4A Girls Volleyball: University Caps Off Dominant State Title Run, Sweeps Windsor

DENVER — Anchored by the efficient duo of Jordan Halley and Delaney Lauer, the University Bulldogs are Class 4A state volleyball champs.

The third-seeded Bulldogs from Greeley capped off a dominant state tournament run with a similarly impressive sweep (25-17, 25-23, 25-16) of No. 2 Windsor in Saturday’s championship match, giving University its first 4A title and second overall (2021, 3A).

Appropriately, the sophomore Lauer scored the match point before diving into a pile of celebratory teammates at the Denver Coliseum.

“I knew somebody would set me the ball and I had to get the last kill,” Lauer said. “It felt great.”

University head coach Jared Rudiger, who also led the Bulldogs to their 2021 title, took the win as an opportunity to reflect on what had been a rollercoaster year. His daughter, Kenley, was a sophomore setter on the team, and his niece, fellow sophomore Emma Francis, also played a key role throughout the season.

“The journey’s been challenging, it’s been rewarding, it’s also been a lot of soul searching amongst myself, my family and this entire program,” Rudiger said. “It’s pretty dynamic to win a state championship with this group.”

For the senior Halley, the state title also meant a little extra, with the memory of University’s loss to Resurrection Christian in the 2023 state championship game still fresh.

“I knew that if I ever got back to this point, I wanted to win,” Halley said. “I told the team that they need to celebrate this. When we were behind the curtains back there, I told the team, ‘We need to celebrate this because we might not ever get back to this point.’ And we won. We put our hearts and we left everything on this court and everything. It was amazing.”

University came out of the gate strong, jumping out to a 19-9 lead in the first set before winning it, 25-17. The Bulldogs struggled at times to return serves early, but their dominant play at the net among Halley, Lauer, Kaydence Lucero and others ultimately made the difference.

In the second set, University showed off its ability to close, as the Bulldogs scored the final two points in a 25-23 victory. The 25-16 third set was again all University, with Lauer delivering the clinching kill.

“This team is like a family to me,” Halley said. “We’ve been through ups and downs all season. It’s amazing to see it come together and to sweep in the state championship. Only two years being in 4A and we’ve been able to win it, so that’s awesome.”

University finished the season 3-0 against Windsor, including two wins in the state tournament.

En route to reaching the state championship game, University swept No. 5 Lewis-Palmer in the semifinals earlier Saturday. The Bulldogs closed their season at 24-5.

Rudiger was equally proud that every one of his players saw action at some point in the state tournament.

“Every kid on this roster played a point or two in this entire tournament,” Rudiger said. “I don’t know if many coaches in the state of Colorado can say all their kids got on the court at state, but everyone on our team did.”

The Wizards, led by longtime head coach LaVerne Huston, closed their season at 21-9. Earlier in the day, the Wizards (21-9) escaped the elimination bracket with a 3-0 win over No. 5 Lewis-Palmer before upsetting top-seeded Montrose, 3-1.

Fortunately for the Wizards, they’re expected to return sophomore Avery Williams and junior Jayda Nothdruft.