For the fourth time in five seasons, Discovery Canyon earned its region’s crown.

The Thunder dispatched No. 20 Fountain-Fort Carson in straight sets (25-13, 25-11, 25-15) in the opening match at home Saturday and eliminated No. 12 Cherry Creek in four (25-21, 27-29, 28-26, 25-16) to secure the 5A Region 5 title.

Thunder coach Mallory Richardson said “it means everything” to the coaching staff to see Discovery Canyon players thrive after a “rocky start” to the season.

Yes, the team that owns a 21-2 record ahead of next week’s state tournament at Trojan Arena and has dropped just 11 sets all year, had a rocky start. However, for the Thunder coach, she gauges more than victories and defeats.

The Thunder had the vigor of a potential championship team, but Mallory wanted her players sharper between the ears.

“A lot of people look at volleyball and they look deeply at the physical aspect,” Richardson said. “But they fail to remember how much the mental game is involved in volleyball. We had a lot of mental challenges that we had to overcome.”

Brennen Miles, who scored on three of the Thunder’s final five points, said setters and hitters “had a disconnect” early this season. Miles added that Thunder players struggled to find their drive on the court.

“Eventually we played some harder teams and realized we’re not invincible,” Miles said. “That kick started the team and got them going throughout the season.”

That about captured the scene at Discovery Canyon on Saturday. In their matchup with the Trojans, who lost in five sets to the Thunder on April 14, Discovery Canyon didn’t allow Fountain-Fort Carson to score more than 15 points in any set.

In the clincher against Cherry Creek, the vibes changed immediately. The Thunder trailed 10-5 in the first set and had to battle back for their 25-21 set one win.

“Cherry Creek played phenomenal volleyball and kept up with us on different levels than some of us have seen in a while,” Richardson said. “Being able to find open shots on the court, being able to communicate, making sure balls weren’t dropping. Those were crucial points for us to continue pushing on that lead.”

Cherry Creek swiped the second set, but the Thunder closed with wins in the final two including a nine-point set four victory. Miles said that final set reflected who the Thunder are and what they plan to be on Friday at Trojan Arena for the state tournament.

Richardson echoed those sentiments and said this rendition of the Thunder are prepared for the rigors of the season’s final tournament.

“We had a vastly different mental status coming into this game to make sure we played DCC volleyball,” Richardson said. “We came back stronger than I’ve ever seen us and this was a fight for volleyball and a fight for us to keep pushing for our season.”

Rampart cruises at 5A region 4 regional

The No. 4-seeded Rams claimed their regional title and crushed their opposition in the process.

Rampart (23-2) didn’t drop a set to No. 21 Bear Creek nor No. 13 Niwot and only allowed both opponents to reach 20 or more points twice in six sets.

What a stark contrast to the Rams’ 2025 campaign where they finished 12-13 and missed the state tournament. In 25 matches this year, the Rams have only dropped 10 sets, half of which have come in the past two weeks to Grandview and Discovery Canyon.

Prior to those sets ceded to Grandview and Discovery Canyon, the Rams had won 10 consecutive matches via sweep.

Before their regional contests, three Rams had over 150 kills as Brady Simonis (195), Bo Young (174) and Aven Fedde (162) are the top three Rampart hitters.

Colorado Springs Christian secures state berth

The Lions earned the Pikes Peak region’s first state tournament spot after a strong performance Friday in 4A.

CSCS, the No. 6 seed, swept No. 19 STEM School Highlands Ranch in the opener 25-14, 25-15, 25-17 and avoided a five-set match with No. 11 Alameda. The Lions won 25-23, 25-15, 19-25, 25-23 against Alameda to claim the regional title and advance to state.

The Lions (15-6) began the season 4-5, but closed the regular season 11-1 and concluded the year 8-1 at home. After a 1-1 finish at regionals last year as hosts, the Lions will head to Fountain-Fort Carson with a shot at the state championship.

Regional winners/state qualifiers

5A

Region 1: Eaglecrest

Region 2: Littleton Public Schools

Region 3: Grandview

Region 4: Rampart

Region 5: Discovery Canyon

Region 6: Douglas County

Region 7: Legacy

Region 8: Castle View

4A

Region 1: D’Evelyn

Region 2: Regis Groff

Region 3: Mountain View

Region 4: Pueblo South

Region 5: Mullen

Region 6: Colorado Springs Christian

Region 7: Stargate School

Region 8: Lutheran