Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
Arvada West is the preseason No. 1 in Class 5A. (Mark Adams)
Defending champions Arvada West and Paonia are preseason No. 1 teams in On The Mat’s wrestling rankings.
A-West won Class 5A last season, while Paonia captured 2A. 4A’s defending champion Broomfield moved up to 5A — it’s not ranked — and Thompson Valley is the preseason No. 1 in that classification.
In 3A, Brush is the preseason No. 1. Valley, the defending champion, opens at No. 2.
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
The 2014 all-state volleyball players of the year. From left: Eaglecrest’s Jordyn Poulter (5A), Lewis-Palmer’s Alexa Smith (4A), Resurrection Christian’s Madison Webb (2A), Idalia’s Reagan Shaffer (1A) and Eaton’s Kortney Lockey (3A). (Photos: Tim Visser and Matt Daniels/MaxPreps)
The 2014 all-state volleyball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues and then a vote of coaches.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
From left to right, the players of the year: Murphy McRoberts, Fossil Ridge (5A); Alexandria Kilponen, Valor Christian (4A); Bridgette Hutton, Valley (3A). (Photos: Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com; Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com; Kelly Thornburg/MVPSportsPics.com)
The 2014 all-state softball teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These team were created following a process where the coaches voted upon a list of nominees. Those nominees included every player who was a first-team all-league selection.
Coaches also voted specifically for player and coach of the year.
Scroll down to see the teams, or use the menu below to navigate to the class of your choosing.
DENVER — Coming into Saturday’s Class 4A state title game, the Lewis-Palmer Rangers had only dropped four sets on the year. In what should be their toughest game of the year, they lost their fifth, but overcame a tough Ponderosa Mustangs team to repeat as state champions.
The Rangers won the match 3-1 (25-22, 15-25, 25-22, 25-12) to give coach Susan Odenbaugh and her team and undefeated season their second consecutive state championship.
“To go undeafeated in Colorado in 4A as tough as it is and as many 5A opponents that we had is a major accomplishment for these girls,” Odenbaugh said. “Ponderosa is the toughest team we’ve played. We were hitting the ball and they were getting it up defensively.”
The title win gives the Rangers a 35-match winning streak dating to back to last season.
It also begs the question as to whether or not this is the best volleyball team the state of Colorado has ever seen. Led once again by senior Alexa Smith, the Rangers dropped only five sets to the 83 that they won through the course of the season.
Smith started the match with a kill, hoping to set the tone early. The Rangers built their lead in the first set by relying on their senior hitting combination of Smith and Nicole Montgomery.
The Mustangs were able to slowly battle back, ultimately dropping the first set by a tight score of 25-22. Knowing they could hang with Lewis-Palmer, Mustangs coach Rob Graham encouraged his team to keep fighting and try to take Smith out of the next set as much as possible.
“We thought we could compete with them,” Graham said. “In game one when we came out and hung with them I think our girls realized they could win a game.”
Lewis-Palmer players celebrate winning the 4A championship
The Mustangs responded by taking a quick 8-0 lead in the second set, putting the Rangers on their heels. Smith tried to bring her team back into the set with three big kills, but she couldn’t counter the hitting of Ponderosa’s Allison Smith. The Mustang hitter recorded five kills down the stretch as Pondersoa gave the Rangers what Graham called “the worst beating (Lewis-Palmer) had ever had.”
The Mustangs continued to ride the momentum of their second set win and continued to attack the Rangers. They found themselves up 10-7 and refused to let Lewis-Palmer get comfortable in their game. With the score sitting at 22-22, Michaela Putnicki slammed two quick kills to give the Rangers a 24-22 lead, at which point Alexa Smith ended the set, gently floating the ball just over the head of the Mustangs’ front line.
Now up 2-1, and back on solid ground, the Rangers came out in the fourth set playing the way they had earned them an undefeated record going into the title game. Smith begged her teammates to feed her the ball as she wanted to put the game on her back and walk away victorious.
“We figured things out and we made a few changes and that seemed to work,” the Purdue commit said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I was telling Mariah (Evans) ‘send me this, send me that’ and I can trust that she’ll either set me up, or if I draw the block to get it to someone else.”
Holding a 15-11 lead in the fourth set, the Rangers connected on eight straight points, giving them a 23-11 lead and draining the hope out of the Mustangs. Up 24-12 with match point at stake, a tandem block by Montgomery and Elziabeth Reich gave the Rangers the right to be called champions once more.
“I feel like this (title) is a lot cooler because we went undefeated this year,” Montgomery said. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
Odenbaugh explained after the win that prior to the start of each season, the players get together for team building and as part of it, set goals for the year. With expectations at an all-time high coming off a state championship win, the Rangers decided to shoot for the moon and take aim at an undefeated year.
“We didn’t let anyone know,” Odenbaugh said. “But we knew that we had the potential to do that if we stayed together as a team and we worked hard. It’s nice to see a group of young girls give everything they can, pursue a goal and walk out successful.”
The Lewis-Palmer volleyball team poses with the 4A championship trophy. (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)
The MaxPreps ranking published Oct. 27 will be the primary seeding consideration.
If there are three teams from the same league in the same pool, the committee shall look to make a switch. The committee should first look to switch teams seeded Nos. 9-12.
One team per pool advances to the semifinals. If matches remain on Saturday which have no effect on the semifinal participants, they shall be three-set matches, with each set played to 25.
Class 4A
Pool
Seed
School
W
L
I
1
Lewis-Palmer
2
0
8
Berthoud
0
2
12
Air Academy
1
1
II
2
Ponderosa
2
0
7
Mead
0
2
11
Niwot
1
1
III
3
Cheyenne Mountain
2
0
6
Mullen
0
2
10
Pueblo West
1
1
IV
4
Montrose
2
0
5
Valor Christian
1
1
9
Battle Mountain
0
2
[divider]
Schedule
Play begins at 8 a.m. each day. Matches begin 8 minutes following the completion of the match prior.
Friday
Match
Pool
Teams
Score
Match
1
IV
Montrose
3
27-25, 27-29, 26-24, 25-22
Battle Mountain
1
2
I
Lewis-Palmer
3
25-16, 25-10, 25-9
Air Academy
0
3
II
Ponderosa
3
25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23
Niwot
1
4
III
Cheyenne Mountain
3
25-19, 25-19, 25-17
Pueblo West
0
5
IV
Montrose
3
18-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-6
Valor Christian
2
6
I
Lewis-Palmer
3
25-10, 25-7, 25-20
Berthoud
0
7
II
Ponderosa
3
25-17, 25-15, 25-18
Mead
0
8
III
Cheyenne Mountain
3
25-19, 25-21, 25-18
Mullen
0
Saturday
Match
Pool
Teams
Score
Match
9
IV
Valor Christian
2
25-23, 25-21
Battle Mountain
0
10
I
Berthoud
1
22-25, 25-17, 25-23
Air Academy
2
11
II
Mead
1
18-25, 25-10, 27-25
Niwot
2
12
III
Mullen
1
25-23, 15-25, 25-22
Pueblo West
2
[divider]
Championship bracket
Pool I winner faces Pool IV winner; Pool II winner faces Pool III winner.
Semifinals will start immediately following pool play on Saturday. All finals will begin at 7 p.m.
Highlands Ranch volleyball celebrates its regional championship in 5A. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)
Highlands Ranch dropped its first match of the Class 5A volleyball regionals on Saturday. It was a grueling, five-set affair — but that it went five sets later turned out to be a major advantage.
The Falcons rallied from dropping that match to later win 5A’s Region 11 in a tiebreak over Rocky Mountain, 25-15. With the win, Highlands Ranch moves on to the 5A state tournament.
But things looked bleak for a while.
For starters, since volleyball’s regionals moved to three-team pools a few years ago, the overwhelming majority of those advancing no longer drop a match. It has turned the tie-break scenario, once a common occurrence, into a rarity.
Ralston Valley, the region’s host and No. 11 seed in 5A, had already beaten No. 27 Rocky Mountain in four sets to open regional play.
So when No. 14 Highlands Ranch lost to Rocky Mountain in the region’s second match (19-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 16-14), it had one last-gasp shot at qualification: knock Ralston Valley off.
The Falcons did that, by a 3-1 margin. All three teams in the regional, at that point, were 1-1 — dusting off the tiebreak scenario. In the event of a three-way tie, two teams faceoff in a one-set playoff, with the winner facing the third in a second one-set playoff match.
Highlands Ranch volleyball poses with the regional championship trophy. (Via @RBWHRHSAthletic on Twitter)
Highlands Ranch was set aside for the first tie break because it had won a higher percentage of total sets played (5 of 9) during the regional compared to Ralston Valley (4 of 8) and Rocky Mountain (4 of 9). Rocky Mountain beat Ralston Valley 25-15 in that first tie-break, then advanced to play Highlands Ranch.
Highlands Ranch then won the second playoff match, 25-15, to advance to the state tournament.
The 5A field will consist of: Eaglecrest, Grandview, Regis Jesuit, Rampart, Chaparral, Pine Creek, Cherokee Trail, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Fairview, Highlands Ranch and Legend
Headed to 4A’s state tournament are: Lewis-Palmer, Ponderosa, Cheyenne Mountain, Montrose, Valor Christian, Mullen, Mead, Berthoud, Battle Mountain, Pueblo West, Niwot and Air Academy.
In 3A’s tournament: Eaton, Valley, Bayfield, University, Colorado Springs Christian, Manitou Springs, Platte Valley, Sterling, Faith Christian, Pagosa Springs, Coal Ridge and Olathe.
Comprising the 2A field: Swink, Resurrection Christian, Paonia, Simla, Sargent, Yuma, Dolores and Colorado Springs School, as well as four Wildcard teams to be selected on Monday.
And 1A’s field: Sangre de Cristo, Kit Carson, Otis, Weldon Valley, Norwood, Springfield, Idalia and Fleming — as well as four additional Wildcard teams.
[divider]
Notables:
A seeding committee will meet on Monday morning to finalize the pools for the state tournaments. The Wildcard selections in 1A and 2A will be selected based on the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings published on Monday. The next four highest-ranked teams who made it to regionals but didn’t advance will be the selections.
All five defending champions have made a return trip to the state tournament. They are: Grandview (5A), Lewis-Palmer (4A), Eaton (3A), Resurrection Christian (2A) and Fleming (1A).
Chatfield is the highest-remaining regional seed of any of the 5A, 4A and 3A regions. The Chargers were No. 17, and upset No. 8 Douglas County. (The 1A and 2A regions are not seeded across the classification, but instead set by district finish.)
Of those seeded regionals (5A-3A), the host teams went an astounding 70-2 in matches, including 212-36 in terms of sets won.
5A’s Region 10 wore out the courts in its first two matches. First, No. 10 Fairview rallied to beat No. 27 Rangeview in five sets — 26-28, 25-18, 17-25, 28-26, 15-13. Rangeview then turned around and went another five sets in losing to No. 15 Arapahoe, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-9. The final match only went four sets, a 3-1 Fairview win over Arapahoe to claim the regional crown.
Kit Carson trailed its first match in 1A Region B 0-2, but rallied to take a five-set win (20-25, 12-25, 27-25, 25-15, 16-14) and later won the regional.
The Montrose volleyball team poses for a picture after winning a regional championship in Class 4A. (Tom Hoganson)
