5A Girls State Volleyball: Valor Christian Finishes on Top for Third-Consecutive Year

DENVER – Although each year has its nuances, they’ve mostly shared the same pattern for Valor Christian. 

That pattern includes a lot of winning, and a lot of hardware. Valor Christian added a trophy and a banner to its collection once again in the 2024 5A CHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championships after sweeping Legend (25-23, 25-17, 25-20). 

The Eagles became the first team to win three years in a row in the state’s largest classification since Evergreen won eight consecutive times from 1978-85. 

“Every year is just so different,” coach Jayne McHugh said. “And the best thing about this, is this is something they do that doesn’t define them. This is what they love to do. But they are defined by their Lord and savior and they are amazing young women that are so deserving. More them, than me.”

Valor Christian has only lost one match in the past three seasons, going 86-1 through that stretch. While McHugh is certainly one of the best coaches in the game, her job has been made exponentially easier thanks to her setter Chloe Elarton and her outside hitter Kenzey McGatlin.

That dynamic duo remained hot, with Elartin finding Gatlin 18 times, more than half of her 33 assists on the night. Elartin has been dominant all season, and showed out once again in the biggest moments Saturday night. 

“There’s just not enough words for Chloe,” McHugh said. “She worked so hard on her craft and she is so coachable. She’s the best setter, at least in the western United States, No question about it.”

The work it takes to win at the level that the Eagles have simply cannot be overstated. Talent can get someone to the peak, but hard work is what takes them over the top. 

Winning at the level that the Eagles have, is a true team effort. That hunger to compete at that high of a level must be the same from the top to the bottom. Having that hunger is much easier when showing up to work means getting to compete alongside friends. 

“We’re all just best friends, genuinely,” Elarton said. “We have no problems, we’re all so close on and off the court and that’s the difference maker because we’re all together on the court and we’re able to work with each other.”

While McGatlin and Elartin are off to continue their careers at a collegiate level, the impact they, along with their teammates, have made on Colorado volleyball will remain for a very long time. 

“Just continuing to leave an impact is something so special knowing that we’ll leave the state soon,” McGatlin said. “But we still left our mark here, it’s just so incredible.”

Valor Christian and McHugh have seen the winning ceremony enough times to understand the feelings that come along with it. That, however, didn’t matter as McHugh teary eyed embraced each one of her players. 

The 2024 volleyball season is now inscribed with historic implications. 

“When you look at the graduation of Delaney Russell, Grace Langer and Farrah Eike last year, we graduated about 10 kills a set,” McHugh said. “And we just had people fill in, I think what really defined us this year was our defense. We flat out dug the ball.”