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The “what could have been” still stings.
Two years ago, the Fossil Ridge SaberCats had dynastic Valor Christian in deep trouble. In the fifth and deciding set, Fossil Ridge led Valor 11-8 and was on the brink of a major upset. But the Eagles won seven of the last eight points to capture their second consecutive Class 5A state volleyball championship.
Now, the SaberCats, stocked with college-bound talent, have a chance to avenge that loss when it matters most.
The ‘Cats entered this year’s tournament with a 23-2 record and the No. 1 seed, having secured it with a four-set win over Valor on Oct. 14. The ‘Cats ended Valor’s run of 72 consecutive victories that dated all the way back to the 2021 state tournament.
But Fossil Ridge’s streak-stopper won’t mean much if it doesn’t hoist the championship trophy on Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum.
“We still look back on that loss (in 2023) and it sucks, it still hurts,” said Fossil Ridge senior and Wyoming commit Emery Johnson. “So this is a huge chance for us.”
The SaberCats’ only two losses this fall came in an out-of-state tournament, and they had dropped only eight sets all season going into this weekend’s tournament. That number was still at eight after their second-round sweep of ninth-seed Pine Creek (25-9, 25-9, 25-18) on the first day of competition Thursday.
But to win a championship, Fossil Ridge will likely have to topple mighty Valor in the finals. The second-seeded Eagles (22-2) are playing for history. Last year, they won their third consecutive state championship, becoming the first team to win three titles in a row in Colorado’s largest classification since Evergreen won eight straight titles from 1978 to 1985.
“It’s a challenge for us,” first-year Fossil Ridge coach Kayla Afoa said. “Valor is a very well-coached team. They’re very gritty and they know they’re legit.”
However, Afoa’s SaberCats feature a talented team that grew up playing together for the NORCO Volleyball Club, based in Loveland. Bringing some recognition to northern Colorado’s volleyball scene gives the players some extra incentive.
“We want to show that northern Colorado volleyball is just as elite as Denver,” said 6-foot-5 senior middle blocker Olivia Ewing, who’s headed to Colorado State on a volleyball scholarship.
Her older sister, Delaney, is a Fossil Ridge graduate who lost to Valor in that classic 2023 championship match. Delaney now plays for Florida State.
This season’s Fossil Ridge team has five players who played in that excruciating loss to Valor in ’23: Senior libero Trinity Burchett, who’s headed to Colorado Mesa; senior outside hitter Alyssa Cottingham, who’s debating her college options; junior middle blocker Ella Wilson, who’s committed to Idaho State; and Johnson and Ewing.
“It would just mean everything to win it this year,” Ewing said.
The victory over Valor earlier this season, on the SaberCats’ home court, was a milestone. Doing it a second time inside the Denver Coliseum could be even harder.
“Absolutely, that win was a big deal, but we look at every single game as a big game that brings us a step closer to our end game,” Afoa said.
And how can the SaberCats dethrone Valor?
“The keys, as I explained to the girls, are winning the serving and passing game to keep (Valor) out of their system and not let them set up their offense,” Afoa said. “I like how we are playing. We are a very mature team, and we play at a high I.Q.”
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Patrick Saunders
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