With a buzzing gym and a full student section at Lewis-Palmer, the stage was set for a thrilling Battle for Monument on the volleyball court. 

However, the Rangers dominated from start to finish, taking the Battle for Monument crown in a 3-0 sweep (25-17,25-16,25-18) over Palmer Ridge. Lewis-Palmer led for the first two sets and only fell behind by one early in the third set before pulling away for the victory in front of a home crowd. 

“We haven’t been playing amazing, so it felt good for it all to come together at the end,” senior Riley Edmonson said. “It feels great. Obviously, we want to win that game. It’s just important because in the past we’ve been competitive with Palmer Ridge, so it was nice to come in with a win and finish strong.”

It was Lewis-Palmer’s (3-8) third consecutive win after sweeping the Bears (4-8) in both meetings last year, and it owns a 14-6 record against Palmer Ridge after Thursday. 

Before Thursday’s rivalry game, the Bears had not dropped three matches in a row to the Rangers since Lewis-Palmer won nine consecutive matches from 2012 to 2019.  

The Rangers jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first set and led by as many as eight. The story was similar in the second set, but the third set saw a close battle with Palmer Ridge taking their first lead of the game (3-2). After trailing the Bears by one three times, Lewis-Palmer stretched its lead by eight to take the sweep. 

The win was even more satisfying after having to adjust to losing standout player Madi Crowe, who sprained her ankle Wednesday. Crowe, a senior, earned a game-high 14 kills in the final meeting last season between the schools, a 3-0 win for the Rangers. 

Crowe, a team captain, was an all-state honorable mention last season.

“It impacts the team because we love her, and the team appreciates her and what she brings to the team,” coach Crissy Leonhardt said. “Everybody stopped up tonight for sure, and they did that for her and each other.

“We had to play a slightly new lineup, but these girls know how to adapt. Our bench is deep, and every athlete can do pretty much everything.”

Senior Kiera Lunn said that Crowe’s absence was felt on the court, but that she still brought energy to the bench that helped them push to the end. 

“We were nervous at first because she is a big part of the team, but everyone adjusted well and did their job,” Lunn said. “She brings a lot of confidence for us, and lifts us up really well.”

Team chemistry is something the Rangers have had to work on this year after losing several key players to graduation, such as first-team all-state honoree Brooke Gennerman and second-team honoree Maddie Sanderson. 

After a 2-8 start, Lewis-Palmer feels it’s finally chemistry coming together. In fact, Leonhardt said Thursday’s match was the best chemistry she has seen from the team this year. 

“We had a rocky start, but we’ve grown a lot. It’s a big growth year for us,” senior Keira Lunn said. “We have lots of new players, so we’ve had to learn to mesh together as a team.” 

Thursday’s game was a rivalry win for Lewis-Palmer, but more than that, it was a turning point. 

“It gives us confidence going forward, especially with dealing with adversity,” Leonhardt said. “We only have a few returning varsity players, and it’s been a huge adjustment, but they’ve adjusted well. They care about one another and care about each other’s success.”