Now that the regular season is over, it is time to recognize the highest ranked fall sport team at Coronado: The Volleyball Team.

These Cougars have a record of 12-7, but that doesn’t tell the true tale.  For the very last season, the Cougars are a part of the 5A CSML league (next year we hop into the 4A South Colorado Springs Metro League) and we play mostly teams in the state’s biggest division.  When we go head-to-head with the other 4A schools, we stack up very well, even defeating two number one ranked teams-Disco Canyon and Pueblo County.

What all this math adds up to is a top five ranking for the Cougars in the state!  After this weekend’s tournament at Palmer Ridge-sort of a last chance tuneup before the playoffs where the Cougars took 3rd to a pair of 5A teams-the Cougars are primed to carry their ranking into the postseason, earning a home court advantage for the Regional Tournament this Saturday.  The state puts together twelve Regional Tournaments of three teams each, so the top 36 teams vie for the 12 spots at the State Tournament. The Cougars won’t know officially until later this week who we play, but two teams will travel here and the team that comes out on top qualifies for State.

The Cougars’ strong 5A schedule, as well as the top 4A teams we have beaten, give us a strong competitive edge and infectious enthusiasm heading towards state.  The home crowd will offer an emotional boost, as well. 

Rachel Scott, who is a junior and co-captain of the team, who ranks 3rd in the state with her 707 assists, says that “hosting Regionals will be a better environment due to the familiarity of the court as well as our student section and fans.  We will have more confidence going in knowing that we are the top team in the gym.”

Scott isn’t the only Cougar towards the top of the state rankings as we head into the postseason.  There is one of the team on the leaderboard in almost every major category: co-captain Anna Griffin, 12, is 10th in digs with 372, co-captain Amara Austin, 12, is 3rd in blocks with 88, “Midtown” Makayla Brown, 11, is 21st in aces with 51, Maycie Rogers, 11, is 9th in kills with 248. With a team as well-rounded as this group is, the Cougars are built for a deep postseason run!

Not only are the starters playing well, but according to Alex Costa, 12, “the swingers [up to varsity from JV] are playing really well:” Nayo Afonja, 10, who has state championship experience after a successful track season that found her on the podium, Jayden Geshke, 10, and Millie Leonard, 10.  Costa adds that “we have a good shot winning Regionals and [she] really wants us to do well at State.”

For every home game this season, the volleyball team has created a theme package for the fans, white outs, pink outs, VSCO, etc. and this tournament is the biggest home game of the season.  Come out to the gym, support these athletes, and do your part to send them off to State.