Rampart High School’s boys’ volleyball team defeated Discovery Canyon in a decisive three-set sweep (25-18, 25-16, 25-19) on Thursday, marking the first official “D-20 game” between the two schools.
The contest, held at the Rampart gym and decorated with multi-colored balloons, represents a new tradition for teams within Academy School District 20. The district split into two volleyball teams two years ago, with Pine Creek, Liberty, and Rampart forming the Rams, and The Classical Academy, Air Academy, and Discovery Canyon composing the Thunder. Players from Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer, schools in neighboring District 38 without boys’ volleyball programs, compete for Discovery Canyon.
Thursday’s victory elevates Rampart’s season record to 12-1, with an 8-0 league standing. Their sole loss came earlier in the season against Valor Christian during a tournament. The win also ended Discovery Canyon’s five-match winning streak.
Rampart established early dominance, winning the first set 25-18 and leading by as many as 12 points. Although Discovery Canyon remained competitive in the second set, Rampart closed it out 25-16. The Rams maintained momentum throughout the third set, securing a 25-19 victory.
“We came out really strong,” said Rampart coach Marc Phillips. “They know a lot of the DCC boys, so a lot of competitive juices were flowing, but our layers came out strong and set the tone for the rest.”
A highlight of the evening was Rampart junior Dylan Paurus achieving his 1,000th career assist during the second set. Paurus, in his second season with Rampart, previously played for Discovery Canyon during his freshman year, before the district realignment. He has been playing volleyball for five years overall.
Paurus finished the night with 1,015 career assists. The Rampart student section celebrated the milestone with golden balloon numbers displaying “1,000” and a handmade congratulatory sign.
“It was amazing, I never thought I would come this far,” Paurus said. “Here’s such a great feeling. I had no idea they would do this celebration and stuff. This is our best win so far. it feels great to win. I can’t describe how it feels.”
Rampart sophomore Aven Fedde praised Paurus’s consistency, stating, “He never misses a set. You can always depend on him to have a great set and run the offense.”
Despite drawing players from multiple schools, the Rams have reportedly experienced no challenges in building team cohesion, with several players already familiar with each other from playing together on Team Colorado Volleyball during the offseason.
Coach Phillips anticipates the win will provide momentum heading into spring break and the second half of the season. After reaching regionals last year, the Rams are aiming to build on that foundation and improve their performance. “Last year was the first year as a team, so there were no expectations,” Phillips said. “We were able to make it to regionals and want to build off last year and build a foundation. We talk about ‘making it happen,’ and we will put in the time to make it happen for each other.”
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