DENVER | The Cherokee Trail girls volleyball team played a massive amount of sets in its return to the Class 5A state tournament, logging a total of 10 spent on the floor at the Denver Coliseum over two days.
Unfortunately, the key sets in both Thursday’s first round match with Cherry Creek and Friday’s elimination bracket match against Fossil Ridge got away from the Cougars, who were eliminated from the tournament with their second loss.
Coach Harry Hendon’s team forced a fifth set with the eighth-seeded SaberCats, but ended up on the short end of a 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-6 decision that ended its season.
Cherokee Trail — which qualified for the 5A state tournament for the first time since 2019 — finished the season 17-10. All but one of the losses sustained by the Cougars came to teams that are still alive in the state tournament in the championship or elimination bracket.
The Cougars’ first loss of the state tournament came to Centennial League rival Cherry Creek (story, here).
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected] Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
