5A girls volleyball: Grandview, Cherry Creek reach semifinals unscathed on another lengthy day of 5A play
By Brad Cochi/CHSAANow.com
Photo: Brad Cochi/CHSAANow
COLORADO SPRINGS – Matches that have been short and sweet have been few and far between throughout the first two days of the Class 5A girls volleyball state championships.
After an opening day of play that lasted well past 10 p.m. on Thursday, the two championship quarterfinals matches on Friday took a combined nine games to decided which teams would enter the championship semifinals unbeaten.
In the first, No. 1 Cherry Creek won 25-22, 26-24, 18-25, 25-22 over No. 4 Mountain Vista. In the second, No. 3 Grandview won 20-25, 25-20, 20-25, 26-24, 15-11 over No. 2 Chaparral. With two days, 16 matches, 64 games and a total of 30 hours, 25 minutes of 5A volleyball already in the books, expectations will be high for what’s in store on Saturday’s third and final day at The Broadmoor World Arena.
“That is the highest level of volleyball I’ve seen in Colorado,” Grandview head coach Rob Graham said. “I just talked to coach Amanda (West) after our match and we basically just looked at each other like, ‘It’s too bad somebody had to lose.’ The level of play was all out, nobody was holding back and you can’t ask for more. I’m happy we were on the upside but they may not be done and we may see them in the finals.”
When Saturday’s first championship semifinal begins at Noon, Cherry Creek will face the winner of the 8 a.m. consolation semifinal between Chaparral and No. 8 Ralston Valley. In the second semifinal at roughly 2 p.m., Grandview, last season’s runner-up, awaits the winner of the consolation semifinal between No. 4 Mountain Vista and No. 11 Legend, which closed down Day 2 with a five-set win over No. 7 Broomfield that wrapped up at 12:05 a.m.
In the first round of consolation matches on Friday, Broomfield swept No. 9 Highlands Ranch, Legend won in four over No. 12 Rock Canyon, Ralston Valley swept No. 10 Pueblo West and Valor Christian won in four sets to eliminate defending champion and sixth-seeded Rampart.
Valor Christian alone played 18 games in four matches before being eliminated by a five-loss loss to Ralston Valley in the second consolation round on Friday.
