After dusting 35th ranked Bear Creek (11-13) in three sets (25-13, 25-22, 25-16), 23rd ranked Coronado defeated second-ranked Mountain Vista (20-5) in five sets (18-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-19, 15-10) to win the Class 5A Region 2 tournament and to be among the 12 teams to advance to the Colorado State 5A Tournament.

The Cougars dropped the first set 18-25, caught on both offensive and defensive errors, however, with the second set, the Cougars rebounded, Coronado taking the set, 25-18, poking holes in Vista defense with aggressive serves. The third set once again fell to the Mountain Vista Golden Eagles, 25-19, but the Cougars, hinging on a strong serving and net presence, took the fourth set 25-19. The Cougars took hold of the fifth set immediately, up 6-0 in the first several minutes. The Golden Eagles fought valiantly however, regaining several points and limiting the the Cougars to a 4-5 point lead for the remainder of the set. With a passing error by the Eagles at 14-10 (Cougars), the game concluded.

“We’ve worked so hard all season to make it to state and the feeling of reaching our goal is unexplainable. We’re so excited for state next weekend and just want to go play, have fun, and show some teams what we’re made of.” Said Kaira Smith, 12.

Against Mountain Vista, Coronado outsides Kaira Smith and Madison Brown, 12, contributed a total of 19 kills, in addition to Sophomores Mara Abernethy and Delaney St. Pierre’s combined 11 kills. Allie Garcia, 12, supplied the Cougars with 34 digs, while Brown contributed 19 digs and six aces, and Abernethy awarded the Cougars nine blocks.

Jaelyn Hershberger, 10, said “Our win at the Palmer Ridge tournament really helped us be prepared for regionals by giving us an opportunity to compete with better teams and refine our areas of improvement.” At the Palmer Ridge Volleyball Tournament on October 31st, the Cougars defeated Horizon, Bayview, Broomfield, and Air Academy to claim first place over the tournament’s 12 teams.

“…Our dedication, teamwork, and countless hours in the gym have… paid off [this season] and we made it. Being a part of such a young but talented team is a blessing and I can’t wait to see where we will rank in the state!” Said libero Allie Garcia.

The Cougars will play Nov. 13th and 14th at the Denver Coliseum in the Colorado State 5A tournament.