christian is 1-1 in league play but just 2-8 overall so they go in as the underdog.
North Fork heads to Delta in the Western Slope. The Miners (2-0) and Panthers (4-0) are two of the four remaining unbeaten teams in conference play. Basalt (3-0) and Aspen (2-0) are the two others. Delta also meets Aspen on the road this Friday so it’s a key stretch for the championship hopes of the Panthers.
Still too early to get a good read on the Confluence league. Addenbrooke Academy, DSST-Byers and DSST-College View are all 1-0. None of the three collide this week but Conservatory Green challenges College VIew tonight in what could be an important match.
Lake County (3-0), Bennett and DSST-Montview (both 2-0) are the early leaders in the Frontier. One falls off the pace tonight as Bennett goes up to Leadville to face Lake County. Academy and Middle Park also square off. They each have one league loss and share fourth with Jefferson.
Bayfield remains 2-0 in Intermountain conference play after having to postpone two league matches over the weekend. They’re slated to get back on the court this evening in hosting Montezuma Cortez. The Wolverines start the night with a one game edge on both Alamosa and Centauri (2-1). Cortez is the defending league champion and made the final eight last season but has started 0-2 in the IML this year.
TUESDAY RESULTS
- University beat Eaton 3-1
- Platte Valley downed Sterling 3-1
- Faith Christian topped Colorado Academy 3-0
- Manitou Springs downed Colorado Springs Christian 3-0
- Lake County swept Bennett 3-0
- Delta topped North Fork 3-1
CLASS 4A
There’s a huge match inside the Longs Peak conference tonight as Niwot entertains Frederick. Both clubs are 6-0 in the conference and each has a two game edge on both Thompson Valley and Berthoud. It’s their only league meeting of the year so it’s a good bet that the winner tonight ends up with the championship at years end. Thompson Valley is the likely third place club as they have a head-to-head win over Berthoud. But with losses to both Niwot and Frederick, it will be difficult for the Eagles to finish higher than third.
While Classical Academy (10-1 overall) is favored to win the CS Metro North division crown, Elizabeth and Falcon hope to challenge the Titans. Each is 1-0 in very early league play and they meet this evening to see which one steps forward as the top challenger. TCA is away from the court until October 5th when they host Falcon in their league opener. They face the Cardinals two days later.
Woodland Park, Mesa Ridge and Widefield all sit at basically five hundred for the season so they’re expected to battle for the CS Metro South crown. Woodland Park opens their schedule against Palmer tonight while the other two are off this week.
No league matches have been played in the Jeffco. Littleton (6-4), Wheat Ridge (4-4) and Green Mountain (5-3) are the only league clubs at or above five hundred and none of those three meet up in the opening round of conference play.
The Colorado conference has yet to experience league play either. That race is wide open as no club has more than four wins overall. Every team is also at least three games below five hundred.
On the Western Slope, Palisade (5-0) has a one game edge on Eagle Valley (3-1) thanks to their four set win over the Devils on September 11th. Round two of their matchups is set for Friday in Palisade and a Bulldogs win puts them in tremendous position to land the league crown.
In the South Central, Pueblo West and Pueblo County have yet to compete in conference play. Most likely the race will be decided on their two head-to-head battles and game one doesn’t come up until October 12th. Match two is two weeks later on the 27th. Pueblo Centennial and Pueblo East both won league openers last week and share the early lead.
In the NCAA, Erie (5-0) stands alone in first with Windsor and Longmont (both 4-1) a game back. Longmont gets a tough test on Tuesday as they face Mead. Getting a win there could be difficult but the Trojans need it to stay one game out of first place.
Cheyenne Mountain suffered a tough five-set loss to Rampart in the Pikes Peak race last week. They look for a return to the win column tonight as they host Discovery Canyon. The Thunder were one of three teams to get through week of conference play without a loss; joining Palmer Ridge and Rampart on that list. Those three are in a first place tie with Pine Creek who is 1-0.
Also tonight, 5A Pine Creek is at Lewis Palmer and both clubs have thoughts of a top four league finish. Rampart and Fountain Fort Carson are two 5A clubs in the division and they meet tonight as well.
TUESDAY RESULTS
- Mead rolled Longmont 3-0
- Pine Creek edged Lewis Palmer 3-2
- Woodland Park blanked Palmer 3-0
CLASS 5A
The fun continues inside the Centennial on Tuesday as Cherokee Trail heads to Grandview. The Cougars and Wolves picked up league opening wins last week and have a share of the top spot with Cherry Creek and Eaglecrest. It’s the first of two important conference matchups for both clubs as Cherokee Trail tangles with Eaglecrest and Grandview visits Cherry Creek as well on Thursday.
Chaparral also faces an important week inside the Continental. The Wolverines are tied with Highlands Ranch (both 3-0) in the top spot with Regis and Mountain Vista both a game back at 2-1. Chaparral hosts Mountain Vista tonight and then heads to Highlands Ranch on Friday. In between is another key matchup between Regis and Mountain Vista on Thursday.
TUESDAY RESULTS
- Rampart stopped Fountain Fort Carson 3-0
- Chaparral swept Mountain View 3-0
- Grandview beat Cherokee Trail 3-0
