2A girls volleyball: Wiggins kicks off title chase and other news from Day 1 at state
By John Maness/For CHSAANow.com
Photo: John Maness
DENVER – The Wiggins volleyball team is looking for another state title, but it won’t be an simple task.
The Tigers won the Class 2A state tournament in 2020, and just like this year they entered the tournament as the top-seed. But the road will be much tougher and coach Michelle Baker knows it.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Baker said. “We have things we need to clean up and we are going to do that.”
On Thursday night on the first day of the 2022 state tournament at the Denver Coliseum, Wiggins (23-3) swept its second-round match against No. 8 St. Mary’s, but it wasn’t easy. The Tigers won three really tight sets, 25-22, 25-21 and 25-20.
“We weren’t really happy about how we performed,” Baker said. “St. Mary’s picked up stuff that we didn’t expect them to. Give them credit, they really played well. Hopefully, we will play better after getting the first game out of the way.”
After playing the state tournament in Colorado Springs the past two seasons, it was the first time for many of Wiggins players to experience the floor at the Denver Coliseum.
“It’s not a shell shock, but it is different,” Baker said. “The lights at the Coliseum are different and so it is an adjustment. All our girls have played at this level and so they know what to expect.”
The Tigers will face off against No. 4 Fowler in the quarterfinals. The Grizzlies lost to Wiggins in the second round of the tournament last year and offer a tough challenge this year.
Fowler swept its second-round match against No. 12 Hoehne on Thursday, 25-13, 25-17, 25-20.
Defending state-champion Sedgwick County (22-2 overall) is the No. 2-seeded team at the tournament and beat No. 7 Denver Christian in three sets. Sedgwick County will face No. 3 Meeker (23-2) in the quarterfinals after the Cowboys needed five sets to beat No. 6 Vail Christian in the second round.
In the first round of action, St. Mary’s beat No. 9 Dayspring Christian (3-0), Hoehne upset No. 5 Strasburg (3-1), Vail Christian topped No. 11 North Fork (3-1) and Denver Christian swept No. 10 Sanford.
Day 2 of the Class 2A volleyball tournament resumes Friday at 8 a.m.
