AURORA | Four city senior volleyball players get one more chance to play at the high school level, as they were selected to participate in the Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports’ All-State games, scheduled for Sunday at Arvada West High School.
The Blue and Red team rosters for the Class 5A All-State match — scheduled for 3 p.m., following All-State matches in four other classifications — include nearly a handful of Aurora’s top seniors in Rangeview’s Kelsie Hurtado and Jackie McBride, Cherokee Trail’s Shannon Webb and Grandview’s Franchesca Reed.
Heading the selections is Webb, a 6-foot outside hitter who just helped the Cougars win the first 5A state volleyball championship in school history. The recent American University signee racked up 516 kills this season — an average of 4.8 per set — and finished third with 256 digs for the Cougars, who finished the season 25-4. Cherokee Trail coach Terry Miller was also selected to coach in the CCGS All-State match.
Reed contributed to Grandview’s 5A state championship run last season after she arrived from Overland and helped this season’s Wolves come within a game of making it to the semifinals before they were eliminated by Denver East in a tiebreaker.
With 324 kills, an average of 3.1 per set, Reed finished second on the team.
McBride signed with the University of Wyoming last week after a season in which she led the EMAC champion Raiders (18-7) — who lost to Chatfield in the Region 1 championship match with a trip to the state tournament on the line — in kills (196) and blocks (63 total).
The 6-1 middle blocker/outside hitter gave up soccer to concentrate more on volleyball and it paid off in a Division I scholarship.
Hurtado, who came to Rangeview from Gateway after her sophomore season, played a variety of roles for the Raiders and led coach Doug Walker’s team in assists (250), digs (150) and service aces (40), while the 5-7 part time setter/outside hitter was also third in kills with 126. At times, Hurtado played with freshman sister, Lexi, another setter who finished just 10 assists behind her.
Admission to the CCGS All-State Games is cash only and runs $4 for adults and $2 for CCGS members, students and senior citizens (55+), with all proceeds going towards the cost of running the event.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or [email protected] Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
CCGS VOLLEYBALL ALL-STATE GAMES
Time schedule: 1A — 9 a.m.; 2A — 10:30 a.m.; 3A — Noon; 4A — 1:30 p.m.; 5A — 3 p.m.
5A ALL-STATE MATCH ROSTERS
RED TEAM: Madelyn Betz (Highlands Ranch), Allie Garcia (Coronado), Abbie Hayes (Ralston Valley), KELSIE HURTADO (RANGEVIEW), Macie Linne (Rocky Mountain), Victoria Macaluso (Rock Canyon), Jordan Mullen (Legend), SHANNON WEBB (CHEROKEE TRAIL), Erika White (Brighton); Coaches: TERRY MILLER & MICHELLE ALDEN (CHEROKEE TRAIL)
BLUE TEAM: Jasmine Evans (Highlands Ranch), JACKIE MCBRIDE (RANGEVIEW), Toni McDougald (Cherry Creek), Jenna McGuire (Liberty), Hannah Miller (Chaparral), Mikaila Paxton (Arvada West), FRANCHESCA REED (GRANDVIEW), Jazlyn Smith (Denver East), Morgan Weatherwax (Rocky Mountain); Coaches: Tara Sponenberg & Steph Doehler (Denver East)
