The last time the Valley Vikings won a state volleyball championship, many of this year’s players were still a good 10 years from being born.
But this year’s squad entered the Class 3A tournament as one of only four undefeated teams in all classifications. That didn’t change Friday at the Denver Coliseum.
Behind the setting of Meagan Garcia, the second- seeded Vikings scored a pair of victories — 25-15, 25-16, 25-13 over St. Mary’s and 25-15, 25-12, 25-16 over upstart Middle Park — to end the first day of pool play 2-0.
Valley (27-0) went on runs of 7-1, 10-1 and 10-0 against St. Mary’s, as victory never looked in doubt. A lot of the reason for that was the play of Garcia and the Vikings’ setters.
“Our setter does a nice job. She has a great bunch of hitters to go to,” Valley head coach Rene Aafedt said. “They looked good when they needed to. She does a great job of setting it up.”
Valley last won a state title in 1983, eight years after its first title.
But this year’s Vikings are hoping they can return to the top of the class, a place that Colorado Springs Christian has owned since 2004 — the first year of its five consecutive 3A titles.
“We’re really confident. We think we can do it,” the left-handed-hitting Garcia said. “It would just be amazing to win the gold ball.”
CSCS, also 27-0, stands in the way, though. The Lions, who beat Valley in the 2004 and ’06 finals, also posted back-to-back three-game victories to take a 2-0 record in pool play along with Bayfield — both of whom have already advanced to today’s semifinals.
Bayfield (25-1), the fourth seed, advanced with a pair of five-game victories.
