NOTES: Silverado aims to prove it belongs in Fall Classic

Silverado’s girls volleyball team was a late addition to the field for the Durango Fall Classic.

The Skyhawks hope to show they belonged in the tournament all along.

Silverado is one of 10 local teams entered in the 22nd annual Durango Fall Classic, which opens Friday at four valley schools and features several nationally ranked programs.

“We see it as an opportunity and challenge for the girls,” first-year Silverado coach Eric Drum said. “This is probably the most elite tournament in the valley during the high school season. It’s going to be great for us. Playing against higher-level competition will only make us better.”

Silverado was added to the 63-team field this summer when another team dropped out and meets Kamehameha (Hawaii), Marymount (California) and Ralston Valley (Colorado) in pool play Friday at Coronado.

The Skyhawks, led by outside hitters MacKenzie Carter and Sydney Berenyi and setter Tehani Faitau, were expected to be one of the top teams in the Class 4A Sunrise Region this season and haven’t disappointed.

Silverado (10-1) hasn’t lost a set against in-state competition, and its only loss was against Central (California) at the Las Vegas Invitational last month.

“I’m very pleased with the start of our season,” Drum said. “We definitely have a lot of work to do, but we’ve played, competed and won against some really good programs in the valley.”

The Durango Fall Classic opens Friday with matches at Coronado, Durango, Green Valley and Palo Verde. The championship bracket final is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Durango.

Assumption (Kentucky) is the two-time defending tournament champion. Coronado finished 12th in 2015, the best showing by a local team since 2003.

“Overall, big picture, I’m looking for us to be a better team than when we started,” Drum said. “The team that improves the most during the tournament is the real winner.”

BORGEL SETS RECORD

Bishop Gorman senior forward Hannah Borgel broke the school’s career scoring record in the Gaels’ 9-0 soccer victory over Legacy on Thursday.

Borgel had three goals to surpass the mark of 56 set by Haley Wingender from 2010 to 2012. Borgel scored in Monday’s 6-0 win over Sierra Vista and now has 60 goals and a school-record 40 assists in her career.

HILL HITS MILESTONE

Green Valley girls volleyball coach Erin Hill notched her 500th career victory Monday in the Gators’ three-set victory over host Centennial.

Hill has guided Green Valley to five state titles and eight Sunrise Region championships in 26 seasons.

POLL POSITIONS

Gorman’s girls soccer team remained at No. 7 in the USA Today/National Soccer Coaches Association of America Region VI rankings released Tuesday. Arbor View, the four-time defending state champion, moved up one spot to No. 11.

Durango’s boys soccer team fell two places to No. 6 in the USA Today/NSCAA Region VIII poll, while Canyon Springs debuted at No. 10.

Gorman retained the top spot in the USA Today Super 25 football poll, while Liberty stayed in the rankings at No. 24 ahead of its Thursday showdown with Desert Pines.

RECENT COMMITMENTS

■ Palo Verde senior Dylan Orlando to Washington State for baseball.

■ Green Valley senior Alexa Eastep to Colorado State-Pueblo for women’s soccer.

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ