September 15, 2022

The prestigious Durango Fall Classic is on tap this Friday and Saturday in Las Vegas. It’s a phenomenal tournament that always manages to live up to the hype if not surpass it. This year’s 64-team field features schools from 12 states, with 13 programs participating from vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50 National HS Rankings. It includes national No. 1 Cathedral Catholic CA, which is the top seed overall. Friday’s action opens with 16, four-team pools. The 16 pool winners advance to Saturday’s championship qualifying bracket at Durango High School where one will walk away with the coveted trophy. Will it be Cathedral Catholic? The Dons have yet to lose this season and were victorious here recently having captured the Durango title in 2019. Or could we see Assumption KY reclaim its reign? The Rockets dominated the desert for a stretch, winning titles in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Or is someone else going to deliver an unforeseen storyline of their own? Plenty are capable. Watching it unfold is sure to deliver its share of chills and goose bumps as teams chase Durango gold during two intense days of competition. Below is a breakdown of the tournament featuring nationally-ranked teams, team spotlights and players to watch. vballrecruiter.com Nationally Ranked Teams (13): 1. Cathedral Catholic CA 7. Assumption KY 10. Sierra Canyon CA 16. Marymount CA 23. Punahou HI 27. Torrey Pines CA 29. Redondo Union CA 34. ‘Iolani HI 37. Mater Dei CA 38. Fayetteville AR 39. Kamehameha HI 45. Mountain View UT 50. Timpview UT *** Breakdown by State: Arizona (3): Ironwood Ridge; Queen Creek; Xavier Prep Arkansas: Fayetteville California (28): Archbishop Mitty; Bakersfield Christian; Beckman; Bishop Alemany; Branson; Campolindo; Cathedral Catholic; Clovis West; Flintridge Sacred Heart; Foothill; Harvard-Westlake; La Costa Canyon; La Salle; Lakewood; Liberty; Los Alamitos; Marin Catholic; Marymount; Mater Dei; Ontario Christian; Rancho Cucamonga; Redondo Union; Sierra Canyon; South Torrance; St. Ignatius; Torrey Pines; Vista Murrieta; Wilson Florida (2): Leon; St. Thomas Aquinas Hawaii (5): ‘Iolani; Kahuku; Kamehameha Kapalama; Kamehameha Hawaii; Punahou Idaho (2): Madison; Skyview Kentucky (2): Assumption; Mercy Nevada (12): Arbor View; Bishop Gorman; Bishop Manogue; Centennial; Coronado; Desert Oasis; Durango; Faith Lutheran; Moapa Valley; Palo Verde; Rancho; Shadow Ridge New York: Poly Prep Country Day Texas: The Hockaday School Utah (6): Corner Canyon; Crimson Cliffs; Lone Peak; Mountain View; Pleasant Grove; Timpview Washington: Lakeside *** THE FAVORITES CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC (1 – overall seed)– The Dons bring their unblemished mark to the desert and will go for its third tournament title of the year after securing championships at the Kamehameha and Dave Mohs tourneys. The loaded lineup includes senior outside Julia Blyashov, senior right side Noemie Glover, senior outside Milan Bayless, senior middle Ryleigh Patterson, junior middle Jenna Hanes, junior setter Amanda Saeger and sophomore libero Maya Evens. ASSUMPTION (3) – Fresh off a second-place showing at the LIVT last weekend, the Rockets took on Mater Dei on Wednesday before making the trek to Vegas. There’s no doubt Assumption has the goods to win it all. At the helm is senior setter Whitney Woodrow. She has talented options surrounding her, ones that include junior outside Charlotte Moriarty, senior Gabrielle Gerry and sophomore Bailey Blair in the middle, and senior Alexis Strong on the right. Sophomore libero Kristen Simon helps makes up a strong defensive and disciplined mindset the Rockets are known for. SIERRA CANYON (4)– The Trailblazers finished runner up at the Ann Kang Invitational, where they split a pair of matches with Mira Costa, which is absent from this year’s field. The only other loss for Sierra Canyon was a surprise set back to San Clemente. If the ball control is there the Trailblazers have enough firepower to leave with the trophy. At the top of the list is senior right side Olivia Babcock. She’s backed by senior outside Jade Sione, junior outside Danica Rach and junior middle Madeline Way. Directing the offense is junior setter Sade Ilawole and anchoring the defense is sophomore libero Lauren Lynch. MATER DEI (8) – The Monarchs certainly have the talent to get it done but haven’t fully put it together yet. Mater Dei scored a big victory over Ann Kang champ Mira Costa but stumbled in losses to Redondo Union, Lakewood and San Clemente. Junior outsides Isabel Clark and Babi Gubbins carry the offensive load. Junior right side Cymarah Gordon, senior middle Liz Hertzog and freshman right side Layli Ostovar also contribute to the attack that is directed by sophomore Ayva Ostovar and senior Mikayla Delgadillo. Junior Malyssa Cawa suits up at libero. REDONDO UNION (15)– The Seahawks have been on the upswing recently. Redondo picked up losses to both ‘Iolani and Punahou at the Ann Kang Invitational and then was upstaged by both Sierra Canyon and Torrey Pines once back on the mainland. However, the Seahawks haven’t lost since, including victories over Mater Dei and Marymount. The lineup is also bolstered by the addition of a pair of newcomers in junior outside Abby Benefield and junior right side Alanna Jones, who are eligible to play this week. They join the already dangerous senior outside Mele Corral-Blagojevich. *** TEAM SPOTLIGHTS FAYETTEVILLE (2) – Entering this week, the Bulldogs had only dropped one set. There’s no doubt that mark is going to get tested this weekend in Vegas. Fayetteville opens as the No. 2 seed but doesn’t have the same strength of schedule as other in the field and thus we don’t have the Arkansas school counted among the favorites to win it. Regardless, this is a true measuring test for where the Bulldogs stack up. Leading the charge is senior setter Kennedy Phelan. Her main targets are senior outsides Brooke Rockwell and Madeline LaFata. TIMPVIEW (5) – The Thunderbirds experienced their first defeat of the year when they fell to Mountain View – which is also in the Durango field – on Tuesday evening. Senior outside Taliah Lee is the go-to hitter and someone defenses must contain. Another to watch for is sophomore libero Tiana Mariner. MARYMOUNT (6)