The Durango High School volleyball team is headed to the state championships for the first time in 10 years.
The Demons entered the Class 4A Region IV championships as the No. 19 seed. After No. 6 Green Mountain beat No. 31 Battle Mountain 3-0 in region’s the first game, the Demons beat Battle Mountain 3-1 to set up a championship game with Green Mountain with a spot in the state championships on the line.
The title clash needed a fifth set before it was decided, but Durango prevailed, 3-2, to punch its ticket. The 4A championships will be held Nov. 10-12 at the Denver Coliseum.
The sixth-seeded Green Mountain Rams were the highest seed in Class 4A not to qualify for state.
The Bayfield Wolverines also played their way into a regional title game against the defending 3A state champion, University.
No. 6 University and No. 19 Bayfield both beat No. 31 Rifle 3-1 in the region’s first two games. The two teams then squared off in a rematch from last year’s state tournament in the regional final. University, however, was able to win the match 3-0 to advance to state.
The Fort Lewis College volleyball team is also headed to the postseason, but New Mexico Highlands University made them earn it.
The Skyhawks needed to win their final regular season game against NMHU to reach the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 8 seed after the University of Colorado Colorado Springs upset Colorado Christian on Saturday.
Highlands started hot and won the first set, 25-21. Fort Lewis trailed in the second set, but rallied to win it 25-21. The Skyhawks took the third set, 25-19.
The fourth set went into extra points with neither team backing down. Eventually, however, FLC was able to win the set, 31-29, to take the match and keep its season alive.
The Fort Lewis football fell to Western Colorado University 55-14 on Saturday at FLC during the team’s senior night.
Western racked up 527 yards of total offense to Fort Lewis' 235. The Mountaineers found 282 yards through the air and tacked on another 245 on the ground. The Skyhawks gathered 246 yards through the air, but struggled on the ground with -11 net yards.
In the second quarter, FLC quarterback Braden Wingle danced with defenders in the pocket and finally escaped to connect with Zach Russell in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown.
The Mountaineers tacked on 31 points in the second quarter after being held to seven in the first.
Fort Lewis had more success in the second half on defense, holding the Mountaineers to just 17 points in the third quarter and scoreless in the fourth.
A huge strip sack from Max Hyson in the third quarter allowed Parker Cunningham to scoop and score a 34-yard touchdown for the Skyhawks. Josiah Flores also intercepted a pass for FLC.
Wingle had a bounce-back performance, completing 25 of his 35 passing attempts (71.4%) for 246 yards and one touchdown. Western, however, sacked the quarterback 11 times for a loss of 93 yards.
Fort Lewis now sits 0-9 overall and 0-8 in the RMAC. Western improved to 6-4, 6-3.
