CHSAANow

Tag: Lyons

  • Volleyball rankings: Dayspring Christian moves up to No. 1 in 2A

    It’s Dayspring Christian’s week to shine in the Class 2A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings.

    Powered by sweeps over Gilpin County and Dawson, the Eagles are the new No. 1 team in the rankings. They are the only new No. 1 team in any class this week.

    Paonia, who sat at No. 1 a week ago, dropped only one spot to No. 2.

    Yuma made a noticeable jumping, gaining three spots to land at No. 3. There were no new  teams in the 2A poll this week.

    Rock Canyon held its spot as the top team in 5A, but it was Arapahoe, not Fossil Ridge, coming in at No. 2. The Sabercats dropped one spot to land at No. 3.

    Loveland was the lone newcomer in 5A, joining the rankings at No. 10.

    Lewis-Palmer and Cheyenne Mountain remained at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in this week’s 4A poll.

    The two traditional volleyball powers will face-off Thursday in a game that will in all likelihood decide the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference Championship.

    Montrose jumped into the 4A poll at No. 9, the only newcomer this week.

    Like 5A and 4A, the top team in the 3A poll went unchanged as Eaton holds a firm grip on that spot.

    Valley made the big jump this week to land at No. 3, two spots better than last week’s rankings.

    Pagosa Springs (No. 9) and Coal Ridge (No. 10) were the two newcomers to the 3A poll.

    Fleming hung on to the No. 1 spot in 1A with Kit Carson still biting its heels at No. 2.

    Weldon Valley (No. 4) and Nucla (No. 5) each gained a spot from a week ago.

    There were no new teams in the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (10) 14-1 100 1 0-0
    2 Arapahoe 15-2 73 3 2-0
    3 Fossil Ridge 14-2 65 2 1-1
    4 Chatfield 13-2 63 4 1-0
    5 Denver East 11-3 50 6 2-0
    6 Mountain Vista 11-2 46 5 0-0
    7 Highlands Ranch 11-3 44 7 0-0
    8 Chaparral 10-5 25 8 0-0
    9 Fairview 12-4 20 10 2-0
    10 Loveland 14-2 13 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherry Creek 10, Coronado 10, Rampart 8, Castle View 7, Fruita Monument 6, Ralston Valley 4, Fort Collins 3, Legend 3.
    Dropped out
    Cherry Creek (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (12) 17-0 120 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 12-4 85 2 2-0
    3 Valor Christian 12-3 82 3 2-0
    4 Holy Family 15-4 67 5 2-0
    5 Pueblo West 14-2 67 4 2-0
    6 Niwot 13-3 58 6 2-0
    7 Silver Creek 15-2 43 7 2-0
    8 Eagle Valley 14-2 37 8 2-0
    9 Montrose 13-4 35 – 2-0
    10 D’Evelyn 13-1 20 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Thomas Jefferson 17, Berthoud 14, Durango 5, Battle Mountain 4, Mead 3, Windsor 2, Palmer Ridge 1.
    Dropped out
    Thomas Jefferson (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (13) 16-1 130 1 1-0
    2 University 12-5 114 2 1-0
    3 Valley 14-4 89 5 1-0
    4 Colorado Springs Christian 16-4 87 3 2-0
    5 Resurrection Christian 12-4 62 6 1-1
    6 Bayfield 13-3 56 7 3-0
    7 Sterling 16-5 47 4 0-1
    8 Middle Park 14-1 30 9 1-0
    9 Pagosa Springs 14-3 16 – 1-1
    10 Coal Ridge 12-4 15 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Delta 15, Rye 15, Salida 12, St. Mary’s 10, Bennett 9, The Vanguard 5, Faith Christian 3, Lutheran 3, Alamosa 1, Platte Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    Salida (8), Delta (10).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Dayspring Christian (7) 16-0 97 2 2-0
    2 Paonia (3) 15-1 84 1 2-0
    3 Yuma 14-3 69 6 2-0
    4 Colorado Springs School 15-2 65 3 2-0
    5 Hoehne 14-3 60 5 1-1
    6 Simla 13-4 56 7 3-0
    7 Lyons 13-4 52 4 1-1
    8 Ridgway 14-2 24 8 1-1
    9 Fowler 14-4 22 9 2-0
    10 John Mall 14-4 9 10 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Union Colony 5, Denver Christian 3, West Grand 2, Akron 1, Ignacio 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (6) 16-1 87 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (2) 18-0 82 2 2-0
    3 La Veta 17-0 69 3 1-0
    4 Weldon Valley 13-3 50 5 1-0
    5 Nucla 14-1 49 6 3-0
    6 Flagler 15-2 46 4 0-0
    7 McClave 14-3 36 7 2-1
    8 Heritage Christian 12-4 26 8 2-0
    9 Prairie (1) 13-4 22 10 3-0
    10 Otis 12-5 13 9 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Kiowa 5, Springfield 4, Briggsdale 2, Holly 2, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Volleyball rankings: University inches closer to Eaton in 3A

    It’s not going to be easy to knock Eaton off its perch as the top team in the Class 3A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings, but University is certainly making moves with those hopes.

    The Bulldogs jumped to No. 2 in the rankings this week and are one of only four teams to even take a set from the Reds.

    Bayfield also jumped up in this week’s poll, coming in at No. 7 which is two spots better than their previous ranking.

    No new teams broke into the 3A poll this week.

    Rock Canyon remains the No. 1 team in the 5A poll, but Arapahoe is certainly gaining attention as the Warriors jump to No. 3 this week. They were sitting at No. 6 a week ago, but going 2-0 – including a win over Cherry Creek – certainly helped in their leap.

    Fairview is the lone addition to the 5A rankings, landing at No. 10.

    A still undefeated Lewis-Palmer team hangs on to the No. 1 spot in 4A with a unanimous vote.

    Cheyenne Mountain and Valor Christian also held on to their positions at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Pueblo West has continued to play well and jumped two spots to land at No. 4.

    Thomas Jefferson (No. 9) and D’Evelyn (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 4A poll.

    Paonia is still the No. 1 team in 1A with Dayspring Christian still sitting firm at No. 2.

    There is a new No. 3 team, however, as the Colorado Springs School jumped two spots from last week’s rankings.

    There are two new teams in the 2A poll this week as Fowler breaks in at No. 9 and John Mall comes in at No. 10.

    Like all other classes, the No. 1 spot in 1A went unchanged as Fleming still sits on top of the poll.

    La Veta jumped to No. 3 this week after improving to 16-0 on the season.

    Otis (No. 9) and Prairie (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (9) 14-1 99 1 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge (1) 13-1 78 2 2-0
    3 Arapahoe 13-2 71 6 2-0
    4 Chatfield 12-2 61 5 2-0
    5 Mountain Vista 11-2 57 4 2-1
    6 Denver East 9-3 48 3 1-1
    7 Highlands Ranch 11-3 38 8 2-0
    8 Chaparral 10-5 31 10 2-1
    9 Cherry Creek 11-4 19 7 0-2
    10 Fairview 10-4 9 – 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 7, Coronado 5, Fort Collins 5, Castle View 4, Fruita Monument 4, Grandview 4, Lakewood 4, Loveland 4, Legend 2, Rampart 2.
    Dropped out
    Ralston Valley (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (12) 15-0 120 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 10-4 98 2 2-0
    3 Valor Christian 10-3 88 3 2-0
    4 Pueblo West 12-2 67 6 3-0
    5 Holy Family 13-4 66 4 1-1
    6 Niwot 11-3 58 7 2-0
    7 Silver Creek 13-2 48 5 1-1
    8 Eagle Valley 12-2 32 8 1-0
    9 Thomas Jefferson 11-2 20 – 1-0
    10 D’Evelyn 12-0 18 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Berthoud 17, Montrose 14, Mead 8, Ponderosa 4, Roosevelt 2.
    Dropped out
    Berthoud (9), Mead (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 15-1 120 1 2-0
    2 University 11-5 87 4 1-1
    3 Colorado Springs Christian 14-4 75 2 2-1
    4 Sterling 16-4 64 3 5-1
    5 Valley 13-4 59 5 2-0
    6 Resurrection Christian 11-3 51 6 1-0
    7 Bayfield 10-3 40 9 1-0
    8 Salida 14-1 30 7 3-0
    9 Middle Park 13-1 25 8 2-0
    10 Delta 11-3 24 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Pagosa Springs 23, Coal Ridge 16, Prospect Ridge Academy 11, Rye 11, Bennett 10, Alamosa 5, Faith Christian 3, St. Mary’s 3, The Vanguard 3, Grand Valley 1, Lutheran 1, Platte Valley 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (7) 13-1 112 1 2-0
    2 Dayspring Christian (5) 14-0 110 2 1-0
    3 Colorado Springs School 13-2 73 5 2-0
    4 Lyons 12-3 68 3 2-0
    5 Hoehne 13-2 67 6 0-0
    6 Yuma 12-3 65 4 1-0
    7 Simla 10-4 59 7 1-1
    8 Ridgway 13-1 42 8 2-0
    9 Fowler 12-4 20 – 2-0
    10 John Mall 12-3 12 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 12, Denver Christian 8, Telluride 8, Ignacio 5, Rangely 4, Union Colony 4, Highland 2, West Grand 2, Akron 1, Byers 1, Custer County 1.
    Dropped out
    West Grand (9), Denver Christian (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (5) 14-1 85 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (1) 16-0 79 2 4-0
    3 La Veta (2) 16-0 73 5 4-0
    4 Flagler 15-2 56 3 4-1
    5 Weldon Valley 12-3 47 6 1-0
    6 Nucla 11-1 30 7 1-0
    7 McClave 12-2 27 4 3-1
    8 Heritage Christian 10-4 25 9 1-0
    9 Otis 11-4 16 – 1-0
    10 Prairie (1) 10-4 15 – 4-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Kiowa 14, Holly 6, Sierra Grande 6, Springfield 6, Cotopaxi 5, Genoa Hugo/Karval 3, Briggsdale 2.
    Dropped out
    Holly (8), Sierra Grande (10).

  • Volleyball rankings: Pueblo West joins 4A poll

    Pueblo West has jumped into the Class 4A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings at No. 6. The Cyclones have rattled off four-straight wins and haven’t even dropped a set since Sept. 16

    Lewis-Palmer is still the unanimous No. 1 team in 4A and is looking more like the team that won back-to-back state championships in 2014 and 2015.

    Berthoud also broke into the 4A poll this week, coming in at No. 9.

    Rock Canyon is still the No. 1 team in a very competitive 5A class. The Jaguars are undefeated in league play and have not lost since Sept. 3.

    Mountain Vista (No. 4) and Highlands Ranch (No. 8) are both two spots better than they were in last week’s poll.

    At No. 8, Ralston Valley is the only new team in the 5A poll.

    Eaton is still receiving every first-place vote in 3A to hang on to the position it has held all season long.

    Colorado Springs Christian School jumped three spots to come in at No. 2, but University had the biggest jump of the week, improving four spots to land at No. 4.

    Bayfield is the only new team in the 3A poll, coming in at No. 9.

    Paonia still has a firm grasp on the No. 1 spot in 2A with Dayspring Christian still holding strong at No. 2.

    Yuma jumped three spots to land at No. 4.

    There were no new teams in the 2A poll this week.

    While Fleming held its position at No. 1 in 1A, there were plenty of changes to speak of in that poll.

    McClave jumped a staggering five spots to come in at No. 4 this week.

    There were also three new teams in the 1A poll, the most of any class in this set of rankings.

    Holly comes in at No. 8, Heritage Christian lands at No. 9 and Sierra Grande rounds out the poll at No. 10.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (5) 12-1 93 1 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge (4) 11-1 83 2 2-0
    3 Denver East 8-2 71 3 1-0
    4 Mountain Vista 9-1 67 6 2-0
    5 Chatfield 10-2 54 5 1-0
    6 Arapahoe 11-2 40 4 2-0
    7 Cherry Creek 11-2 38 8 2-0
    8 Highlands Ranch (1) 9-3 28 10 2-0
    9 Ralston Valley 10-8 18 – 2-0
    10 Chaparral 8-4 15 7 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Fairview 11, Coronado 10, Fruita Monument 6, Lakewood 4, Cherokee Trail 3, Loveland 3, Castle View 2, Fort Collins 2, Rampart 2.
    Dropped out
    Coronado (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (11) 13-0 110 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 8-4 78 2 2-1
    3 Valor Christian 8-3 76 4 2-0
    4 Holy Family 12-3 64 3 1-1
    5 Silver Creek 12-1 60 6 2-0
    6 Pueblo West 9-2 49 – 2-0
    7 Niwot 9-3 48 5 2-0
    8 Eagle Valley 11-2 31 10 2-0
    9 Berthoud 9-3 18 – 1-0
    10 Mead 9-3 17 7 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Longmont 15, Montrose 15, Pueblo East 13, Thomas Jefferson 7, D’Evelyn 4.
    Dropped out
    Longmont (8), Montrose (9).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (13) 13-1 130 1 2-0
    2 Colorado Springs Christian 12-3 97 5 3-0
    3 Sterling 11-3 86 2 1-0
    4 University 10-4 85 8 2-0
    5 Valley 11-4 54 3 2-1
    6 Resurrection Christian 10-3 48 4 1-1
    7 Salida 11-1 44 9 1-0
    8 Middle Park 11-1 35 6 1-0
    9 Bayfield 9-3 24 – 3-0
    10 Delta 10-3 19 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Coal Ridge 18, Pagosa Springs 18, Prospect Ridge Academy 18, Rye 11, Platte Valley 8, Bennett 7, Peak to Peak 4, Faith Christian 3, Lutheran 3, St. Mary’s 3, The Vanguard 3.
    Dropped out
    Pagosa Springs (7).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (7) 11-1 111 1 3-0
    2 Dayspring Christian (5) 13-0 109 2 2-0
    3 Lyons 10-3 69 5 2-0
    4 Yuma 11-3 68 7 5-0
    5 Colorado Springs School 11-2 67 4 3-0
    6 Hoehne 13-2 63 3 4-0
    7 Simla 9-3 57 6 0-0
    8 Ridgway 11-1 36 8 2-0
    9 West Grand 10-4 12 9 3-0
    10 Denver Christian 9-3 11 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Fowler 9, John Mall 9, Telluride 9, Sargent 7, Ignacio 5, Rangely 5, Dawson School 4, Highland 3, Union Colony 3, Meeker 2, Akron 1, Byers 1, Wray 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (4) 12-1 76 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson (2) 12-0 72 2 2-0
    3 Flagler 11-1 61 3 1-1
    4 McClave (2) 9-1 55 9 2-0
    5 La Veta (1) 12-0 46 5 2-0
    6 Weldon Valley 11-3 45 4 1-1
    7 Nucla 10-1 34 6 1-0
    8 Holly 10-2 23 – 1-0
    9 Heritage Christian 9-4 22 – 1-1
    10 Sierra Grande 8-3 10 – 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Idalia 9, Kiowa 8, Otis 7, Prairie 7, Eads 5, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 5, Arickaree/Woodlin 4, Briggsdale 4, Elbert 2, Cotopaxi 1.
    Dropped out
    Kiowa (7), Prairie (8), Otis (10).

  • Volleyball rankings: Mead, Eagle Valley join 4A poll

    For the first time all season, all five top teams held their spots in the CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings.

    Rock Canyon, Lewis-Palmer, Eaton, Paonia and Felming all come in at No. 1 in their respective classes.

    There was an air of consistency in the Class 5A rankings as the top three teams all went unchanged from last week. Arapahoe jumped two spots to come in at No. 4.

    There were no new teams in 5A this week.

    The Rangers hold firm at No. 1 in 4A with rival Cheyenne Mountain climbing one spot to land at No. 2.

    Niwot and Silver Creek each jumped four spots to come in at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively.

    Mead (No. 7) and Eagle Valley (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 4A poll.

    Eaton still sits at No. 1 in the 3A rankings.

    Middle Park made the biggest jump of the week, gaining three spots to land at No. 6.

    Salida is the only new team in the 3A poll as the Spartans come in at No. 9.

    Paonia (No. 1) and Dayspring Christian (No. 2) hold on to their spots from last week with nine of 10 first-place votes going to those two teams.

    Hoehne makes a two-spot jump to come in at No. 3.

    Simla (No. 6) and Denver Christian (No. 10) are the two new teams in the 2A rankings this week.

    Fleming improved to 10-1 with a 3-0 win over Prairie last week and as a result, hang on to the No. 1 spot in 1A.

    Undefeated Flagler made a four-spot jump to come in at No. 3 and took three first-place votes in the process.

    There were no new teams in the 1A rankings this week.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (5) 10-1 95 1 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge (4) 9-1 78 2 2-0
    3 Denver East 7-2 70 3 1-0
    4 Arapahoe 9-2 57 6 2-0
    5 Chatfield 9-2 55 4 1-0
    6 Mountain Vista 7-1 47 5 1-0
    7 Chaparral 7-4 34 7 2-0
    8 Cherry Creek 9-2 23 8 2-0
    9 Coronado 9-3 22 9 0-1
    10 Highlands Ranch (1) 7-3 17 10 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 14, Fairview 13, Fort Collins 10, Castle View 4, Cherokee Trail 3, Fruita Monument 2, Loveland 2, Smoky Hill 2, Doherty 1, Legend 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (10) 11-0 100 1 2-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain 6-3 65 3 3-0
    3 Holy Family 11-2 64 2 2-0
    4 Valor Christian 6-3 63 7 2-1
    5 Niwot 7-3 44 9 2-0
    6 Silver Creek 10-1 37 10 2-0
    7 Mead 9-2 31 – 2-0
    8 Longmont 9-1 27 5 1-0
    9 Montrose 7-4 26 4 1-2
    10 Eagle Valley 9-2 22 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Berthoud 21, Pueblo West 15, Thomas Jefferson 15, Ponderosa 12, D’Evelyn 4, Mullen 4, Windsor 3.
    Dropped out
    Berthoud (6), Thomas Jefferson (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 11-1 120 1 2-0
    2 Sterling 10-3 78 3 2-1
    3 Valley 9-3 76 2 2-0
    4 Resurrection Christian 9-2 57 6 2-0
    5 Colorado Springs Christian 9-3 51 4 2-0
    6 Middle Park 10-1 44 9 4-1
    7 Pagosa Springs 10-1 43 5 3-0
    8 University 8-4 42 7 2-0
    9 Salida 10-1 34 – 0-0
    10 Delta 9-3 30 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Coal Ridge 24, Prospect Ridge Academy 18, Bennett 13, Centauri 7, Platte Valley 6, Alamosa 4, Peak to Peak 4, Bayfield 3, St. Mary’s 3, The Vanguard 2, Faith Christian 1, Jefferson Academy 1, Kent Denver 1.
    Dropped out
    Coal Ridge (8).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (5) 8-1 93 1 1-1
    2 Dayspring Christian (4) 11-0 91 2 4-0
    3 Hoehne 9-2 52 5 2-1
    4 Colorado Springs School 8-2 50 4 1-1
    5 Lyons 8-3 45 3 1-2
    6 Simla 9-3 42 – 3-1
    7 Yuma 6-3 40 8 2-0
    8 Ridgway (1) 9-1 32 6 3-0
    9 West Grand 7-4 21 10 1-1
    10 Denver Christian 8-2 20 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 16, Wray 12, Telluride 9, Custer County 5, Ignacio 5, Rangely 4, Union Colony 4, Highland 2, John Mall 2, Akron 1, Byers 1, Dawson School 1, Fowler 1, Meeker 1.
    Dropped out
    Sargent (7), Wray (9).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (3) 10-1 80 1 1-0
    2 Kit Carson (1) 10-0 62 2 3-0
    3 Flagler (3) 10-0 61 7 5-0
    4 Weldon Valley 10-2 56 3 3-0
    5 La Veta (2) 10-0 50 4 3-0
    6 Nucla 9-1 31 6 3-0
    7 Kiowa 8-2 25 8 2-0
    8 Prairie 6-4 21 5 0-2
    9 McClave 7-1 20 9 3-1
    10 Otis 9-4 15 10 4-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Arickaree/Woodlin 9, Idalia 9, Heritage Christian 8, Briggsdale 7, Sierra Grande 7, Sangre De Cristo 6, Antonito 5, Eads 5, Holly 5, Caliche 4, Elbert 4, Cheyenne Wells 3, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 2.
    Dropped out
    None.

  • Volleyball rankings: Rock Canyon back on top of the 5A poll

    Rock Canyon Legend volleyball
    (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    The ever-shifting Class 5A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings has another new(ish) No. 1 team.

    Rock Canyon regains the top spot after falling off the perch in the Week 1 rankings. The Jaguars came in as the top team in the preseason rankings.

    Fossil Ridge and Denver East are also making noise this week, landing at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    The Sabercats were able to knock off defending 4A champion Cheyenne Mountain on Friday, giving them the credential to come in right behind Rock Canyon.

    The Angels got a huge win over Chatfield last Wednesday, which proved to be a huge factor in their jump.

    Coronado is the only new team to break into the 5A rankings, coming in at No. 9.

    Lewis-Palmer is still the No. 1 team in 4A, getting every first-place vote in the process.

    Montrose (No. 4) and Valor Christian (No. 7) each jumped three spots this week and Niwot and Silver Creek each broke into the rankings at No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.

    Like Lewis-Palmer in 4A, Eaton is still the top team in the 3A rankings by a unanimous vote.

    Three different teams jumped a couple of spots this week as Valley climbs to No. 2, Sterling lands at No. 3 and Pagosa Springs comes in at No. 5.

    At No. 8, Coal Ridge is the only new team in the 3A poll.

    The most turnover of the week came in the 2A poll as a staggering five teams broke into the rankings.

    While Paonia holds on to the No. 1 spot, Hoehne (No 5), Ridgway (No. 6), Sargent (No. 7), Wray (No. 9) and West Grand (No. 10) are all newly ranked teams this week.

    Fleming hangs on to the No. 1 ranking in 1A, as do the other top five teams from last week.

    Kiowa jumped two spots to land at No. 8 while Nucla (No. 6) and McClave (No. 10) are new to the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Rock Canyon (6) 8-1 96 2 2-0
    2 Fossil Ridge (3) 7-1 75 8 5-1
    3 Denver East 6-2 67 6 4-1
    4 Chatfield 8-2 66 1 4-2
    5 Mountain Vista 6-1 56 7 3-1
    6 Arapahoe 7-2 49 4 2-0
    7 Chaparral 5-4 26 5 2-1
    8 Cherry Creek 7-2 24 10 5-0
    9 Coronado 9-2 22 – 2-0
    10 Highlands Ranch (1) 5-3 18 3 0-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Ralston Valley 14, Castle View 11, Eaglecrest 7, Cherokee Trail 5, Fairview 4, Loveland 4, Fort Collins 3, Smoky Hill 2, Legend 1.
    Dropped out
    Cherokee Trail (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (12) 9-0 120 1 1-0
    2 Holy Family 9-2 90 3 3-0
    3 Cheyenne Mountain 3-3 65 2 2-2
    4 Montrose 6-2 53 7 1-0
    5 Longmont 8-1 44 4 1-1
    6 Berthoud 6-3 43 6 1-1
    7 Valor Christian 4-2 42 10 2-0
    8 Thomas Jefferson 9-1 37 9 2-0
    9 Niwot 5-3 34 – 2-0
    10 Silver Creek 8-1 29 – 2-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Mead 24, Eagle Valley 21, Pueblo West 17, Ponderosa 13, D’Evelyn 10, Littleton 5, Mullen 5, Pueblo Central 5, Windsor 3.
    Dropped out
    Ponderosa (5), Pueblo West (8).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 9-1 120 1 5-0
    2 Valley 7-3 67 4 2-0
    3 Sterling 8-2 62 5 2-1
    4 Colorado Springs Christian 7-3 57 3 4-1
    5 Pagosa Springs 7-1 50 7 3-0
    6 Resurrection Christian 7-2 46 2 0-1
    7 University 6-4 38 6 3-0
    8 Coal Ridge 3-1 36 – 1-0
    9 Middle Park 6-0 34 8 2-0
    10 Delta 8-3 28 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Salida 27, Bennett 19, Centauri 16, Prospect Ridge Academy 14, The Vanguard 13, Alamosa 12, Platte Valley 12, Jefferson Academy 10, Kent Denver 3, St. Mary’s 3, Bayfield 2, Colorado Academy 2, Lutheran 1, Peak to Peak 1.
    Dropped out
    St. Mary’s (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (7) 7-0 114 1 3-0
    2 Dayspring Christian (4) 7-0 107 3 2-0
    3 Lyons (1) 7-1 92 2 1-1
    4 Colorado Springs School 7-1 57 5 1-0
    5 Hoehne 7-1 48 – 2-0
    6 Ridgway 6-1 38 – 3-0
    7 Sargent 5-0 37 – 3-0
    8 Yuma 4-3 34 4 2-1
    9 Wray 3-1 27 – 2-0
    10 West Grand 6-3 26 – 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Telluride 18, Simla 17, Custer County 16, Vail Mountain 14, Fowler 10, Ignacio 9, Norwood 8, Union Colony 8, Akron 7, Denver Christian 7, Highland 5, Dolores 4, John Mall 4, Byers 2, Haxtun 2, Limon 2, Meeker 1, Rangely 1.
    Dropped out
    Highland (6), John Mall (7), Simla (8), Union Colony (9), Telluride (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (5) 9-1 74 1 2-0
    2 Kit Carson 7-0 63 2 1-0
    3 Weldon Valley 7-2 51 3 1-1
    4 La Veta (1) 7-0 44 4 1-0
    5 Prairie (1) 6-2 34 5 2-0
    6 Nucla (1) 6-1 33 – 2-0
    7 Flagler 5-0 25 6 2-0
    8 Kiowa 6-2 23 10 3-0
    9 McClave 4-0 17 – 0-0
    10 Otis 5-4 15 7 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Holly 10, Idalia 9, Wiley 8, Briggsdale 6, Caliche 5, Eads 5, Elbert 4, Springfield 4, Cheyenne Wells 3, Heritage Christian 3, Arickaree/Woodlin 2, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 2.
    Dropped out
    Briggsdale (8), Springfield (9).

  • Volleyball rankings: Lewis-Palmer new No. 1 in 4A

    Lewis-Palmer volleyball team
    (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    Lewis-Palmer is back as the No. 1 team in the Class 4A CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings.

    After suffering a five-set loss to Rock Canyon, Cheyenne Mountain fell out of the top spot for the first time since winning the 2015 4A state championship.

    It was just one move in what is a very different looking top 10 from a week ago.

    Holy Family jumped two spots to No. 3 while Berthoud jumped three spots to No. 6.

    Three new teams cracked the top 10 as Montrose came in at No. 7, Thomas Jefferson  lands at No. 9 and Valor Christian rounds out the rankings at No. 10.

    There was also a lot of movement in the 3A rankings, which also saw three new teams break in. Eaton held on to the top spot, but Resurrection Christian made the jump to No. 2.

    Sterling (No. 5), Pagosa Springs (No. 7) and Delta (No. 10) are the three new teams in 3A.

    After rattling off two wins last week, Chatfield is still the No. 1 team in the 5A rankings.

    Rock Canyon and Highlands Ranch each jumped two spots to land at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

    Fossil Ridge (No. 8) and Cherokee Trail (No. 9) are the two new teams in the 5A rankings.

    Paonia remains the top team in the 2A rankings.

    The biggest 2A jump of the week belonged to Dayspring Christian who jumped from No. 5 to No. 3.

    There were no new teams in the 2A poll.

    Fleming is the new No. 1 team in the 1A poll, taking five of eight first-place votes.

    Prairie made a sizable jump from a week ago, coming in at No. 5 which is four spots better than its previous ranking.

    Flagler (No. 6) and Kiowa (No. 10) are the two new teams in this week’s 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Chatfield (6) 4-0 93 1 2-0
    2 Rock Canyon (2) 6-1 90 4 1-0
    3 Highlands Ranch (2) 5-2 56 5 1-0
    4 Arapahoe 5-2 51 7 1-0
    5 Chaparral 3-3 50 2 0-1
    6 Denver East 2-1 40 3 1-1
    7 Mountain Vista 3-0 36 8 1-0
    8 Fossil Ridge 2-0 27 – 1-0
    9 Cherokee Trail 4-3 21 – 1-0
    10 Cherry Creek 2-2 16 10 1-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Heritage 12, Fairview 11, Fort Collins 10, Castle View 8, Coronado 7, Pine Creek 7, Legend 6, Ralston Valley 5, Smoky Hill 5, Grandview 3, Loveland 3, Rampart 3.
    Dropped out
    Grandview (6), Lakewood (9).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Lewis-Palmer (8) 8-0 105 2 6-0
    2 Cheyenne Mountain (2) 1-1 99 1 0-1
    3 Holy Family 6-2 60 5 1-1
    4 Longmont 7-0 52 4 6-0
    5 Ponderosa (1) 1-7 48 3 0-2
    6 Berthoud 5-2 42 9 2-0
    7 Montrose 5-2 28 – 4-1
    8 Pueblo West 4-1 24 8 4-1
    9 Thomas Jefferson 7-1 18 – 2-0
    10 Valor Christian 2-2 16 – 2-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Eagle Valley 14, Niwot 13, Erie 12, Littleton 12, Windsor 12, D’Evelyn 10, Canon City 7, Palmer Ridge 7, Mead 6, Evergreen 4, Glenwood Springs 4, Silver Creek 4, Battle Mountain 3, Discovery Canyon 2, Mullen 2, Fort Morgan 1.
    Dropped out
    Windsor (6), Evergreen (7), Eagle Valley (10).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Eaton (12) 4-1 128 1 2-0
    2 Resurrection Christian 7-1 85 4 6-1
    3 Colorado Springs Christian 3-2 68 2 2-0
    4 Valley 5-3 67 3 4-2
    5 Sterling 6-1 54 – 5-1
    6 University 3-4 45 5 3-3
    7 Pagosa Springs 4-1 32 – 1-0
    8 Middle Park 4-0 30 10 3-0
    9 St. Mary’s 6-1 29 7 5-1
    10 Delta 7-3 26 – 4-2
    Others receiving votes:
    Platte Valley 26, Jefferson Academy 17, Bennett 13, Coal Ridge 12, Salida 12, Alamosa 11, Faith Christian 10, Peak to Peak Charter 9, Manitou Springs 7, Centauri 5, Colorado Academy 3, The Vanguard 3, La Junta 2, Rye 2, Grand Valley 1, Lutheran 1.
    Dropped out
    Platte Valley (6), Lutheran (8), Coal Ridge (9).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Paonia (6) 4-0 98 1 2-0
    2 Lyons (2) 6-0 82 2 1-0
    3 Dayspring Christian 5-0 70 5 1-0
    4 Yuma (1) 2-2 47 3 1-1
    5 Colorado Springs School 6-1 43 6 5-1
    6 Highland 5-0 34 7 1-0
    7 John Mall 7-0 33 8 2-0
    8 Simla 4-0 31 9 2-0
    9 Union Colony 6-2 28 4 3-2
    10 Telluride (1) 5-1 26 10 1-0
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 18, West Grand 15, Custer County 10, Ignacio 10, Ridgway 10, Hoehne 8, Hotchkiss 8, Rangely 7, Soroco 5, Dolores 4, Meeker 4, Haxtun 3, Limon 3, Mancos 3, Byers 2, Denver Christian 2, Evangelical Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    None.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS LW
    1 Fleming (5) 7-1 73 2 5-1
    2 Kit Carson (1) 6-0 69 1 4-0
    3 Weldon Valley 6-1 53 4 2-0
    4 La Veta (1) 6-0 52 3 1-0
    5 Prairie (1) 4-2 41 9 3-0
    6 Flagler 3-0 30 – 1-0
    7 Otis 4-3 26 6 3-2
    8 Briggsdale 4-2 21 5 3-1
    9 Springfield 3-1 13 7 2-1
    10 Kiowa 3-2 10 – 3-1
    Others receiving votes:
    Front Range Baptist 9, Idalia 9, McClave 9, Nucla 6, Genoa Hugo/Karval 4, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 4, Caliche 3, Holly 3, Kim 3, Wiley 2, Liberty-Stratton 1.
    Dropped out
    Idalia (8), McClave (10).

  • Volleyball rankings: New faces lead three polls

    Chatfield opens it season Tuesday, Aug. 30, at home against Valor Christian. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
    Chatfield volleyball is No. 1 in 5A. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    A trio of new teams are taking over No. 1 spots in the CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings this week.

    With plenty of changeover in the Class 2A poll, Paonia comes in as the new top team. The Eagles have not dropped a set yet and cruised to a 2-0 start.

    Dayspring Christian jumped three spots to No. 5, but it was the bottom of the poll that showed the most change.

    Highland (No. 7), John Mall (No. 8), Simla (No. 9) and Telluride (No. 10) are all new to the 2A rankings, showing that a title run in that class could be wide open come November.

    The same theory could hold true for 5A. Chatfield comes in as the new No. 1 team, jumping two spots in the process.

    Despite a five-set loss to Cheyenne Mountain, Caparral jumps from No. 2 to No. 6.

    Three new teams broke into the 5A rankings with Highlands Ranch landing at No. 5, Mountain Vista coming in at No. 8 and Lakewood breaking in at No. 9.

    Cheyenne Mountain and Lewis-Palmer hang on to the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the 4A poll.

    Holy Family notched the biggest jump of the week, leaping three spots to land at No. 5.

    At No. 10, Eagle Valley is the only new team to the 4A poll.

    Only one team broke into the 3A rankings as well as Middle Park comes in at No. 10. Resurrection Christian made a big jump to land at No. 4 this week. The Cougars were sitting at No. 9 in the preseason rankings.

    Eaton holds on to the top spot in 3A.

    Kit Carson takes over the No. 1 spot in 1A thanks to a 2-0 start. Previous No. 1 Fleming is also undefeated on the year, but dropped one spot to No. 2.

    Weldon Valley (No. 4) and McClave (No. 10) are the two newcomers to the 1A poll.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Chatfield (8) 2-0 91 3
    2 Chaparral 3-2 67 6
    3 Denver East 1-0 65 4
    4 Rock Canyon (1) 5-1 61 1
    5 Highlands Ranch (1) 4-2 55 –
    6 Grandview 2-1 33 7
    7 Arapahoe 4-2 31 9
    8 Mountain Vista 2-0 26 –
    9 Lakewood 1-1 20 –
    10 Cherry Creek 1-1 15 8
    Others receiving votes:
    Cherokee Trail 10, Fossil Ridge 9, Grand Junction 9, Fairview 8, Legend 8, Far Northeast Warriors 7, Coronado 6, Pine Creek 5, Prairie View 5, Rampart 4, Fort Collins 3, Liberty 3, Loveland 3, Smoky Hill 3, Eaglecrest 2, Doherty 1.
    Dropped out
    Fairview (2), Cherokee Trail (5), Fossil Ridge (10).

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (10) 1-0 109 1
    2 Lewis-Palmer (1) 2-0 91 2
    3 Ponderosa 3-3 81 4
    4 Longmont 1-0 64 6
    5 Holy Family 5-1 60 8
    6 Windsor 0-0 46 7
    7 Evergreen 1-1 31 3
    8 Pueblo West 0-0 21 10
    9 Berthoud 3-2 18 9
    10 Eagle Valley 4-2 14 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Montrose 13, Roosevelt 9, Thomas Jefferson 9, Woodland Park 8, Glenwood Springs 6, Niwot 6, Mead 5, Palmer Ridge 5, Valor Christian 4, D’Evelyn 3, Sierra 2.
    Dropped out
    Montrose (5).

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Eaton (10) 2-1 104 1
    2 Colorado Springs Christian 1-2 75 4
    3 Valley 1-1 70 2
    4 Resurrection Christian (1) 1-0 53 9
    5 University 0-1 51 3
    6 Platte Valley 1-0 44 6
    7 St. Mary’s 1-0 40 10
    8 Lutheran 0-2 28 5
    9 Coal Ridge 1-0 26 7
    10 Middle Park 1-0 17 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Manitou Springs 13, Pagosa Springs 11, Alamosa 10, Delta 10, Bennett 9, Sheridan 8, Peak to Peak Charter 6, Rye 6, Faith Christian 4, Sterling 4, The Vanguard 4, Aurora West College Prep 3, La Junta 3, Centauri 2, Englewood 2, Liberty Common 2, Salida 2, Grand Valley 1, Lamar 1.
    Dropped out
    Manitou Springs (8).

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Paonia (6) 2-0 80 2
    2 Lyons (1) 5-0 71 3
    3 Yuma (1) 0-0 61 1
    4 Union Colony 3-0 54 5
    5 Dayspring Christian (1) 4-0 47 8
    6 Colorado Springs School 1-0 41 7
    7 Highland 4-0 26 –
    8 John Mall 5-0 24 –
    9 Simla 2-0 17 –
    10 Telluride (1) 4-1 16 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Byers 14, Ridgway 12, Sargent 10, West Grand 10, Ignacio 9, Wray 9, Burlington 8, Hotchkiss 8, Rangely 7, Custer County 6, Soroco 6, Dolores 4, Mancos 3, Denver Christian 2, Hoehne 2, Meeker 2, Evangelical Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Limon (4), Fowler (6), Ridgway (9), Byers (10).

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS PVS
    1 Kit Carson (3) 2-0 66 3
    2 Fleming (4) 2-0 63 1
    3 La Veta 5-0 52 4
    4 Weldon Valley 4-1 36 –
    5 Briggsdale 1-1 32 5
    6 Otis 1-1 30 7
    7 Springfield 1-0 28 6
    8 Idalia 1-1 25 8
    9 Prairie 1-2 18 2
    10 McClave 3-0 11 –
    Others receiving votes:
    Caliche 6, Flagler 6, Rocky Mountain Lutheran 6, Holly 3, Antonito 2, Belleview Christian 1.
    Dropped out
    Caliche (9), Flagler (10).

  • Volleyball preview: Fairview pursuing first state championship

    Skyline Frederick soccer
    (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    In one whirlwind day last November, Fairview’s volleyball team ran the gamut of emotions.

    The Knights endured one of the longest days possible at the Class 5A state tournament at the Denver Coliseum, playing a total of 13 sets through three matches and one tiebreaker.

    Along the way Fairview advanced to its first-ever 5A state title game before falling in three sets to Cherokee Trail. Whether disappointment or exhaustion was more prevalent at the end of the night depends on whom you ask.

    “We played a lot of vigorous matches,” said setter Audrey Cheng, a first-team all-state selection as a junior. “We had to work really hard for every point against some of the best teams we had played all season. Playing those matches and having to play extra sets because of tiebreakers put a burden on us.”

    It was a difficult lesson for Fairview to learn, but one that coach Kelsey Spencer made certain her team understood throughout the offseason. A slow start that saw the team drop four of its first seven matches forced the Knights to make up ground the rest of the way, and likely cost them a chance to host a regional tournament and earn a higher seed at state.

    “I think we learned a lot from last season because we did make it a long journey to get to that game,” said Spencer, whose team enters 2016 ranked second in 5A in the CHSAANow.com preseason poll. “We definitely made that journey as hard as it possibly could have been.”

    That’s something Fairview is hoping to avoid this season. Cheng returns, along with twin sisters Caroline and Christine Schmiedeler, but the Knights will have to replace three starters.

    “I think that all the seniors will come out with fire under out belts,” Christine Schmiedeler said. “I think we’re all very excited because this is our senior year and we do want to leave our mark and be the first Fairview team to win state.”

    Also back for Fairview are middle blocker Meredith Pearl, outside hitter Haley Kilday and defensive specialist Taeko Chase.

    Cheng established herself as one of the state’s top setters a year ago, averaging 7.8 assists a set, and finished second on the team in digs. Spencer said she did a great job spreading out the offense to create single-block situations.

    “I love it,” she said. “I love my job, being able to touch the ball every single play and being able to control the offense and tell my hitters where they’re hitting.”

    Caroline Schmiedeler led the Knights in kills last fall with 248 and was third in digs. Christine was second in kills (170) and had a team-high 31 aces.

    This will be the sisters’ final opportunity to capture a state title together.

    “Honestly it’s been one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. It’s been so much fun, playing on the team with her,” Christine said.  “She motivates me so much and I hope I do the same for her. I think both of us kind of complement each other in the best sort of way.”

    Spencer called the last few years a building process that included getting to state in 2014. The second-year coach said the players “got kind of addicted to making history” and that she believes this year will be a continuation of that.

    “The girls kind of tasted what it’s like to be in that (title) game,” she said. “They know how close we were and how bad they wanted it. I think that’s going to motivate us throughout the season.”

    Rock Canyon enters the fall as the top-ranked team in 5A after reaching the state semifinals in 2015. Chatfield is third, followed by Denver East – another semifinalist – and Cherokee Trail. The Cougars graduated four seniors, including player of the year Shannon Webb, but return plenty of talent from a 25-win team.

    In 4A, defending champion Cheyenne Mountain is ranked first, followed by 2013 and 2014 champion Lewis-Palmer. Evergreen, Ponderosa and Montrose round out the top five.

    Eaton has won three consecutive titles and enters 2016 ranked first again in 3A. The Reds graduated a pair of first-team all-state picks, but middle blocker Tarynn Sieg and setter Chelsey Lockey return.

    Valley and University are just behind Eaton in the rankings.

    Resurrection Christian, which won 2A titles in 2013-14 and was the runner-up a year ago, moves up to 3A this season. Defending champion Yuma is ranked first in 2A, followed by Paonia and Lyons.

    Fleming and Prairie are the top-ranked teams in 1A. Defending champion Otis is seventh, and runner-up Idalia is eighth.

    [divider]

    Class 5A

    Defending Champion: Cherokee Trail

    Season Begins: Aug. 25

    Playoffs Begin: Nov. 4

    Championship: Nov. 11-12, Denver Coliseum

    Returning all-state players: Sierra Bartley, Sr., Chatfield (2nd team); Audrey Cheng, Sr., Fairview (1st team); Keeley Davis, Jr., Rock Canyon (2nd team); Melissa Evans, Sr., Highlands Ranch (2nd team); Robyn Krause, Sr., Cherokee Trail (1st team); Jasmine Schmidt, Sr., Chaparral (1st team); Christine Schmiedeler, Sr., Fairview (1st team).

    [divider]

    Class 4A

    Defending Champion: Cheyenne Mountain

    Season Begins: Aug. 25

    Playoffs Begin: Nov. 4

    Championship: Nov. 11-12, Denver Coliseum

    Returning all-state players: Lydia Bartalo, Sr., Lewis-Palmer (1st team).

    [divider]

    Class 3A

    Defending Champion: Eaton

    Season Begins: Aug. 25

    Playoffs Begin: Nov. 4

    Championship: Nov. 11-12, Denver Coliseum

    Returning all-state players: Megan Farrah, Sr., Pagosa Springs (2nd team); Chelsey Lockey, Jr., Eaton (2nd team); Brooke Schilling, Sr., Valley (1st team); Tarynn Sieg, Sr., Eaton (1st team).

    [divider]

    Class 2A

    Defending Champion: Yuma

    Season Begins: Aug. 25

    Playoffs Begin: Oct. 28

    Championship: Nov. 11-12, Denver Coliseum

    Returning all-state players: McKenna Palmer, Jr., Paonia (1st team); Laney Swan, Sr., Colorado Springs School (2nd team); Saylor Webb, Sr., Resurrection Christian (2nd team).

    [divider]

    Class 1A

    Defending Champion: Otis

    Season Begins: Aug. 25

    Playoffs Begin: Oct. 28

    Championship: Nov. 11-12, Denver Coliseum

    Returning all-state players: Kaylee Corsentino, Soph., La Veta (2nd team); Shaylee Johnson, Sr., Fleming (2nd team); Emily Kaiser, Sr., Prairie (1st team).

  • Volleyball rankings: Rock Canyon among preseason No. 1 teams

    Rock Canyon Legend volleyball
    Rock Canyon leads the 5A volleyball preseason poll. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)

    After a wild finish at the 2015 state volleyball tournament, it looks like the fun is going to continue in 2016.

    Three defending champions sit at No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings while two other squads are coming into the year with heavy expectations being placed on their shoulders.

    After cruising through pool play only to fall in the semifinals, Rock Canyon comes in at No. 1 in the Class 5A volleyball rankings to start the year.

    The Jaguars lost two seniors from last year’s team, but outside hitter Keeley Davis and libero Kendall Hanak both return.

    Defending state champion, Cherokee Trail comes in at No. 5 to start the year with Fairview, Chatfield and Denver East filling the spots in between.

    After being the first team in Colorado to take down two-time defending champion, Lewis-Palmer, Cheyenne Mountain claims the top spot in the 4A rankings. The Indians received 12 of 13 first place votes as the Rangers took the other one. That helped them take the No. 2 spot behind their league rivals.

    Evergreen and Ponderosa take the next two spots in the poll after each team advanced to last year’s semifinals.

    At No. 10, Pueblo West comes in as the only ranked 4A team that did not make last year’s state tournament.

    Eaton volleyball team
    Eaton leads the 3A poll. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)

    In 3A, someone is going to have to knock off Eaton before anyone will be convinced the Reds should not be the No. 1 team in the state.

    Eaton has rattled off three straight state titles and have not lost a match since Sept. 14, 2014. The No. 1 ranking is a clear message to the 3A field: to be the champ, you have to beat the champ.

    The 3A rankings are also filled with a lot of familiar names over the last few seasons. Valley (No. 2), University (No. 3), Colorado Springs Christian (No. 4), Platte Valley (No. 6) and Manitou Springs (No. 8) all carried over success from last season into this year’s rankings.

    After beating Resurrection Christian (a 3A team from here on out) in last year’s state title match, Yuma comes in as the top team in the 2A rankings.

    The Indians have played for the 2A title for the last two seasons and by taking six of 11 first place votes, they come in as a favorite to advance to the title match for the third-straight year.

    With Resurrection Christian now out of 2A, Paonia (No. 2) and Lyons (No. 3) now become the most likely to contend with Yuma for the 2A title.

    At No. 10, Byers is the only ranked team in 2A that did not make last year’s state tournament.

    After making the semifinals but failing to advance to the title match, Fleming comes in as the No. 1 team in 1A.

    Defending champion Otis will come in slightly under the radar to start this year, sitting at No. 7, with state runner-up Idalia sitting right behind the Bulldogs at No. 8.

    Briggsdale (No. 5) and Caliche (No. 9) are the two teams ranked in the preseason that did not make last year’s state tournament.

    The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.

    Complete rankings for all classes are below.

    [divider]

    CHSAANow.com Volleyball Polls

    Voted upon by coaches and media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.

    Go to: 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A

    Class 5A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Rock Canyon (4) 0-0 89
    2 Fairview (2) 0-0 79
    3 Chatfield 0-0 66
    4 Denver East (2) 0-0 63
    5 Cherokee Trail (2) 0-0 61
    6 Chaparral 0-0 50
    7 Grandview 0-0 38
    8 Cherry Creek 0-0 32
    9 Arapahoe 0-0 21
    10 Fossil Ridge 0-0 12
    Others receiving votes:
    Mountain Vista 11, Legend 9, Castle View 4, Fruita Monument 4, Lakewood 3, Coronado 2, Highlands Ranch 2, Regis Jesuit 2, Doherty 1, Rampart 1.

    Class 4A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Cheyenne Mountain (12) 0-0 129
    2 Lewis-Palmer (1) 0-0 117
    3 Evergreen 0-0 81
    4 Ponderosa 0-0 80
    5 Montrose 0-0 52
    6 Longmont 0-0 48
    7 Windsor 0-0 47
    8 Holy Family 0-0 43
    9 Berthoud 0-0 28
    10 Pueblo West 0-0 22
    Others receiving votes:
    Mead 18, Valor Christian 11, Palmer Ridge 7, Air Academy 6, Battle Mountain 6, Silver Creek 6, Erie 4, Steamboat Springs 3, The Classical Academy 3, Mullen 2, Niwot 2.

    Class 3A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Eaton (11) 0-0 110
    2 Valley 0-0 87
    3 University 0-0 66
    4 Colorado Springs Christian 0-0 64
    5 Lutheran 0-0 49
    6 Platte Valley 0-0 43
    7 Coal Ridge 0-0 34
    8 Manitou Springs 0-0 30
    9 Resurrection Christian 0-0 25
    10 St. Mary’s 0-0 21
    Others receiving votes:
    Alamosa 14, Delta 14, Pagosa Springs 12, Faith Christian 7, Middle Park 7, Sterling 6, Grand Valley 4, Bishop Machebeuf 3, La Junta 2, Salida 2, Skyview Academy 2, Bennett 1, Centauri 1, Jefferson Academy 1.

    Class 2A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Yuma (6) 0-0 100
    2 Paonia (4) 0-0 95
    3 Lyons (1) 0-0 84
    4 Limon 0-0 51
    5 Union Colony 0-0 48
    6 Fowler 0-0 38
    7 Colorado Springs School 0-0 35
    8 Dayspring Christian 0-0 34
    9 Ridgway 0-0 32
    10 Byers 0-0 18
    Others receiving votes:
    Sargent 14, West Grand 14, Highland 8, Simla 8, Akron 5, Hoehne 5, Merino 4, Vail Christian 3, Clear Creek 2, Soroco 2, Custer County 1, Front Range Christian 1, Haxtun 1, Meeker 1, Wiggins 1.

    Class 1A
    RK TEAM W-L PTS
    1 Fleming (7) 0-0 79
    2 Prairie (1) 0-0 60
    3 Kit Carson 0-0 57
    4 La Veta 0-0 48
    5 Briggsdale 0-0 30
    6 Springfield 0-0 28
    7 Otis 0-0 25
    8 Idalia 0-0 18
    9 Caliche 0-0 17
    10 Flagler 0-0 16
    Others receiving votes:
    McClave 14, Heritage Christian 7, Sangre De Cristo 7, Cheyenne Wells 6, Genoa Hugo/Karval 6, Nucla 6, Eads 5, Holly 5, Weldon Valley 4, Jim Elliott 2.

  • Lyons makes coaching hires for football, boys basketball

    Lyons is making all kinds of new hires.

    Athletic director Jason Maguire — himself in his first year, taking over for Kathleen Leiding in that role — announced the hire of two new coaches on Tuesday night. The Lions hired Jason Yantzer as their new football coach, and Brian Ballinger as their boys basketball coach.

    Yantzer was most recently an assistant at Hotchkiss, where he also spent time as the baseball coach until 2014.

    Yantzer takes over for Brandon Wilkes, who became the football coach and athletic director at Middle Park.

    Lyons football is coming off a 1-8 season, but has had a tremendous amount of recent success. The Lions were 18-19 under Wilkes, and the program is 86-38 since 2004.

    The Lions are set to play in the 1A Northern League this season, moving from the Metro League.

    Follow all of this season’s football coaching changes in our tracker.

    Ballinger, meanwhile, takes over for Andrew Smith as the boys basketball coach. The team finished 6-15 in 2015-16. Smith was 22-43 in three seasons.

    The boys basketball program, too, has a good foundation — much of which came when Maguire led the program for 17 years through 2011-12.