LITTLETON — Columbine sisters Abi and Rita Nua intensely eyed the ball on what would be the final point during the nearly 7-hour marathon of volleyball action Saturday.
The bump over the net by Denver East senior Bella Simkus after a serve by sophomore Rita Nua landed just out to conclude the long day at Dakota Ridge High School. The No. 4-seeded Rebels immediately went into celebration mode after Columbine clinched the Class 5A Region 4 title and berth into the state tournament with a 25-18, 25-21, 19-25, 25-17 over the Angels.
Columbine senior Abi Nua (9) will lead the Rebels into the 8-team Class 5A state tournament that is scheduled for May 12 and 13 at The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“It’s amazing. These girls are resilient,” Columbine coach Shelly Kurach said. “It was one step at a time. We fought and we fought and we stuck together. That is why we won. These girls are awesome people.”
The Rebels (12-1 record) opened the regional tournament with a 5-set victory over No. 21 Loveland. Columbine scored the first eight points in the final set to lock up the big victory, but it was a few sets earlier that really turned it around for the Rebels.
Loveland (9-5) and Columbine had split the first two sets, but the Indians looked to go up 2-1 with a commanding lead in the third.
Kurach pointed to the Rebels’ come-from-behind victory in the third set as a key moment during the day. The Indians held an 18-7 lead, but Columbine rallied to take a 26-24 win and steal a 2-1 lead in the match.
“Our coach prepared us so well,” Abi Nua said. “She puts all the faith in us. She teaches us and we use those skills on the court.”
Columbine closed out a 25-22, 23-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-7 victory over Loveland to grab the driver’s seat. No. 13 Denver East (13-2) edged Loveland in another 5-set triller to set up a winner-take-all situation in the final match.
Denver East junior Taylor Day, right, tries to put down a spike over Columbine senior Caylen Alms (15) and junior Audrey Dowd (5) during the Class 5A Region 4 tournament Saturday afternoon. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
The Rebels grabbed a 2-0 lead behind the play of Abi Nua, who came in with more than 220 kills on the season. Denver East continued to set its left side to avoid giving a chance for Abi Nua to block any spike attempts on the senior’s side of the net.
“No matter what happens on the court we are ready to play that ball,” Abi said about Denver East staying away from her side of the court the entire match. “I trust my team and every one of my teammates.”
The Angels weren’t done after falling behind. Denver East took a 25-19 victory in the third set to threaten to force a third straight 5-set match.
“I knew we were all tired and we had worked so hard,” Columbine junior setter Audrey Dowd said. “We were sinking a little in that third (set), but we pulled out of it.”
Abi Nua got involved offensively with several kills in the last set. Dowd looked to Abi Nua with the Rebels trying to wrap up the victory.
“It’s nice when you have someone like Abi who can close it out,” Dowd said.
Columbine senior Francesca Cereda (12) tries to tip the ball over the outreached arms of Loveland senior Maddie Kinney during the opening match of the Class 5A Region 4 tournament Saturday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Every ball Abi Nua seemed to touch in the final set ended up on the floor on Denver East’s side of the net.
“Abi is an amazing player and she works hard,” Kurach said. “She is the first one in the gym and the last one to leave. She does her job and trusts her teammates to do their job. She hold them to a high standard all the time and that is why this team works.”
Columbine was the final 5A team to advance to state. Mountain Vista, Rampart, Ralston Valley, Columbine, Cherry Creek, Legend, Grandview and Chatfield are the eight qualifiers. The Class 5A Jeffco League qualified three teams to the condensed 8-team state tournament this season.
“That is awesome. I can’t be more proud of our league,” Kurach said of the Rebels joining rivals Chatfield and Ralston Valley in the state tournament. “It’s so great we can get to the final 8 and represent Jeffco. It says how strong our conference is.”
It will be a bit of a wait now. The state tournament was originally scheduled for May 10 and 11 the NORCO Volleyball Facility in Loveland, but moved a little over a week ago to May 12 and 13 at The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs.
While Kurach said the challenge now is to keep her squad focused for the state tournament, the Rebels won’t mind a bit of time before heading back into competition.
“I think we are ready to have a little rest,” Abi said of the 10-day break before the state tournament. “I know we are all really tired, but really excited to play on that state floor.”
Columbine senior Analeece Ellis (14) attempt to put down a kill through the block attempt of Denver East seniors Bella Simkus (8) and Harper Johnson (2) during the Class 5A Region 4 tournament Saturday at Dakota Ridge High School. Loveland, Denver East and Columbine battled in three matches that lasted 7 hours before Columbine closed out a 3-1 victory over Denver East to punch its ticket to the 5A state tournament. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Mountain Vista (11)
13-0
193
1
3-0
2
Rampart (1)
8-1
153
3
2-0
3
Cherry Creek
13-1
138
4
2-0
4
Ralston Valley (1)
14-0
135
7
4-0
5
Cherokee Trail
13-1
132
2
2-0
6
Columbine
10-1
123
6
3-1
7
Chaparral
9-2
110
5
3-0
8
Fossil Ridge
12-1
77
12
4-0
9
Legend
8-3
66
8
3-0
10
Valor Christian
7-4
58
10
3-2
11
Grandview
10-4
57
8
1-1
12
Chatfield
7-4
51
11
1-2
12
Pueblo West
13-1
51
15
3-0
14
Denver East
13-1
47
–
3-0
15
Fort Collins
10-4
46
13
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Liberty 26, Pine Creek 20, Loveland 11, Fruita Monument 10, Ponderosa 9, Lakewood 8, Brighton 7, Rocky Mountain 6, Castle View 5, Regis Jesuit 5, Douglas County 5, Broomfield 4, Denver South 3, Highlands Ranch 2, Heritage 1, Horizon 1
Dropped out
Liberty (14)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Windsor (8)
13-0
220
3
2-0
2
Cheyenne Mountain (3)
10-2
217
1
3-0
3
Palisade (2)
11-2
156
8
3-0
4
Coronado (1)
10-0
155
4
1-0
5
Eagle Valley
10-1
151
8
2-0
5
Palmer Ridge (2)
8-5
151
2
0-2
7
Mead
9-3
147
5
2-2
8
Discovery Canyon
8-3
119
7
1-1
9
Niwot
11-2
103
6
0-0
10
Durango
10-3
98
10
1-1
11
Frederick
12-2
61
11
1-0
12
Skyview
13-0
51
–
4-0
13
Holy Family
8-3
50
13
1-0
14
Woodland Park
8-1
48
12
0-0
15
Thompson Valley
9-3
37
14
0-1
Others receiving votes:
Erie 31, The Classical Academy 29, Thomas Jefferson 29, Lewis-Palmer 12, Montrose 11, Steamboat Springs 8, Lincoln 7, Mullen 7, Pueblo South 6, Evergreen 4, Roosevelt 3, Fort Morgan 3, Golden 3, George Washington 2, Northfield 1
Dropped out
Thomas Jefferson (15)
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Eaton (16)
14-0
309
1
4-0
2
Sterling (1)
12-2
263
2
3-0
3
Lamar (2)
14-0
254
3
3-0
4
Montezuma-Cortez (2)
12-0
248
5
1-0
5
University
11-2
211
8
2-0
6
Bayfield
9-4
163
7
1-1
7
Lutheran
9-3
157
4
1-1
8
DSST: Montview
12-1
149
6
3-0
9
Alamosa
10-3
136
10
2-0
10
Prospect Ridge Academy
12-1
109
11
1-0
11
Resurrection Christian
8-4
108
8
1-1
12
Middle Park
11-3
89
13
2-1
13
Manitou Springs
9-3
83
14
3-1
14
Platte Valley
8-6
60
12
2-1
15
Liberty Common
8-6
44
–
1-2
Others receiving votes:
The Vanguard School 27, Centauri 21, St. Mary’s 16, Coal Ridge 12, Bishop Machebeuf 11, Valley 10, Colorado Springs Christian 9, Faith Christian 7, Eagle Ridge Academy 5, Frontier Academy 5, DSST: Byers 4, Bennett 2, Delta 2, Ellicott 2, Pagosa Springs 2, Highland 1, James Irwin 1
Dropped out
Faith Christian (15)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Wiggins (8)
12-2
199
1
1-0
2
Denver Christian (5)
12-0
192
2
6-0
3
Meeker (1)
12-0
181
3
3-0
4
Sedgwick County
12-2
166
4
2-0
5
Fowler
10-3
143
5
2-1
6
Vail Christian
9-0
123
6
2-0
7
Dayspring Christian Academy
12-2
117
7
3-1
8
Vail Mountain
9-2
77
8
1-0
9
Del Norte
10-4
67
10
1-1
10
Soroco
10-3
65
11
1-2
11
Holyoke
10-4
64
–
4-0
12
Limon
7-7
50
8
2-1
13
Heritage Christian
10-4
36
12
2-1
14
Addenbrooke Classical Academy
7-2
33
–
2-1
15
Union Colony Prep
10-4
32
13
1-2
Others receiving votes:
Rye 31, Dawson School 23, Sargent 22, Telluride 13, Dolores 12, Yuma 11, Hoehne 7, West Grand 5, Rocky Ford 5, Monte Vista 4, Byers 2
Dropped out
Rye (14), Dawson School (15)
Class 1A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fleming (3)
12-2
215
1
1-2
2
Wiley (3)
13-1
205
3
4-0
3
Merino (3)
12-2
204
5
3-0
3
Simla (5)
14-0
204
2
3-0
5
Stratton/Liberty
13-1
163
4
2-1
6
Briggsdale
11-3
142
8
2-0
7
Springfield
12-2
120
6
2-1
8
Sangre de Cristo
11-3
114
7
2-0
9
Otis
11-3
102
15
4-0
10
Kit Carson
9-5
101
8
1-1
11
Belleview Christian (2)
11-0
89
11
4-0
12
Dove Creek
11-2
77
10
3-1
13
Genoa-Hugo/Karval
8-4
60
12
1-1
14
McClave
9-5
41
14
0-1
15
Elbert
10-2
30
13
3-0
Others receiving votes:
Weldon Valley 12, Haxtun 10, Kim/Branson 8, Cotopaxi 6, Flagler 4, Cheraw 4, Idalia 3, South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] 2, Flatirons Academy 2, Hi-Plains 1, La Veta 1
In the final coaches poll of the Season C regular season, Denver South, Thomas Jefferson, Glenwood Springs, Buena Vista and Hoehne were voted No. 1 in their respective classifications.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday.
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
These rankings are the result of the final coaches poll of the regular season. In the voting, Fairview, Battle Mountain, Colorado Academy and Crested Butte were voted No. 1 in their respective classifications.
The rankings, voted upon by coaches and select media members, are the official polls of the Association. Polls are released each Monday during the regular season.
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing bcochi@chsaa.org. These rankings are a part of the postseason seeding process.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Fairview (10)
9-0
290
2
3-0
2
Regis Jesuit (12)
7-0
285
1
2-0
3
Liberty (4)
9-0
242
3
2-0
4
Grandview (1)
9-1
228
4
0-0
5
Castle View
8-1
157
6
1-1
6
Boulder (1)
7-2
141
8
3-0
7
Pine Creek
8-1
126
10
4-0
8
Rangeview
9-0
120
3-0
9
Valor Christian (1)
8-1
86
8
1-0
10
Adams City
8-0
78
3-0
11
Legacy
7-3
67
5
1-1
12
Arvada West
6-1
57
7
0-0
Others receiving votes:
Fossil Ridge 55, Legend 54, Denver East 49, Lakewood 42, Aurora Central 40, Arapahoe 37, Broomfield 34, Cherry Creek 30, Rock Canyon 26, Hinkley 12, Silver Creek 10, Gateway 8, Monarch 8, Prairie View 7, Rocky Mountain 7, Smoky Hill 7, Ralston Valley 7, Denver South 6, Brighton 6, Vista PEAK Prep 5, Bear Creek 4, Westminster 3, Chaparral 2, Fort Collins 2, Highlands Ranch 1, Northglenn 1
Dropped out
Aurora Central (11), Arapahoe (12)
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Battle Mountain (5)
10-0
235
3
2-0
2
Windsor (8)
10-0
231
1
1-0
3
Niwot
9-1
172
6
0-0
4
Skyview (2)
7-1
170
2
1-1
5
Denver North (2)
9-1
168
8
2-0
6
Lewis-Palmer
8-2
144
4
3-0
7
The Classical Academy (3)
5-0
133
5
1-0
8
Pueblo West
9-0
114
8
2-0
9
Standley Lake
7-1
107
10
2-1
10
Mullen (1)
8-2
104
7
0-0
11
Erie
9-1
76
12
2-0
12
Regis Groff
8-2
73
11
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Northfield 35, Golden 25, Air Academy 11, Glenwood Springs 10, George Washington 10, Northridge 10, Frederick 7, Grand Junction 7, Montrose 5, Cheyenne Mountain 5, Harrison 5, Littleton 4, Durango 3, Centaurus 3, Coronado 2, Greeley West 1, Denver West 1, Mesa Ridge 1
Dropped out
None
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Colorado Academy (17)
10-0
246
1
3-0
2
Liberty Common (2)
9-0
207
2
1-0
3
Lamar (1)
8-1
161
3
0-1
4
KIPP Denver Collegiate
10-0
158
5
3-0
5
Coal Ridge (1)
9-0
152
4
1-0
6
Faith Christian
6-1
100
6
1-0
7
Manitou Springs
8-2
91
–
2-0
8
Arrupe Jesuit
7-1
80
7
1-1
9
Atlas Preparatory School
7-2
76
8
2-0
10
Delta
6-0
55
2-0
11
DSST: Conservatory Green
6-1
51
8
1-0
12
Alamosa
9-1
48
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Lutheran 43, Jefferson Academy 40, Middle Park 34, Kent Denver 16, Frontier Academy 15, Peak to Peak 14, Salida 13, Vail Mountain 11, Aurora West College Prep Academy 10, The Academy 4, DSST: Green Valley Ranch 4, Bishop Machebeuf 4, Fort Lupton 3, Roaring Fork 2
Dropped out
Lutheran (10), Jefferson Academy (11), Middle Park (12)
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
PVS
LW
1
Crested Butte (3)
7-1
116
1
1-0
2
Dawson School (1)
5-2
106
5
0-0
3
Denver Christian (2)
5-1
102
4
1-0
4
Fountain Valley (4)
7-0
93
2
2-0
5
Thomas MacLaren School
7-3
70
7
3-0
6
Loveland Classical
7-1
68
3
0-0
7
The Vanguard School
3-2
61
8
0-0
8
Front Range Christian
5-3
44
6
0-1
9
Heritage Christian
5-3
42
11
0-0
10
Ellicott
5-2
28
12
1-0
11
Telluride
6-4
27
1-0
12
Ridgway
4-3
23
2-0
Others receiving votes:
Rocky Mountain Lutheran 19, Beth Eden Baptist 17, Colorado Rocky Mountain 15, Lake County 12, Lotus School For Excellence 9, Colorado Springs School 3, Union Colony Prep 2, Dolores Huerta Prep 1
Dropped out
Beth Eden Baptist (8), Colorado Rocky Mountain (10)
