For the first time in three years, Campion’s volleyball and soccer teams went to Union College to compete at the Fall Tournament.

Both teams returned on Sunday from three days of friendly competitions, where Campion and 16 other Adventist schools from all over the United States were brought together.

Colton Herber, senior and captain of the soccer team, commented: “I looked forward to this tournament a lot, and being able to finally go is something I’ll remember. Being a senior and a captain definitely put me into a different mindset than previous years. Especially after not going the last two years due to COVID, I really wanted to play my hardest and help put my team in the best situation possible.”

The soccer team started off by winning their first pool game against College View Academy with an impressive 7-2 final score. However, after losing the next few games, they ended by placing third in the Clocktower division (secondary bracket). 

The girl’s volleyball team also had a mixture of wins and losses, but finished strong in second place in the Clocktower division after playing in the championship game Saturday night. 

For the volleyball team, the game against cross-town rival Mile High was definitely a highlight, since they won 2-1. “That was definitely my favorite part,” Lindsey Smith, senior and captain of the volleyball team expressed; “We really came together as a team and played our absolute hardest and in the end it paid off. It felt good to play them again and, this time, come out on top.” 

The time spent on-campus didn’t consist only of games, the program included events such as Vespers on Friday night, where the students came together to worship and praise God. It was led by college students and chaplains, and they also had an afterglow with music and bonding.

The overall winners of the tournament in soccer were Sunnydale Academy, Thunderdome Division, and Maplewood Academy, Clocktower Division. In volleyball, Forest Lake Academy took first place in the Thunderdome Division and Hinsdale Academy in the Clocktower Division. 

Ariel Patterson and Joaquin Mendoza both got the All Tournament Award, as best players from the Campion teams.

Mendoza explained, “Winning this award meant so much to me, it is my first-ever award, I will forever keep it with me and be proud of it, I wouldn’t have done it without the help of my coaches, teammates, and managers.”


“I really enjoyed and loved every second of the tournament,” Mendoza continued; “I had never been to a tournament before, so being able to experience that moment was amazing. It makes me sad to think that the season is over, but thankfully I was able to enjoy it and play. I love my teammates, they pushed me to become a better person and player, I will miss playing with them.”

Ana Segawa, Campion News Team

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The boy's Varsity Soccer team beat Nederland High School in the first game of the season at home. 

In the first volleyball game of the season, the Cougars won at home against Poudre Community Academy. 

The first quarter intramurals finished off with championship games last week. Campion’s co-ed intramural program has been keeping the students active and healthy even while varsity sports are temporarily suspended. Students were given the option to choose between three sports: flag football, volleyball, and disc golf. Teams played twice a week for eight weeks, all getting the opportunity to compete against each other. 

Flag football championships kicked off the week on Monday night. Team “You Wish” beat the “Beamers”. Kevin Perez, a senior who played on the winning team, said, “At the beginning we really struggled, but we were able to win because in the end we communicated and worked as a team.” 

Volleyball originally started in the sand but transitioned to the gym due to the weather. Last Thursday, teams “Freeland” and “Quicksand” competed for the championship title. It was a close match but “Freeland” was able to take the win 2-1 and ended the season undefeated. 

Ireland Anthony, senior and captain of “Freeland,” said, “We were undefeated because we all had chemistry and good communication with each other. We had so much fun on the court but were still able to be serious when needed. My favorite game we played was the last one! We had amazing rallies and it was so much fun!” 

The number of members on each team was reduced to ensure social distancing and help limit contact. The teams were also required to wear masks and temperature checks were taken each day in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. 

A major benefit of the intramural program has been the camaraderie it’s created amongst students. Perez reflected, “My favorite part of intramurals was getting to know my teammates. I didn’t know them well before, so it was really nice to grow my relationships with them.” 

The second quarter intramurals season will begin with new sports in November. Campion plans to continue keeping students active with precautions, while awaiting the official sports seasons. 

Bentlee Barry, Student News Team

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photos courtesy of Union College

Campion’s volleyball team brought home the tournament trophy for the first time this last weekend after some intense playing at the Union College Volleyball Invitational Tournament.
A phenomenal experience for players and coaches alike, the entire team reminisced about their games as they returned home from Lincoln, Nebraska, on Sunday the 18th.
Head coach Erin Hieb and assistant Kelsey Downey, both Campion alumni, have enjoyed the 2015 season with the volleyball team.  Their team theme for this season focused on playing with 100% effort in practice and through every point, set, and match.  As coaches, they did their best to encourage good sportsmanship and determination, and really focused on helping the girls have as much fun as possible.  
Coach Kelsey felt that losing Wednesday night practice time, a new challenge this year, definitely affected the overall outcome of the season and made Tuesday and Thursday games more of a challenge because of no practice on Wednesday.  However, win or lose, she argued, the girls were able to have more time to focus on the spiritual side of life, which is what Campion is all about. The attitudes and effort of these athletes revealed a commitment to the sport, but foremost to their Savior.
On Saturday night of volleyball tournament, the Lady Cougars decided to carry on the tradition of writing a Bible verse on their hands as a reminder of Whom they truly play for.  This year the text was taken from Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  The team decided this verse was an excellent choice for a night of hard work and intense play.  With God’s help and a lot of determination from every team member, the Lady Cougars fought from the heart for their first ever victory at the Union College Volleyball Tournament. [Kelsey Downey]

Read Union College's tournament report.