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WEEKEND OUTLOOK: Demon Invitational volleyball tournament a big draw

Jon Mitchell
Post Independent Sports Editor

What better way to start the high school volleyball season than with a tough season-opening tournament?

That’s what all five of Garfield County’s prep volleyball teams are doing now. Glenwood Springs, Roaring Fork, Rifle, Coal Ridge and Grand Valley begin the season with the 16th annual Glenwood Springs Invitational.

Each of the five teams began the season Thursday as an opening for pool play in the 16-team tournament. Pool play will resume at 11 a.m. today through 8 tonight, and it picks up again from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.



End-of-tournament matchups will be determined by the results in pool play. The tournament’s best teams will play at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

It’s a pretty stellar tournament bracket, also. Roaring Fork was ranked No. 7 in Class 3A headed into the weekend. Coal Ridge and Grand Valley each earned a 3A regional berth last season, as did Glenwood in Class 4A.



Also making up the tournament’s list of teams are West Grand, Meeker, Lutheran, Aspen, Vail Christian, Nucla, Denver Christian, Rangely, Moffat County, Steamboat Springs and the Glenwood Springs JV.

First full football Friday

Today marks the season openers for four of Garfield County’s prep football teams.

Rifle, the Class 3A runner-up a season ago that opened the season ranked No. 2 in the CHSAAnow.com 3A poll, opens the season at Bears Stadium. The Bears will host Coal Ridge, the inter-district rival just 10 miles up the I-70 frontage road. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Another rivalry of sorts — one that has been around much longer — will also renew tonight. Roaring Fork will head up to Basalt to take on the Longhorns. That kickoff is also set for 7 p.m. Roaring Fork rallied to win last season’s matchup, 30-28.

Grand Valley will also host a season opener tonight. The Cardinals will play a nonleague game against Meeker, with that kickoff also scheduled for 7 pm.

Glenwood Springs opened its season Aug. 23, falling 14-0 to Class 3A’s fifth-ranked team, Conifer. The Demons (0-1) won’t play again until next Thursday at Palisade.

jmitchell@postindependent.com


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