DENVER – For the third time in the last four years, the Sedgwick County girls volleyball team is the Class 2A state champion.

On Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum, the second-seeded Cougars (25-4) won 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 25-10 over No. 6 Wiggins (20-11) to bring home the program’s third first-place trophy.

“They’ve all been really special to me,” Sedgwick County head coach Alissa Renquist said. “This group of girls worked really hard. It’s like family and I’ve been blessed with a bunch of good athletes and good girls. They make it fun and they make me look good. They’re just really fun girls to coach. I got to experience winning with my other daughter (Jensen Renquist) and now my freshman (Addison Renquist) is on this team, so I got to experience it with her, so that’s a lot of fun.”

Fittingly, the Cougars had to get past Wiggins to win it all.

In a local rivalry that has risen to the statewide level, Sedgwick County and Wiggins have faced off in each of the past five 2A title matches. Sedgwick County also won 3-1 against Wiggins earlier in the state tournament on Friday, and also swept the regular season series between the two Lower Platte League rivals.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Renquist said. “We weren’t expecting to play them twice in the tournament. It’s a great rivalry. They have a great program and I’m just blessed that we get to play them and we give them good competition.”

Wiggins beat Sedgwick County, which won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022  in the 2A title match last season and in 2020.

To reach the state championship match, Sedgwick County swept No. 5 Colorado Springs Christian. In the opposite semifinal, Wiggins won 3-1 over No. 1 Simla.