The overriding question heading into the Class 4A state girls volleyball tournament was whether or not anyone could handle Thompson Valley’s formidable firepower. The answer was a definitive no. The Eagles thrashed Lutheran in the finals, winning 25-19, 25-12, 25-14 to capture their third title in their last four years. “These girls have played together for a long time, and they have played together for four years under me, so now they just run with it,” coach Lester Thorne said. “We took a while to get in a rhythm, but we usually get it together and start playing our best toward the end, which is super nice.” Thompson Valley High School’s Tessa Vittorio (14) bumps the ball during the class 4A state volleyball game against Lutheran High School at the Denver Coliseum, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 in Denver. Thompson Valley High School won the state title after defeating Lutheran High School 3-0. (Rebecca Slezak/Special to The Denver Post) The Eagles finished the season 28-1, their only loss coming to Class 5A Chaparral early this month. TV regained the throne after losing to Lewis-Palmer in last year’s epic, five-game title match. TV won at all in 2021 and ’22. TV clinched its spot in Saturday’s championship with a dominating victory over Windsor in the semifinals earlier in the day. The Eagles blitzed the Wizards in straight sets (25-20, 25-8, 25-7). Windsor managed to hand TV its only set loss of the tournament in the second round on Thursday. “Our team is so close and so talented,” said senior Avery Gibbs, who earned a scholarship to UC Santa Barbara. “When we play our best, I don’t think anybody can beat us. … I think that loss to Windsor kind of woke us up a little bit. We were really focused and intense after that.” She was right about that. “We were fired up today,” Thorne said. “These girls are such good athletes and competitors. I really don’t have to do much — just let them get after it.” The Eagles are loaded with talent: Kayla Kauffman is headed to Northwestern, Tatum Sharp is going to Western Carolina and Ashlyn Tafoya earned a scholarship to Colorado Mesa. Related Articles Preps | Village Mountaineers rally to stun Platte Valley for Class 3A volleyball title Preps | Valor Christian claims Class 5A girls volleyball three-peat with passion: “This is my family” Preps | Cherry Creek’s Cole Wearner lifts Bruins to Class 5A boys soccer title in 2-1 win over Broomfield Preps | Merino High puts dynasty on line at state volleyball tournament Preps | Colorado high school football playoffs: Chalk, toss-ups and upset alerts in the second weekend of postseason play “We are definitely loaded with hitters and I think that’s been the bonus for us this year,” Thorne said. “We have such great depth and we’ve had this depth all four years,” Sharp added. “Every year, we have other girls willing to step up to the plate.” Lutheran earned a spot in the championship by beating Cheyenne Mountain in the best match of the semifinals. The Lions dropped the first set, 25-16, and looked out of sync. But they got their act together and eventually won in five sets (16-25, 25-17, 25-22, 19-25, 16-14). “This feels so surreal,” Avery said. “This is such a special group of girls. I’m so proud of what we did over four years.” Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.