After a close 3 set match against Palmer Ridge, the Coronado’s varsity volleyball team took the Elizabeth High School Early Bird Tournament on Saturday, September 12, bringing their season record to 7-2.

The Cougars kicked off the day with a definitive win against Woodland Park, 25-14, 25-13. Starting the tournament with a bang was Delaney St. Pierre, 11, with 22 assists. Ashlynn Garcia, 11, dug up gold with her 10 dogs and great defense. On the offensive front, Mara Abernethy, 11, had 10 kills. Against Rangeview the Cougars encountered closer competition, the match ending 25-18, 25-18. In a match decided by defense, Bethany Heitland, 11, made her mark with 6 digs.

Next up they took on Palmer Ridge, the team they would eventually defeat to take the tournament. Mallory Brown, 11, served up four aces to contribute to the 25-15, 25-23 win. Coronado then advanced to the semifinals against Evergreen. The Cougars were victorious after two close 27-25, 25-21 sets, Jaelyn Hershberger, 11, leading the team with 10 kills.

After nearly 6 hours of play, the Cougars took on Palmer Ridge for the tournament title. In the closest match of the day, fantastic defense by Bethany Heitland and Ashlynn Garcia took the spotlight. On the offensive front, Delaney St. Pierre had 26 assists, half of which to Mara Abernethy. In the end the Cougars defeated Palmer Ridge in three sets to win the tournament.

After the tournament the Cougars’ rankings skyrocketed, and they are now 3rd in 5A team rankings, and 20th overall in the state. Mara Abernethy is ranked number one across all divisions in Colorado in hitting percentage, and 21st in kills. Jaelyn Hershberger and Ashlynn Garcia also broke into the top 50 for hitting percentage and digs, respectively. In 5A statistic rankings there were a total of 10 mentions of Coronado’s varsity team. The Cougars take on Air Academy at home on Thursday, September 15. Keep it up Cougars!