Vail Christian and Battle Mountain volleyball seasons come to a close at state tournament

After going 0-2 at the 2024 state volleyball tournament, both Vail Christian and Battle Mountain returned this fall eager to make a deeper run.

The No. 8 Huskies swept Mead in their first game of the 4A tournament before falling to No. 1 Montrose in the second round. In the elimination bracket, Battle Mountain clawed back against Green Mountain for a 3-1 win and rallied from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Standley Lake late Friday night to earn a third day of competition. The Huskies’ season came to a close in a 3-0 loss to Windsor, which went on to lose in the state championship game against University.

“I know they wanted more, but I think our girls were pretty satisfied with how we finished,” said head coach Scott Graves, who called the 2025 season a “redemption tour.” The Huskies made amends against Mead, the team that took them out in the first round of the 2024 state tournament. During the regular season, they also beat Palisade for just the second time in the squads’ last 22 meetings. Battle Mountain won back-to-back league crowns for the first time in almost two decades and got revenge for the whole state when they eliminated Thompson Valley — the 2021, 2022 and 2024 state champions — in the regional final earlier this month in Edwards.

“They’d lost a lot of players, but that’s still a quality program,” Graves said.

The Saints went 1-2 over Thursday and Friday, with both losses coming to eventual state semifinalists.

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“I don’t know if you want to say you feel good about that, but it makes the loss a little easier to take,” head coach Britney Branson said before adding that it would have felt better to at least nab a second victory.

“I felt we were capable of being in the top four,” she continued. “But ultimately, it was a wonderful season. We did reach a lot of our goals. We wanted to be undefeated in league, host regionals, make it to state and do well.”

Branson said the opening loss to No. 6 Swink had “great moments” but wasn’t Vail Christian volleyball from start to finish. The Saints struggled with first contact and couldn’t set up its offensive juggernauts. Still, the first set was a 26-24 loss Branson’s club led by five late in the second before unforced errors allowed the Lions to rally for a four-point victory.

With their backs against the wall, Vail Christian put together a “magical” game against Yuma. Mary McClarrinon had 13 kills in the sweep, Michelle Teague had four aces from the service line and Tenley Brasington and Betty Bartok combined for 35 assists.

“The energy was awesome,” Branson remarked. “It’s hard when it’s double elimination and whoever loses goes home but I was really proud they didn’t let that get to their heads. I felt like they really crushed it.”

Vail Christian was up 10-4 in the first set against Wiggins in the second round of the elimination bracket, but the Tigers — who won state titles in 2020 and 2023 — roared back for a 25-17 win en route to a 3-0 sweep.

“I was honored to go up against them and I thought we started strong,” Branson said. “I think they kind of outplayed us in some areas, outsmarted us in some areas. There was a lot of tipping going on that was smart and they were hitting spots where we weren’t and we weren’t reading them early enough. And they really kind of shut us down offensively later in the match.”

Vail Christian had five athletes tally five or more kills, but none had more than six. Down 20-9 in the final, Branson called a timeout and told her team, “this is it, give everything you’ve got.” The Saints got the deficit down to five before falling 25-16.

“I felt like we fought to the end,” Branson said.

Battle Mountain finished the year with a 24-6 record and 11-1 league mark. In two years at the helm, Graves has guided the Huskies to a 47-8 record. The 24 victories this year are the most since 2007.

“I think with where we’re at in this valley, I think skill development needs to come first,” Graves answered when asked about his secret sauce. “We have to get players hitting at a high percentage, a high elevation and seeing the block.”

Graves admitted to being a more “offensive-minded” coach who happened to be blessed with natural defenders this season.

“Our defense carried us this year,” he added.

The Huskies graduate Cynthia Orona, who led the team in kills and serve-receive and was second in digs one year after taking care of setting duties.

“She was our backbone. I think she was the motivator of our team. She held our team accountable when we didn’t play to the best of our ability,” Graves said of Orona, who was selected to play in the all-state games this weekend. “She sees the block very well and she’s so crafty — she sees a lot of the court.”

They also say goodbye to Abby Rowe, who topped the team in blocks. Graves joked that Rowe seemed to be filled with helium.

“When she jumps, she just keeps going up,” he said. “We’re going to miss that.”

Provided a few returning skill position players rise to replace the departing seniors, Graves feels the Huskies have a good shot at returning to the Denver Coliseum next year. The same is true for Vail Christian, which brings back its entire roster except senior Betty Bartok.

“She’s such a well-rounded player; can do everything good. And she’s such a great leader,” Branson said of the senior, who will also participate in the all-state games. “I’m just excited for her.”

Vail Christian went 21-6 and put up a 10-0 league record, the second time in Branson’s three years the Saints have been undefeated in the Western Slope.

“I think everyone wishes we probably did a little better (at state) but I don’t want to take away all the greatness that came from this year,” Branson said. “We aren’t satisfied and so I’m already thinking about next year, but I’m also very proud of this group and the accomplishments and everything we did this year.”

In order to take the next step, however, Branson knows she needs to be strategic in scheduling tough non-league opponents. Next year, the Saints will travel to Wiggins for a tournament, where they’ll get a rematch with the Tigers and also a look at 2A state champion Simla and two 1A final-4 squads. Vail Christian will also compete at a tournament at Denver Christian, the No. 2 seed in this year’s 2A state bracket.

“The last two years, going to state and a lot of those girls getting that experience and seeing what it takes will be huge,” Branson said. “But now it’s kind of teaching them we have to learn to fight and compete at that level and deserve to be there — and are just as good.”