Casper was absolutely rocking on the evening of November 8th, as four Championship Volleyball games covered the iconic four-court, synthetic playing surface of the Ford Wyoming Center. Eight teams advanced to the final round of the 2025 Wyoming State Volleyball Championships and yet again, this epic season finale was another amazing experience for prep fans.
If you’ve ever been to the Volleyball State Championships, you know how electric the format can be. Inside the arena, the main floor section is divided into four separate court sections – meaning all four championship games are played simultaneously. The 1A and 3A Courts on the east side, 2A and 4A on the west.
The arena retracted its lower-bowl seating to make way for the third and fourth courts, giving this unique Colosseum energy unlikely anywhere else in Wyoming. Fans were seated directly above their respective classification, but awesomely, were able to see the three other courts quite clearly.
We saw 32 teams take action on Thursday, eventually boiling down to eight on Saturday evening. A gauntlet-styled tournament that begs for three wins in consecutive days. All culminating in this ceremonious introduction, opened by a vibrant pregame period.
Approximately 100 volleyball players flooded the arena floor for an extended warmup duration, prepping for the game and making final adjustments with the coaching staff. Volleyballs were flying everywhere, players were passing and swinging, and coaches were having those last-minute conversations prior to team introductions.
Roughly 5,000 fans perused the concourse for a variety of concession stands, information booths, or to buy a T-shirt. This event felt fun, the music was incredible, and it was a testament of how loved volleyball is in Wyoming. If this was your first time attending the Wyoming State Volleyball Championships, you might be converted for life.
1A Class – Cokeville Panthers vs. Little Snake River Rattlers
This was one-of-two matches that went to five sets, leaving the local fans hanging in the balance of every single point. This was a rematch of last week’s regional championship match – which also went to five sets – where the Rattlers won 3-2. The heaviness of the Saturday’s sequel justifies it as one of the best matches all weekend.
Noteables:
BUR Sarah McNiven, 3x All-State
BUR Madilyn Dayton, 2x All-State
BUR Addison Barnes, All-State
LSR Kenzie Evans, 3x All-State, 1A POY
LSR Melanie Cozzens, 2x All-State
LSR Jori Maxson, All-State
Tale of the Tape:
Little Snake River was led by a trio of senior hitters: Jori Maxson, Bailey Myers, and Kenzie Evans. Their tall, athletic offense powered them to a 29-3 record moving into the championship. This team had a very impressive run through 2025, and after last week’s regional victory, they were poised for a title shot. The Rattlers featured four All-Conference players.
But Cokeville resembled their familiar self – athletic defense and a well-conditioned program. With only 3 players on the bench, the Panthers starters played more volleyball than in 1A. Their pedigree was on full display again, vying for their 6th title in 9 years, and 27th in program history. They touted five All-Conference selections.
After a shootout that lasted nearly three hours, the final few points of 1A’s Championship Match were closing in. Cokeville’s strategy to feed (OH) Addison Barnes paid off as the attacker never ran out of steam. She scored a lion’s share of the Panther points, powering Cokeville to a 15-9 win in the rare, fifth set.
2A Class – Big Horn Rams vs. Sundance Bulldogs
Similar to the 1A Class, the 2A Championship match was also a sequel of last week’s regional championship game. This time, it wasn’t a five-set affair, but a 3-0 sweep. Sundance claimed the number one seed, and seven days later, chased a repeat-version of last week’s decisive win over the Rams, leaving Big Horn’s “3-Peat” hanging in the balance.
Noteables:
BH Leah Phillips, 2x All-State
BH Afton Cummins, All-State
BH Hannah Clark, All-State
SUN Jaylin Mills, 4x All-State, 2A POY
SUN Blakely Gill, 2x All-State, 2A Defensive POY
SUN Chelsey Blasczyk, 2A East Coach of the Year
Tale of the Tape:
The Bulldogs knew they’d be facing a team who made adjustments after the regional championship loss, but we’re still committed to their gameplan. Get the 2A Player of the Year, Jaylin Mills, involved early and often.
But the Rams set the tone at the net immediately, calling on their athletic front-line. Afton Cummins and Emma Meyer were tasked with slowing down Sundance’s potent attack, a rather difficult task that they ultimately did live up to.
For all the talk about an excellent Big Horn defense, the Rams saw an abnormally higher kill/attempt percentage, and well-above average of service aces. Sundance saw their lowest kills/set in a game all season, and their first time ever with a negative hitting percentage.
Big Horn discredited last week’s sweep immediately with a 25-23 victory in the first set, proving to Sundance that this championship match would be different. The Rams dropped the second set to a momentum swing within Sundance, but captured the third and fourth sets for a 3-1 victory in the Saturday’s title match. This was Big Horn’s third-consecutive 2A Championship victory, and eighth title in school history.
3A Class – Lovell Bulldogs vs. Cody Fillies
This was the most interesting match of the weekend. These two teams faced off four times prior to Saturday’s championship match. The Fillies dominated the series, winning on all four occasions. Last time the two teams played was seven days ago, when Cody won 3-1 in the Regional Championship.
Right now, Cody has one of the most athletic classes we’ve ever seen in 3A. Everywhere you look is an All-State athlete in multiple sports. It would be perfectly acceptable to predict a Cody-victory based on the information at hand. Thus far, the only team to beat Cody in 2025 was 4A’s Champion in Kelly Walsh.
Noteables:
LOV Ali Walker, All-State
LOV Avery Walker, All-State
COD Maddie Beaudrie, 3A West POY, All-State
COD Allison Gee, 2x All-State
COD Grace Hays, All-State
COD Ellie Talich, All-State
Tale of the Tape:
But Lovell was no slouch. Outside of the Cody series, the Bulldogs had only lost one other time to Wyoming competition. They featured the second-best attacking offense, and top-ranked serving team. After sweeping Douglas in the semi-finals, this Bulldog team was peaking at the perfect time.
A rugged five-set match ensued, only the third of the season for both programs. After Cody grabbed the first set 28-26, it felt like this might be another Cody beatdown. But Lovell responded with a 25-22 victory in the second set. The two teams alternated wins in the third and fourth set, setting the stage for the second five-set match of 2025.
Down to the final few minutes, no one was sure how this match would end. Lovell clinged to a poetic 15-12 upset victory, emerging as the only 3A team to beat Cody in 2025. This was the Bulldogs first championship since 2012, and their first in the 3A classification.
4A Class – Kelly Walsh Trojans vs. Green River Wolves
As expected, the Casper-Kelly Walsh home crowd was in full effect in Saturday’s championship round. The Trojans were front runners in 2025, alluding to a likely appearance in the biggest moment at Ford Wyoming Center. The Wolves of Green River also travelled extremely well, pitting two light-green fanbases together for the season finale.
Just like every other title match, the 4A championship was a throwback to last week’s Regional Championship. Kelly Walsh won that one 3-1. The Trojans entered Saturday with an impressive 33-3 record, and Green River with a 26-6 overall record – both with only one conference loss to each other.
Noteables:
KW Lillian Hudson, 3A West POY, 2x All-State
KW Gia Ireland, 2x All-State
KW Makieha Humphreys, All-State
KW Emma Hagar, All-State
GR Sophia Arnold, 3A West Defensive POY, 2x All-State
GR Sydnie Eastman, All-State
Tale of the Tape:
After stunning the first-set, the Wolves went up 1-0 over the home-town Trojans. Nicole Wilson and Natalie Tynsky powered the Green River offense on Saturday, taking set one by eight points. Green River previously beat Kelly Walsh in October, and for a minute, this looked like a flashback.
Kelly Walsh quickly responded with a 25-9 uproar in the second set, and never really looked back. The Trojans pulled a reverse-sweep over Green River by winning the second, third, and fourth sets consecutively. It was Kelly Walsh’s second title in a row, and 12th in school history. The Trojans are building a dynasty, as Saturday’s championship reaffirmed Kelly Walsh’s sixth in nine seasons.
