PARKER — News flash: Chaparral dropped a volleyball game Tuesday night for only the third time this season.
No matter. The host Wolverines still handled Highlands Ranch 25-9, 25-21, 18-25, 25-11, further underlining their considerable state and national rankings.
“We dropped one, but it’s not our goal to win every set,” coach T.R. Ellis said.
No, but the Wolverines, No. 1 in The Denver Post Class 5A poll, have come close. They are 16-0 overall, 8-0 in league and have won their past 39 matches. The defending state champions breezed early and often, dropped the third game to a more inspired third-ranked Falcons team (13-3, 5-2), then ran away again.
Nicole Dalton, Abby Shelton and Elizabeth Campbell combined for more kills than a can of Raid. Chaparral threw in an assortment of aces, dinks and blocks, and it never blinked when the Falcons attempted to rally behind the strong right arm and fist of Breanna Wong.
“We know they’re a good team,” Shelton said of the Falcons. “So we just decided that we needed to come back and play hard.”
Chaparral last lost a match to annual power Grandview on Sept. 14, 2010. No. 4 Grandview and No. 2 Regis Jesuit are the only other programs to avoid sweeps at the hands of the Wolverines in 2011.
“When they play at the top of their game, no one can touch them,” Falcons coach Lou Krauss said.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
