Top-ranked Fleming Lady Wildcats set to host Region 1 tourney

Despite taking their first two losses of the year in the closing week of the regular season, the Fleming Lady Wildcats have earned the privilege of hosting the Region One Tournament on Saturday as the number-one ranked team in 1A volleyball. Cotopaxi and La Veta, who enter at numbers 16 and 24 respectively, are scheduled to travel to Fleming High School on Saturday, May 1 to determine who will advance to the 1A State Tournament.

The Colorado High School Activities Association announced last week that dates and location for the State Tournament have been changed. This year's event is now set for May 12-13 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs - a venue familiar to the Lady Wildcats who took the court there in the 1A State Basketball Championship just over a month ago.

The closing week of regular season volleyball opened with home contest on Tuesday against Merino. The Lady Wildcats entered the match undefeated while the Lady Rams entered at 10-2 with losses to Sterling and Sedgwick County.

Merino provided solid competition for the home team and swept - 25-22, 25-17 and 25-19 - the Lady Wildcats who held a prior set record of 33-3 on the year.

The hitting duo of junior Whitney Chintala and sophomore Kally Kirkwood led at the net. Chintala pounded down 13 kills; Kirkwood added another nine.

Senior Kendyl Kirkwood led her team in several categories against Merino. She assisted with 22 sets at the net and put up three solo blocks on defense. From the back row, she put up the team-high tally in digs with 14 while serving over two aces with one serving error for the contest.

Sophomore Lexi Schaefer and Chintala followed Kirkwood's digging efforts with 12 and 11 digs, respectively. That duo led Fleming's receiving game as well. Schaefer received 25 serves and Chintala put 23 serves into play.

The Lady Wildcats bounced back from Tuesday's loss to take a Thursday sweep at Weldon Valley. The Lady Warriors fell in three straight sets, 25-18, 25-15 and 25-10, that night.

Freshman Madi Serrato led her team from behind the serving line with three aces while Schaefer served over two. The pair, along with Chintala and Kendyl Kirkwood served 100 percent for the night.

Chintala led her squad in digs from the back row with 17. She also added double digits from the front row with 10 kills. Kally Kirkwood led for the night in kills with 21.

From the setters position, Kendyl Kirkwood put up 31 assists for the Lady Wildcat hitters. She led the team in blocks with three solo and put up 10 defensive digs.

On Friday night, the Lady Wildcats hosted a 3A top-five ranked Sterling Lady Tiger squad. Sterling walked away with the sweep hard-fought three sets, 25-23, 25-23 and 25-22.

Chintala led the Lady Wildcats' defense with 20 digs from the back row. She added 12 kills from the front row with four hitting errors.

Kally Kirkwood led at the net with 13 kills for the night. She also put up two solo blocks.

Kendyl Kirkwood tacked on five blocks at the net. She assisted with 21 sets from her front row position.

Serrato made big contributions from the back row against Sterling. She put up 12 digs and received 13 serves. Schaefer led Fleming's serve receive effort with 19 ups.

Saturday's Regional action is set to begin at 10 a.m. at Fleming High School. As the highest ranked seed in their three-team pool, the Lady Wildcats will be given the advantage of a one-match break. They are set to take the court in the opening match of the day against La Veta and will take on Cotopaxi in the third match on Saturday. The top team from each of the eight 1A regions will advance to State.