Sedgwick County had to have raised a few eyebrows in November when the Cougars qualified for the state volleyball tournament.

"That was one of the more surprising things I had seen in coaching, just because we had graduated so many players," Cougars coach Dennis Tjaden said.

Sedgwick County was a new team in Class 2A, forged from a co-op between Julesburg and Revere high schools. It sounded like a great opportunity, especially since Julesburg had won two Class A championships.

But the majority of those Lions standouts had graduated. Also, mergers between existing schools don't always go smoothly at first.

It was a little different in Sedgwick County, as Revere wasn't playing volleyball and the two schools didn't schedule each other in other sports.

"The co-op didn't affect the girls, because they already were coming over to Julesburg to play," said Tjaden, who also was the Julesburg athletic director. "The kids were friends before that."

The Cougars also adapted by taking the purple from the Julesburg team colors, the black from Revere and adding silver for Colorado Rockies-hued school colors.

The volleyball team didn't wow anyone until the playoffs.

"We were 9-9 at the end of the regular season and went 9-2 in the last 11 matches," Tjaden said. "A lot of the girls had played C(-team and junior varsity), and it took a while for them to play at the varsity level."

Outside hitters Stacy Beckman and Catie Dolan had the most varsity experience and were two of the most solid performers during that initial season. Middle Audree Johnson and setter Alyssa Gross were two other key contributors.

Heading into this season, Sedgwick County possesses momentum and experience, although the Cougars still don't count themselves as sure bets for a return to the state tournament.

"Who knows? We're in a tough league," Tjaden said. "We're not going to go undefeated. Of course, that's what I thought two years ago."

Hoehne is the top-ranked team headed into the season and brings back standouts Megan Hiss and Amanda Paradisa. Last season, the Farmers made their first trip to state and ended up winning the 2A title.

Simla also is in position to win the state championship. The Cubs are coached by Susan Snyder and are led by her daughter, outside hitter RaeLynn Snyder.

The Cubs graduated a key player in outside hitter Kelsey Tucker but have taken the offseason route necessary to prepare for winning a state title.

"I'm really proud of them," Susan Snyder said. "They weren't satisfied after they lost to Hoehne. They are really committed."

NOTEBOOK

• Last season was a good one for Class 2A, and this one might be just as exciting. The rankings easily could have been extended to the top 15 or 20, as several teams with strong volleyball tradition should come back to the forefront.

Resurrection Christian finished last season at .500, but second- year coach Caleb Howard thinks his team might make an impact in the league and playoff picture.

The Cougars were built into a powerhouse by former coach Jane Radford, and Howard is counting on all-league seniors Jessica Lundquist and Kaila Bowlin. The defense will be supplied by all-league junior Jamie Lundquist.

• Limon's Brenda Liggett is back in the coaching ranks, and the Badgers are loaded with experienced players. Five starters are back for the Badgers, and the team has strength in most of the vital areas. Whitney Liggett is handling the setting, and Hannah Naylor is a good target on the left side. Lyssa Horner and Ashley Frost are set at middle blocker.

• Rangely could have the longest drive to the state tournament of any 2A team, but the Panthers don't seem to mind the trip, because they are making it a habit lately. The Panthers qualified in two of the past three seasons, following up a string of three consecutive appearances from 1991-93.

The Panthers' prospects for another state tournament grew even brighter this season when Erin Watson transferred from Meeker. The 5-foot-10 senior was co-player of the year in the Western Slope League, was all-state and has been picked all-league three times.

Rangely setter Hannah Walz should be able to stretch opposing blockers this season because the Panthers return a top-notch right-side hitter in senior Kirstin Cushman. Coach Dave Walck said he is expecting a lot from this team, so if some middle blockers develop, Rangely might be taking another one of those long trips in November.

• Swink senior Breann Nesselhuf is one player who got a full ride to a Division I school, Washington State. It comes as no surprise, as Nesselhuf plays setter and outside hitter for the Lions and has been chosen all-state and all-league for three consecutive years. Swink made it to state last year after missing out since 2003.

• Class 2A, the second-smallest classification in the state, has an enrollment limit of 235 students. Grand Valley hit that number right on the nose, and thus is the largest school in this classification.

The smallest is Vail Mountain, which is playing up this season. The minimum enrollment is 97 students, and Vail Mountain is projected at 96. Another small school is Longmont Christian, with 97 students, but the Warriors showed that a small enrollment doesn't exclude volleyball excellence, as they qualified for state last year.

• This season, each of the eight districts will send two teams to regionals, although Campion Academy will not participate in the playoffs. That is a bonus for District 3, in southwestern Colorado, which has only four teams: Dolores, Mancos, Nucla and Telluride.

It hurts Districts 7 and 8, though, which have 10 teams apiece and many teams that are expected to be competitive this season. District 7 has Longmont Christian and Heritage Christian, and District 8 is even tougher with Byers, Calhan, Colorado Springs School, Limon and Simla.

Back to Top