Otis High School volleyball has rarely missed the state tournament over the past 30 years of so, winning five state championships during that span.
Count the shortened Season C in 2021 as another state-tournament campaign.
The Bulldogs, the 11th-seed in the 24-team regional, might have received an assist in the form of sixth-seed Springfield having to bow out of regional thanks to COVID issues.
That resulted in Otis getting to host 19th-seed Weldon Valley last Friday, with the winner advancing to the state tournament, May 12-13 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs.
The Bulldogs made the most of the situation, claiming a 25-20, 25-17, 25-22 win over the Warriors.
Otis, now 12-3, enters the eight-team 1A State Tournament as the eight seed, taking top-seed Fleming, 13-2, in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 11 a.m.
The state tourney will be played in a straight-up eight-team bracket, just like back in the day when the Bulldogs began making their regular pilgrimage to the big show. It will be win-or-go-home. The semifinals and championship will be played on Thursday.
The winner of the Otis-Fleming match will take on the winner of the fourth-seed Simla vs. fifth-seed Stratton/Liberty quarterfinal in the 8 a.m. semifinal, Thursday.
The other side of the bracket has third-seed Merino playing sixth-seed Briggsdale, and second-seed Wiley taking on seventh-seed Sangre de Cristo.
Otis was challenged by Weldon Valley, last Friday in regional, but the Bulldogs answered the call with the straight-set win.
Becca Bleak and Rowan Tribelhorn each had 15 kills, Jayce Perry three, and Azariah Erickson two. Ali Hornung recorded 31 setting assists. Anthoneya Schaffert and Bleak led in serve receive, and digs. Hailey Stivers was 19-20 serving with four aces, Bleak 13-14 with three aces, Tribelhorn 11-11 with one ace, Erickson 9-9, Schaffert 8-9 with one ace, and Hornung 8-8.
