AURORA | The city will be full of volleyball on Nov. 2, as three Class 5A regional tournaments come to town.
Six Aurora teams qualified for the regional round in pairings released Monday by the Colorado School Activities Association and half will be at home.
Grandview, Regis Jesuit and Eaglecrest each have home court advantage as they seek berths in the Nov. 8-9 5A state tournament at the Denver Coliseum, while Cherokee Trail, Gateway and Rangeview go on the road.
The team with the best record from each of 12 three-team regionals moves on to state.
Coach Patty Childress’ Grandview team got the top seed thanks to a 21-2 record and a 5A-best 17 match winning streak to finish off the regular season. The Wolves’ Region 1 group includes No. 24 Heritage (11-12) — a 2012 5A state tournament qualifier — as well as No. 36 Dakota Ridge (10-13).
Two of the three teams playing in the Region 4 tournament at Regis Jesuit hail from Aurora in fourth-seeded Regis Jesuit (19-4), as well as No. 33 Rangeview (13-9). No. 21 Castle View (13-10) round out the field.
Coach Laura Dunston’s Regis Jesuit team won 12 matches in a row to finish out the regular season and the Continental League champions feel good about their chance to return to the 5A state tournament after missing out last season.
Rangeview got the automatic bid from the EMAC by finishing atop the league standings, but coach Doug Walker’s team lost three straight matches at its own tournament to end the regular season that impact its seeding.
Eaglecrest coach Tanya Bond thought her team would get a home regional, but anticipated something in the 10-12 range rather than the No. 7 slot the Raptors received.
With the way her team played at the Ponderosa Invitational to close out the regular season — where Eaglecrest went 4-0 and won the tournament championship — Bond feels good about the Raptors’ position.
Eaglecrest’s Region 7 group is rounded out by No. 18 Loveland (15-8) and No. 30 Bear Creek (12-11), which also played in the Raptors’ regional last season.
Fourteenth-seeded Cherokee Trail (15-8) — which played the regional round at home last season — heads to the Region 11 tournament at Highlands Ranch as it it looks to make the 5A state tournament for a second straight season.
Coach Terry Miller’s Cougars won six of its last nine matches, with the three losses coming to No. 1 Grandview, No. 2 Arapahoe and No. 6 Cherry Creek in Centennial League play. To win the state berth, Cherokee Trail will likely need to beat host Highlands Ranch (17-6), which is on a seven-match win streak.
Gateway played in the regional round in 2011 and returns to the postseason for the first time under second-year coach Mary Millman.
Despite finishing behind rival Rangeview in the EMAC standings, the Olys finished two spots ahead of the Raiders in seeding after winning six of their last eight matches, which included a sweep of Prairie View that gave Rangeview the league’s top spot.
2013 CLASS 5A VOLLEYBALL REGIONALS
REGION 1 (at GRANDVIEW H.S.)
No. 1 GRANDVIEW (21-2), No. 24 Heritage (11-12), No. 36 Dakota Ridge (10-13)
No. 36 Dakota Ridge vs. NO. 1 GRANDVIEW; No. 36 Dakota Ridge vs. No. 24 Heritage; No. 24 Heritage vs. NO. 1 GRANDVIEW
REGION 2 (at Arapahoe H.S.)
No. 2 Arapahoe (20-2), No. 23 Brighton (16-7), No. 35 Boulder (11-11)
No. 35 Boulder vs. No. 2 Arapahoe; No. 35 Boulder vs. No. 23 Brighton; No. 23 Brighton vs. No. 2 Arapahoe
REGION 3 (at Fossil Ridge H.S., Nov. 2)
No. 3 Fossil Ridge (22-1), No. 22 Chatfield (13-10), No. 34 Liberty (9-13)
No. 34 Liberty vs. No. 3 Fossil Ridge, 10 a.m.; No. 34 Liberty vs. No. 22 Chatfield; No. 22 Chatfield vs. No. 3 Fossil Ridge
REGION 4 (Nov. 2 at Regis Jesuit Girls Division)
NO. 4 REGIS JESUIT (19-4), No. 21 Castle View (13-10), NO. 33 RANGEVIEW (13-9)
NO. 33 RANGEVIEW vs. NO. 4 REGIS JESUIT, 9:30 a.m.; NO. 33 RANGEVIEW vs. No. 21 Castle View, approx. 11 a.m.; No. 21 Castle View vs. NO. 4 REGIS JESUIT, approx 12:30 p.m.
REGION 5 (at Mountain Vista H.S.)
No. 5 Mountain Vista (19-4), No. 20 ThunderRidge (13-10), No. 32 Palmer (13-10)
No. 32 Palmer vs. No. 5 Mountain Vista; No. 32 Palmer vs. No. 20 ThunderRidge; No. 20 ThunderRidge vs. No. 5 Mountain Vista
REGION 6 (at Cherry Creek H.S.)
No. 6 Cherry Creek (18-5), No. 19 Chaparral (10-13), NO. 31 GATEWAY (14-9)
NO. 31 GATEWAY vs. No. 6 Cherry Creek, 9 a.m.; NO. 31 GATEWAY vs. No. 19 Chaparral, approx. 10:30 a.m.; No. 19 Chaparral vs. No. 6 Cherry Creek, approx. noon
REGION 7 (at EAGLECREST H.S.)
NO. 7 EAGLECREST (17-6), No. 18 Loveland (15-8), No. 30 Bear Creek (12-11)
No. 30 Bear Creek vs. NO. 7 EAGLECREST, 9 a.m.; No. 30 Bear Creek vs. No. 18 Loveland, approx. 11 a.m.; No. 18 Loveland vs. NO. 7 EAGLECREST, approx. 1 p.m.
REGION 8 (at Doherty H.S.)
No. 8 Doherty (18-5), No. 17 Rocky Mountain (14-9), No. 29 Legend (8-14)
No. 29 Legend vs. No. 8 Doherty; No. 29 Legend vs. No. 17 Rocky Mountain; No. 17 Rocky Mountain vs. No. 8 Doherty
REGION 9 (at Rampart H.S.)
No. 9 Rampart (18-5), No. 16 Ralston Valley (14-7), No. 28 Fairview (13-10)
No. 28 Fairview vs. No. 9 Rampart; No. 28 Fairview vs. No. 16 Ralston Valley; No. 16 Ralston Valley vs. No. 9 Rampart
REGION 10 (at Fruita Monument H.S.)
No. 10 Fruita Monument (19-4), No. 15 Fort Collins (17-6), No. 27 Grand Junction (11-12)
No. 27 Grand Junction vs. No. 10 Fruita Monument; No. 27 Grand Junction vs. No. 15 Fort Collins; No. 15 Fort Collins vs. No. 10 Fruita Monument
REGION 11 (at Highlands Ranch H.S.)
No. 11 Highlands Ranch (17-6), NO. 14 CHEROKEE TRAIL (15-8), No. 26 Denver East (15-7)
No. 26 Denver East vs. No. 11 Highlands Ranch; No. 26 Denver East vs. NO. 14 CHEROKEE TRAIL; NO. 14 CHEROKEE TRAIL vs. No. 11 Highlands Ranch
REGION 12 (at Pine Creek H.S.)
No. 12 Pine Creek (17-6), No. 13 Lakewood (16-7), No. 25 Douglas County (12-11)
No. 25 Douglas County vs. No. 12 Pine Creek; No. 25 Douglas County vs. No. 13 Lakewood; No. 13 Lakewood vs. No. 12 Pine Creek
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel.
