2A girls volleyball: Defending champion Wiggins in familiar position after day one

COLORADO SPRINGS – While the Season C girls volleyball championships back in May weren’t that long ago relative to the current iteration going on this weekend, for Wiggins head coach Michelle Baker and her Tigers team, that season seems like ages ago.

Her team is the defending 2A state champions, winning the abbreviated event last season as the No. 1 seed. This season, after losing four starters, and dropping some tough matches during the regular season, her team entered the event as the No. 6 seed.

However, they find themselves in familiar territory after day one of action, as they won their opener over Igancio in straight sets, and then knocked-off No. 3 seeded Fowler in round two to advance to the championship quarterfinals. Fowler was a familiar opponent, as they were the team the Tigers beat in last season’s semifinals.

“We were a little nervous about that one,” Baker explained. “We knew they were going to be tough from just seeing them last season and we knew they didn’t lose very many girls. From the regular season and regionals, we’ve played some tough competition this year and we’ve taken some hard losses, but we needed them to prepare for today.”

Wiggins now has another test coming up, as they get No. 2 seeded Meeker. But ask Baker, and she’s comfortable in her team’s position.

“If I had to decide where I want to be in the bracket, this is exactly where I’d like to be”

Elsewhere in the 2A bracket, No. 1 Sedgwick County took care of No. 9 Denver Christian in four sets to reach the championship quarterfinals, where they will meet No. 5 Holyoke who swept No. 4 Soroco.

As for Meeker, they faced a tough challenge from No. 7 Rye, as they dropped the first set 25-16, but battled back to win the next three 25-13, 25-20, and 25-18 to punch their ticket to the championship quarterfinals.

In the first round of action, Denver Christian beat Hoehne, Holyoke beat Akron, Wiggins beat Ignacio, and Rye beat Limon.

Day two of the 2021 girls volleyball championships will resume tomorrow at 8 a.m. with action in the play-back part of the bracket.