After going 14-0 in regular-season league play, Vail Christian volleyball preps for playoffs
The No. 9 Saints host No. 16 Ignacio and No. 28 Byers at this Saturday's regional tournament

Vail Christian/Courtesy photo
When Britney Branson took the Vail Christian volleyball head coaching job last spring, many people warned her the 2023 campaign would be a rebuilding one.
“And I was like, ‘I don’t see it,” she said, reflecting on the summer league games which convinced her this season could be a good one.
Branson was right.
The first-year head coach led the Saints to a league title and 14-0 record, the team’s first undefeated league mark since the pandemic-abbreviated 2020-2021 season. Along the way, Vail Christian (17-4 overall) notched the program’s first victory over rival No. 15 Meeker since 2015 and dominated No. 6 Plateau Valley (21-2) in a four-set homecoming-game win a week later.
This Saturday, the No. 9-seeded Saints kick off the 2A Region 9 tournament on their home floor against No. 28 Byers.

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“I was really trying to hype up our team last Saturday of how proud they should be,” Branson said regarding the team’s unblemished league crown.
“I don’t know if that really has sunk in of how cool that is.”
If there is anyone who knows a thing or two about win-loss perfection, it’s Branson. In 2006, She led the Huskies to an incredible 30-0 (and 90-0 in sets) record against 4A opponents en route to the state title.
“There’s little moments that I’m like, ‘oh, this kind of reminds me of my team,'” she said. “It’s hard to compare (the two teams) because I think volleyball has grown so much and the level is so much higher than when I played.”
Branson, who starred at Northeastern before a brief professional stint, has woven a few of her old Husky teammates into the fold this fall. Sofia Lindroth’s staff at The Vitality Collective provided mid-season maintenance in the form of a foam-rolling clinic and Crystin Roderick has hopped into Saints scrimmages.
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“We all have kids around the same age so we stay in touch and see each other quite often,” Branson said.
The fingerprints of Branson’s high school, college and pro pasts are most visible, however, in the schemes implemented on the court.
“I’ve really tried to take us to the next level in a lot of aspects of the game,” she said. Whether it’s the revamped serving strategy or complex offensive sets, Branson has had no qualms about throwing collegiate-level concepts at her players.
“I really like to push girls because I think they’re capable of it. I really believe if you challenge them and provide them confidence in these challenges, they believe in themselves and then they shock themselves,” she said.
“I’ve really appreciated these girls getting on board with me pushing them and challenging them.”

The coach has observed improvements in her team’s defense and serve-receive. Middle hitters Hannah Leonard and Grace Armstrong have thrived with the advanced approach, their natural athleticism providing a launch pad for technical development.
“I think they are both shocked within themselves with some of the things they’re running and being successful with,” she said. Branson aptly pointed out that the entire offensive engine relies on setters.
“(They’ve) taken on a huge role in this offense I’m teaching them,” Branson said. “They have come a long way and I love how hard they work.”

In terms of individuals, as setter Logan Nobrega and libero Jessie Allen go, so go the Saints.
“I think those two on the court are very special for our team,” Branson said of her two captains. Nobrega, the “quarterback who runs the show,” brings “positive energy,” and leadership on and off the court. Statistically, the 16-year-old senior leads the team in aces and serve attempts.
“Which I think is huge,” Branson said of the latter statistic. “She’s doing something well with her serves to keep them out of system for us to be able to be successful in that rotation.”
Meanwhile, Allen’s technical acumen practically provides the Saints with an additional coach on the floor.
“I definitely put a lot of pressure on her and expect a lot of greatness out of her,” Branson said. “She runs our defense back there and picks up so much and allows our play to continue.”

Full gas from start to finish
As league wins piled up late into September, Branson reminded her squad of the ballooning target on their collective backs.
“We are going to get everyone’s best game,” she recalled saying at practices. That’s certainly what happened in the team’s gritty Oct. 25 win against a sneaky-good North Fork team and again versus Rangely last Saturday. One official remarked to the Saints’ coach, “that’s the best I’ve ever seen Rangely play.”
The Panthers handed the Saints a 25-14 victory in an error-filled first set, but stormed back to win the second, 25-22. In the third, Vail Christian posted a 20-12 advantage, but Rangely stormed back to win, 27-25.
“There’s been moments these last three weeks where either we start slow or we start great and then don’t finish,” Branson said. It’s a habit she knows the Saints need to kick.
“That’s something we’re really going to try to emphasize at practice.”
The Saints won the fourth and jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the decisive fifth, which they won 15-7.
“It was cool for them to dig deep and fight and play the way they did,” Branson said of the Rangely rally.
Later this week, Vail Christian will scrimmage the 4A No. 7-seeded Eagle Valley team. Branson and Devils’ coach Mike Garvey — who was Branson’s first coach as a fifth-grade club player — will give each other feedback after the friendly joint practice.
“He just knows the game so well,” Branson said of Garvey. “He knows what works and how to be successful.”
Branson expects the Devils (18-5) to give the Saints a glimpse of what they might see — fast-paced play, stronger strikes and stingier defense — should they advance to the big dance at the Denver Coliseum on Nov. 9-11. Branson has already watched some film of Wiggins (19-4), which enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the second-straight season.
“All these teams are good,” she said. “But, any team can beat any team at any moment.”