Highlands Ranch sweeps Chaparral

Alan Pearce, Rocky Mountain News

Saturday, September 29, 2007

PARKER – Only two teams were left at the top of the Continental League, so Thursday’s Highlands Ranch vs. Chaparral volleyball clash drew plenty of interest. While the intensity certainly was present, the visiting Falcons made sure the match was not close.

Highlands Ranch, ranked eighth in Class 5A, tore up the fourth-ranked Wolverines 25-17, 25-13, 25-17 behind the powerful hitting of newcomer Erica Winkler and veteran Kristina Rogers and a brilliant digging display from a trio of defensive standouts.

The Falcons improved to 11-1 overall, 6-0 in league and have now won six consecutive matches since losing to Class 4A Regis in the championship match of the Raiders own tournament.

Chaparral, who won Smoky Hill’s tournament, had its 12-match winning streak snapped and dropped to 12-2, 6-1. Lewis-Palmer had defeated the Wolverines in the season opener.

Winkler, a 6-foot sophomore, and Rogers, a 5-11 senior, each totaled nine kills for the Falcons. At the start of the season, Rogers seemed to be the Falcons’ only competent attacker, but the team’s development was clear Thursday. Behind the brilliant setting of senior Bri Smith, Ranch hitters piled up 41 kills while having only eight hitting errors.

"We’ve actually worked on distributing the ball on offense, establishing the middle first and then going to the others," said Smith, who surpassed 300 assists for the season in the first game Thursday.

Those middles, Winkler and junior Emily Nielsen, combined for 17 kills.

"If you don’t have ball control, then the middles are a moot point," Ranch coach Lou Krauss said.

Winkler transferred in from Rock Canyon and, under state rules, had to sit out the first half of the regular season. She’s already made an impact, though, allowing Krauss to shift the consistent Rogers from middle blocker to outside hitter.

"She’s really a strong leader for such a young player," Smith said of Winkler. "She goes out there and hits the ball so hard. I can set her any ball and ‘BAM,’ it’s down. She’s really a strong hitter and big."

Winkler practiced with the varsity and played in two junior varsity matches during the layoff, but was pining away on the Falcons bench.

"It was hard not being able to be in there, no matter what happened," she said. "The intensity was really high (Thursday). I think we came out with the mind set that we were going to win."

With her middles and outsides having their way with Chaparral, Smith also went to the back set expertly, so that 6-foot sophomore right side hitter Megan Buckingham hammered down six kills, mostly against a single block, with zero errors.

"I’m just flabbergasted," Chaparral coach T.R. Ellis said. "We didn’t show what kid of team we are, but they were really on their game. They could not make an error. Their ball control was amazing; their energy level was high."

Chaparral did mount its own attack behind senior outside hitter Ashlee Crook, who had eight of her 10 kills in the first game. But the Falcons concentrated on serving Crook and Trisha Yoon, and the Wolverines rarely were able to get the ball to setters Alex Nuttall and Mikinzie Moydell anywhere close to the net.

Highlands Ranch, on the other hand, played some incredible defense. Defensive specialist Kendra McFadden was able to dig up several of Crook’s thunderous shots, libero Kelsie Edwards was just as impressive, along with Smith, who also compiled five kills and four aces. The Falcons also won every long rally, sending their confidence soaring.

"The scary thing is that we have three kids on the bench who are only a notch below those others," Krauss said, referring to his defensive depth. "That’s a point of pride with us, play our style of defense and don’t let the ball hit the floor."

Highlands Ranch 25 25 25

Chaparral 17 13 17

HR – Bri Smith (5 kills, 1 hitting error, 1 block, 1 service error, 5 aces), Kendra McFadden (3SE), Kelsie Edwards (2SE, 1A), Holly Sabatka (4K, 2HE, 1SE, 1A), Emily Nielsen (8K, 2HE, 2B, 2A), Kristina Rogers (9K, 2HE, 1B), Megan Buckingham (6K), Erica Winkler (9K, 1HE).

C – Mikayla Bailey (1HE, 1SE), Sarah Mueller (4K, 1B, 1SE), Alex Nuttall (6K, 3HE, 2B, 1A), Mikinzie Moydell (4K, 2HE, 3SE), Bridgett Lopata (3K, 1HE, 1B), Lauren Hayden (2K, 1HE), Ashlee Crook (10K, 5HE, 1SE).

pearcea@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5352