COLORADO SPRINGS ‐ If Mountain Vista wasn’t going to win the Class 5A girls volleyball state title, someone was going to have to beat the team eventually.

Grandview decided sooner was better than later.

The No. 8 Wolves battled to a 27-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-15 win over the Golden Eagles to send the No. 1 seed home for the weekend.

“We knew we had to be disciplined,” Haley Glunz said. “We had to be sharp on our game. We knew that we weren’t going to get every point and they were going to get theirs and that we would bounce back and get ours took.”

They set a tough tone in the first set as they edged out a 27-25 win. It was just the second set that the Golden Eagles had dropped all year and it was enough to give the Wolves confidence that they could advance through the first round.

“It was huge confidence booster,” Glunz said. “It showed us that we belong here and that we can fight with the big dogs.”

Mountain Vista claimed the second set to even the match, but the Wolves were able to pull away in the final to get the biggest first-round upset in any classification.

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(2) Rampart 3, (7) Legend 0

(Brad Cochi)

Now the top seed in the tournament, Rampart looked strong in its 25-17, 25-15, 25-20 win over Legend. Riley Simpson and Anjelina Starck combined for 25 kills to lead the Rams offensively.

Rampart fell just one set short of making the semifinals last year but boast two Division I hitters in Simpson and Starck and are hoping utilize their power and make a championship run. Starck was recently named the girls volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year but noted that winning a state championship is a major goal for her and the team this season.

(4) Columbine 3, (5) Cherry Creek 1

Columbine took the first two sets to gain a clear edge over Cherry Creek in their first round match. The Bruins avoided the sweep with a win in the third set, but the Rebels held on to get the 25-19, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22 win.

This is the fifth straight win for the Rebels and they still only have one loss on the year. They fell to Ralston Valley on April 20 despite Abi Nua having a game-high 22 kills. She’ll be a crucial piece for the Rebels title game hopes come Thursday morning when they return to the Broadmoor World Arena for their semifinal match with Grandview.

(3) Ralston Valley 3, (6) Chatfield 0

Ralston Valley hadn’t dropped a match all year so there was no since in dropping one on the first night of the 5A girls volleyball state tournament. The Mustangs took care of Chatfield 25-22, 25-18, 25-22 to move into the 5A semifinals where they’ll face Rampart.

Neither Ralston Valley or Rampart has played in a state championship game so history is on the line regardless of which team comes away with the win.

The Rams and the Mustangs play at 11 a.m. Thursday.

(Brad Cochi)

COLORADO SPRINGS — The Montezuma-Cortez girls volleyball team has waiting a long time to have another squad capable of competing for a state title and the Panthers showed their excitement in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Wednesday’s state championships.

Still unbeaten in Season C, the Panthers (14-0) overcame and early scare to beat No. 7 Prospect Ridge, 14-25, 25-23, 25-26, 25-20 to reach the semifinals. They will play No. 3 Sterling at 2 p.m. on Thursday with a berth into the title match on the line.

“I think it’s been 20 years and they took third in the state back then when we were in 4A at the time,” Panthers head coach Joye McHenry said. “We haven’t been since we’ve been 3A for the past six years, so it’s exciting. This team has played together forever. We have a lot of seniors, so we have a lot of experience. A lot of them have played club and all of them have had some adversity and some struggles that they’ve had to kind of pull through, so they’re just a really tight-knit group.”

The first game against a Prospect Ridge team that made its state tournament debut in 2018 was just the ninth Montezuma-Cortez has dropped all season. But the Panthers rebounded from the shock of defeat amidst a slew of new experiences at The Broadmoor World Arena to win the final three games in a row.

“I was really nervous about the first game altogether because a lot of our small-town girls haven’t seen a bigger venue,” McHenry said. “But I knew that once we got the first one under our belts, we’d be fine. I’m feeling confident now.”

The Prospect Ridge Miners, who have now reached the state tournament in two of their five varsity seasons, only lost two matches in Season C. Both were two state tournament teams in Montezuma-Cortez and No. 6-seeded Lutheran.

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(Brad Cochi)

(1) Eaton 3, (8) Resurrection Christian 1

It’s said to be harder to beat a team the second time around and that proved to true when No. 1 Eaton and No. 8 Resurrection Christian met for the second time in Season C, this time in the Class 3A quarterfinals. After the Eaton volleyball team swept Resurrection Christian during the regular season, the postseason rematch went four sets before the tournament favorites eventually won, 25-23, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22.

Eaton will play No. 5 University at 8 a.m. in the semifinals on Thursday.

(5) University 3, (4) Lamar 1

The University volleyball team hasn’t been in the state title game since it finished the 2010 season as runner-up to Valley, but the Bulldogs are still in the hunt after Day 1 of this week’s state tournament. In the Class 3A quarterfinals on Wednesday, the No. 5 Bulldogs won 25-17, 25-15, 13-25, 25-22 over the No. 4 Lamar Savages, who were uncertain whether or not they would be able to play in the days leading up to the tournament.

University will face No. 1 Eaton at 8 a.m. in the semifinals on Thursday.

(3) Sterling 3, (6) Lutheran 1

In one of the longest and certainly the latest match of Wednesday’s opening quarterfinals round, No. 3 Sterling and No. 6 Lutheran closed down The BroadMoor World Arena in exciting fashion. In a match that very nearly went to a fifth set, which would have been the only time that happened on Wednesday, Sterling edged Lutheran, 17-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23, to reach the semifinals.

On Thursday, Sterling will take on No. 2 Montezuma-Cortez at 2 p.m.

(Brad Cochi)

COLORADO SPRINGS — It has been an unusual – yet special – campaign for the Wiggins girls volleyball team.

Now in the finals days of Season C, the Tigers have stormed through the regular season and regional round to claim the No. 1 overall seed in the Class 2A state tournament bracket. In Tuesday’s opening quarterfinals round of the state championships, the Tigers won 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 over No. 8 Yuma to solidify their spot in Wednesday’s semifinals.

Playing for their program’s first state championship, the top-seeded Tigers will go to sleep Wednesday night intending to wake up determined to finish the tournament in the same spot they entered it when they return to The Broadmoor World Arena on Thursday.

“The first one is nice to get by and move on,” Wiggins head coach Michelle Baker said. “We’re happy we won today and we’re just going to move on to tomorrow.”

Seeding aside, the Tigers had their work cut out for them in the quarterfinals against Yuma, a team that has spent the past half dozen seasons among the favorites to win. Yuma played in five straight five championship matches from 2014-18, winning as recently as 2018.

“I think that we definitely had some jitters out there on the court. I’m not real sure why,” Baker said. “A lot of the things we weren’t clicking early on, and I’m going to chalk that up to going for as long as we did with so many practices and not getting to play for a week and a half.”

In Thursday’s semifinals, Wiggins will face No. 4 Fowler in the 8 a.m. match.

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(Brad Cochi)

(4) Fowler 3, (5) Vail Christian 1

The Fowler Grizzlies rolled into the state tournament on a four-match winning streak during which they did not drop a set, and they kept that momentum going into the opening round of the Class 2A state tournament. In the quarterfinals, the Grizzlies won 25-15, 23-25, 25-17, 25-13 over No. 5 Vail Christian to advance to the state semifinals.

Fowler will face No. 1 Wiggins in the semifinals on Thursday.

(3) Sedgwick County 3, (6) Dayspring Christian 0

In the final Class 2A match of a long first day, the wait proved to be worth it for Sedgwick County. The Cougars capped off the 2A quarterfinals with a sweep – 25-18, 25-22, 25-19 – of Dayspring Christian to reach the semifinals.

In Thursday’s Final Four, Sedgwick County will play reigning champion Denver Christian at 11 a.m.

(2) Denver Christian 3, (7) Holyoke 0

The reigning Class 1A state champions since the fall of 2019, Denver Christian’s volleyball team waited longer than usual to defend its title. At a new venue, The Broadmoor World Arena, the Thunder hit the ground running with a sweep of No. 7 Holyoke – 25-21, 25-21, 25-20 – on Wednesday night.

In Thursday’s semifinals, the Thunder will continue its title defense against Sedgwick County at 11 a.m.

(Brad Cochi)

COLORADO SPRINGS — Sangre de Cristo made one thing clear in their first round match of the Class 1A girls volleyball state tournament. Any and all teams should be ready to play when the Thunderbirds are on the court.

It wasn’t just that they beat No. 2 Wiley to advance to the 1A semifinals, but a 25-14, 25-23, 25-22 sweep of the Panthers was more a demonstration that the road to the state title is going to be a treacherous path.

“I think that Sangre is overlooked a lot in pretty much every sport that we play,” senior Avery Palmgren said. “We always come to play and come to prove ourselves. We always come in focused and ready to accomplish our goals.”

There’s no mistaking that a goal was not heading to the Broadmoor World Arena just to play in one match. The Thunderbirds had the ambition to get into Saturday’s semifinals, at the very least.

They showed a well-balanced offensive attack from Palmgren and Ashley Mortensen, the same offensive attack that got them a 13-3 record heading into the state tournament.

At times, they found themselves either tied with Wiley or trailing, but they never let panic set in and always trusted their ability remain in the set until the final point was scored.

“I think people doubt us, but they should be ready to play,” Palmgren said. “We definitely are.”

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(1) Fleming 3, (8) Otis 0

(Brad Cochi)

The winners of 10 of the last 13 1A titles met in the first round with Fleming looking every bit the defending champion.

The Wildcats held off the Bulldogs 25-19 and 25-23 in the first two sets before jumping out to a fast lead and dominating the third set 25-9. Fleming has advanced to the 1A semifinals every year dating back to at least 2008.

The Wildcats will meet Simla on Thursday at 8 a.m.

(4) Simla 3, (5) Stratton/Liberty 1

The Cubs made it to the 2A semifinals in 2019 and have now reached the same round in their first year at the 1A level.

They held off Stratton/Liberty in the first two sets 27-25, 25-13 before the Knighted Eagles got their lone win of the matching the third, beating the Cubs 25-18. Simla quickly rebounded and won the fourth set 25-12 to remain alive for Thursday’s matches.

(3) Merino 3, (6) Briggsdale 0

Merino looked dominant in the first set and establish a tone for the rest of the match. The Rams came eventually came away with a 25-12, 25-18, 25-19 win to get back into the 1A semis. They actually trailed 14-8 at one point in the third set, but a 17-5 rally sealed their bid to Thursday’s semifinal round.

The Rams last advanced to the 1A semis last season where they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Fleming.

Merino is one of the most accomplished volleyball programs in the state having won 10 state championships, third most among all teams regardless of classification. The Rams haven’t won a title since 2001 and are looking to end that drought this week.

COLORADO SPRINGS — Semifinal matchups were determined as teams advanced through the first day of the girls volleyball state tournaments at the Broadmoor World Arena.

Coverage

• 5A:Grandview upsets Mountain Vista | Bracket
• 4A:Palmer Ridge tops Palisade | Bracket
• 3A:Montezuma-Cortez punches ticket to semis | Bracket
• 2A:Wiggins takes hunt for first title to semifinals | Bracket
• 1A:Sangre de Cristo stuns Wiley | Bracket

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Class 5A

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(Brad Cochi)

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Class 4A

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(Steve Abeyta)

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Class 3A

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(Steve Abeyta)

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Class 2A

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(Steve Abeyta)

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Class 1A

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(Steve Abeyta)

(Brad Cochi)

COLORADO SPRINGS — It wasn’t the most ideal start for Palmer Ridge, but it’s not the start that counts. It’s the finish. The Bears completed a 25-17, 25-9, 25-14 sweep over No. 3 Palisade to advance to the semifinals of the Class 4A girls volleyball tournament.

It’s the second straight state semifinal appearance for Palmer Ridge and the team is hoping to get back to the state championship match, where they made it last year before losing to rival Lewis-Palmer.

But there is no Lewis-Palmer to overcome this season. And by knocking out the No. 3 team on the bracket, advancing to a state title match is very much in the cards and something the Bears expect out of themselves after being there in November 2019.

“Our games this season were a little rougher than last season,” senior Riley Anderson said. “I feel like with that (win over Palisade), we finally showed what we were made of and what we could do.”

The Bears had to battle through some nerves early as Palisade jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set. Once they found their footing, the Bears clawed right back into the match and eventually jumped out to a 10-7 lead, forcing the Bulldogs to call timeout and try to make some adjustments.

But that was easier said than done. The Bears took firm control of the first set and never let up through the next two to get the win and remain alive for Thursday’s slate of games.

In this single-elimination bracket, the stakes tend to feel a bit higher with each points and even after getting a win, the Bears know how much pressure each team is facing. To alleviate the pressure, the Bears have taken a stance to play more aggressively to maintain an element of control.

“We’ve talked all season about being more aggressive,” Anderson said. “We have to give it our all from the start and we’ve shown that here.”

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(1) Windsor 3, (8) The Classical Academy 0

(Brad Cochi)

Top-seeded Windsor had to fend off a scrappy TCA team but came away with a 26-24, 25-22, 25-20 win to advance to the 4A semifinals.

The Titans hung tough through the first set, extending it past the necessary 25-point mark to determine a winner. After the Wizards claimed the first set, they were able to keep TCA at an arm’s length for the rest of the match to remain undefeated on the year. Windsor will be back on the floor at at 2 p.m. Thursday for their semifinal match against Mead.

(2) Cheyenne Mountain 3, (7) Discovery Canyon 0

In the first match of the season, Discovery Canyon had Cheyenne Mountain down 2-0 before Cheyenne Mountain roared back to tie the match and send it to a deciding fifth set where they closed it out.

Cheyenne Mountain learned a valuable lesson in starting strong so that battling from behind isn’t necessary. This time, the Thunder wasn’t given an opportunity to take the lead as Cheyenne Mountain pulled away in the third set to get a 25-17, 25-19, 25-15 win and advance to the semifinals for the second straight year.

Cheyenne Mountain will meet PPAC rival Palmer Ridge at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

(5) Mead 3, (4) Coronado 1

Coronado claimed the first set, but ran out of steam allowing Mead to climb back and get a 16-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-16 win to move on to Thursday’s semifinals.

Mead entered the 2019 tournament as the No. 4 seed but dropped their first two matches for a stunning early exit. That’s not the case this year as the Mavericks will meet Windsor on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Windsor won the regular season meeting 3-2 on April 19.

(Pam Wagner/CHSAANow.com)

To be hosted at the The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, the Colorado girls volleyball state championship tournament will take place on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Below is the schedule for matches and information on event tickets for each session, which can only be purchased ONLINE via GoFan.

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Quarterfinals, Wednesday, May 12

8 a.m.

Windsor vs TCA (Court 1)

Mountain Vista vs Grandview (Court 2)

Coronado vs Mead  (Court 3)

Eaton vs Resurrection Christian (Court 4)

11 a.m.

Fleming vs Otis (Court 1)

Columbine vs Cherry Creek (Court 2)

Cheyenne Mountain vs Discovery Canyon (Court 3)

Wiggins vs Yuma (Court 4)

2 p.m.

Simla vs Stratton/Liberty (Court 1)

Palisade vs Palmer Ridge (Court 2)

Lamar vs University (Court 3)

Fowler vs Vail Christian (Court 4)

5 p.m.

Wiley vs Sangre de Cristo (Court 1)

Rampart vs Legend (Court 2)

Montezuma-Cortez vs Prospect Ridge (Court 3)

Denver Christian vs Holyoke (Court 4)

8 p.m.

Merino vs Briggsdale (Court 1)

Ralston Valley vs Chatfield (Court 2)

Sterling vs Lutheran (Court 3)

Sedgwick County vs Dayspring Christian (Court 4)

Semifinals, Thursday, May 13

8 a.m.

1A Semifinals (Court 1)

5A Semifinals (Court 2)

3A Semifinals (Court 3)

2A Semifinals (Court 4)

11 a.m.

1A Semifinals (Court 1)

5A Semifinals (Court 2)

4A Semifinals (Court 3)

2A Semifinals (Court 4)

2 p.m.

3A Semifinals (Court 2)

4A Semifinals (Court 3)

Finals, Thursday, May 13

5 p.m.

1A Finals (Court 1)

5A Finals (Court 2)

2A Finals (Court 4)

8 p.m.

3A Finals (Court 1)

4A Finals (Court 4)

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TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for all sessions are available to to the public and can be purchased ONLINE via GoFan.

• Tickets are $10 per game
• Tickets can ONLY be purchased digitally
• Masks are required in the building.
• Spectators can enter the building 30 minutes before games time, unless matches are delayed and should enter at the gate listed on their ticket.
• As soon as the match is over, spectators must leave the arena due to capacity limitations and because the next set of spectators will be coming in.

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SITE

The Broadmoor World Arena

3185 Venetucci Blvd

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

BROADMOOR WORLD ARENA MAP

[pdf-embedder url=”https://old.chsaanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Broadmoor-World-Arena-Spectator-Court-Map-State-Volleyball.pdf” title=”Broadmoor World Arena Spectator & Court Map – State Volleyball”]

(David Johnson/davidjohnsonphotoprahpy.com)

Anjelina Starck has this quiet demeanor about her, at least until she sees the perfect set hanging over the net. The Rampart hitter has been a big factor in the Rams’ success this season and for that – and other reasons – she has been named the Colorado girls volleyball Player of the Year by Gatorade.

Starck has 164 kills on the season and has helped the Rams earn a 10-1 record on the court, the only loss coming to Cheyenne Mountain, a game in which Starck was held out of the front row.

In her two seasons at Rampart, she has totaled 594 kills. She will continue her volleyball career at Penn State next fall.

“It shows that all the work that I’ve put in, all the extra time at the gym has paid off,” Starck said. “This happened by working hard, staying dedicated and not listening to all the negative comments. If you stay on line with what you want to do, it pays off.”

Starck joined Rampart last year after her family moved to Colorado from Las Vegas. She immediately felt at home and benefitted from Rampart’s family atmosphere that has been building for several seasons.

“She’s a really well rounded player,” Rampart coach Nikki Bloemen said last year. “She can do just about everything. She can hit, she can set, she can pass, she can serve. I can put her in any role and she just does her job.”

And the Rams have certainly felt her impact. They swept their way through regionals to earn a berth in next week’s Class 5A state tournament. And luckily the team won’t have to travel far as the tournament will be held at the Broadmoor World Arena.

It’s the exact environment that Starck wants to thrive in and she’s hoping that she can help the Rams claim their first state volleyball title.

“I won one in Las Vegas when I lived there,” Starck said. “My goal since I moved here has been to win one. Our team this year, we’ve been playing so well together and our practices have been great. Our coaches are also really amazing and I think we have a really good chance.”

Starck also earned first-team Under Armour All-American honors for 2020-21. She’s the kind of student-athlete that makes a team and a school better the second she walks in the door.

“She’s just raised our level of play and forced other people to be more competitive,” Bloeman said. “The team as a whole has been more competitive and played at a higher level.”

The 2021 state tournament bracket for Class 1A girls volleyball.
2021 CHSAA State Girls Volleyball Championships (Colorado) Class 1A

The 2021 state tournament bracket for Class 2A girls volleyball.
2021 CHSAA State Girls Volleyball Championships (Colorado) Class 2A