(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
MOUNMENT — Lewis-Palmer looks like a team bent on taking back the Class 4A state championship that they missed out on last year.
And from the season-opening win against Eaton to the 25-11, 25-14 and 25-13 win Thursday night, the Rangers (13-0, 1-0 Pikes Peak Athletic Conference) have looked every bit the team they did in 2014 and 2015 during state title runs. They also left no doubt as to why they’re the No. 1 team in the CHSAANow.com volleyball rankings.
“We’ve got some real fire in us,” senior Elizabeth Reich said. “Of course (losing the state title game) is a huge motivation and we learned a lot last. Things are starting to come together for us.”
And it was Palmer Ridge (10-3, 0-1) who found out the hard way that Rangers are indeed starting to gel at just the right time.
While the showdown between the District 38 rivals had all the hype of of a game that could easily go to five sets, the Bears were outmatched from the very start.
The Rangers took a quick 5-1 lead in the first and on the strength of seniors Reich, Lydia Bartalo, and Michaela Putnicki, finished with on a 20-10 run, putting Palmer Ridge right on its heels.
“We like to say we’re cool under pressure,” Bartalo said. “With a huge rivalry game coming up, we were able to calm ourselves and just be able to play hard.”
The Bears seemed to respond in the second, gaining an early edge and forcing coach Susan Odenbaugh to call a timeout to get her team settled down.
And they responded to finish not only fight their way back, but cruise to a 25-14 win.
“A lot of times, we’re kind of digging our own grave in terms of unforced errors,” Odenbaugh said. “In that situation, we were struggling on serve receive and we got out of our system and they were able to score points against us.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
With momentum completely on its side, Lewis-Palmer had little trouble finishing the game and opening their league schedule with a sweep.
As it has been for the last several years, the PPAC looks like it will come down to the showdown between Lewis-Palmer and Cheyenne Mountain.
But that game isn’t even on the minds of the Rangers. They’ve spent the early part of the season just trying to remain focused on one game at a time.
Odenbaugh said that this team is the closest team she’s ever coached and with there being so much familiarity and love for each other, they just want to enjoy the journey, rather than focus on the result.
“We’re splitting the season down into three parts,” Reich said. “Right now, we’re just taking it one game at a time.”
That’s a mentality that will serve the up and coming Lewis-Palmer Rangers well. There are only five upperclassmen on this year’s team so with freshmen and sophomores already playing a key role, it’s important for them to see what the Rangers are about in terms of unity and focus.
“I think that’s the cool part about LP,” Bartalo said. “We don’t have to be the ones showing (them) because they all grew up in this program. They’re all just able to step in, know their roles and play to their potential.”
It seems to be a team mentality. And the first 13 games of Lewis-Palmer’s season are any indication of its potential, they just might be able to reclaim that state title that eluded them last year.