Three DII sporting events stand out from the rest, aside from the fantastic world of championship season. One is the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, which takes place on the first weekend of the DII men’s basketball season and features two days of intense rivalry amongst numerous nationally ranked teams. Another is the Maui Invitational, particularly if Chaminade manages to pull off a stunning shock. And this weekend in Denver, there will be another. In another iteration of the Colorado Premier Challenge, 11 nationally ranked volleyball teams will compete there.
Let’s take another look at the elite DII women’s volleyball event and how stacked the field is before it begins.
What is the Colorado Premier Challenge?
The Colorado Premier Challenge is just that—a challenging competition between elite DII women’s volleyball teams that take place in Denver. The hosts, Regis and MSU Denver, are located in downtown Denver and are 12 minutes away by drive.
In 1996, BYU-Hawaii and Central Missouri emerged as the event’s inaugural co-champions, winning four games each to sweep their respective brackets. Becky Laubach of BYU-Hawaii was the event’s inaugural MVP. The first and only time co-champions were crowned was at the 1996 finish. The other anomaly occurred in 2014, when a four-way tie at the top prevented a champion from being declared. With the exception of the 2020 season, which was halted due to COVID-19, the Colorado Premier Challenge has been held annually since 1996.
Regis and MSU Denver have made the most appearances of any program as co-hosts, with a total of 28. Central Missouri, which has the second-most appearances (25), is not included in the 2025 field. Concordia-St. Paul has won eight Colorado Premier Challenge titles, more than any other program, and has visited the state 18 times. West Texas A&M, the defending champs, have made 17 visits overall, and the Buffs’ victory last year gave them their third.
The Premier field of 12
The Colorado Premier Challenge is a DII women’s volleyball who’s who once more. Three of the clubs got votes, and eight of them were listed in the AVCA preseason top 25. Regis, who lost the DII women’s volleyball championship for the second time in ten years last season, is the only team in the tournament that did not receive a vote in the preseason. This weekend won’t get any easier for the Rangers, who have a dismal 0–4 start.
Second Preseason After making it to the national semifinals the previous year, Angelo State will be in Denver. With a 4-0 start to 2025, the Rambelles are vying for their first Challenge title in their ninth meeting. 18th preseason Another recurring national semifinalist in the field is Bentley. The Falcons, who have a 3-1 season opener at the St. Michael’s Windjammer Classic, are making their debut in the Colorado Premier Challenge. Ferris State, which was ranked fifth going into the season and advanced to the national quarterfinals the previous year, is also coming to Denver with a 3-1 record. The Challenge was won by the Bulldogs in 2015.
Bentley is invited to the Challenge by West Texas A&M, which finished eighth in the preseason rankings. With only one match lost over a 4-0 weekend, the reigning Challenge champions easily won their BritKare Lady Buff Classic. One of the athletes to keep an eye on throughout the preseason is Emma Becker, who has already scored points. Preseason No. 6 MSU Denver, one of the tournament’s hosts, swept the Embry Riddle Tournament opening weekend in sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. The Roadrunners won another Challenge championship in 2003, but their most recent victory came in 2021.
In DII women’s volleyball, “Premier” cannot exist without the top team of the twenty-first century. Concordia-St. Paul, ranked 13th in preseason, has won nine DII women’s volleyball crowns, more than any other program. These victories have all occurred since 2007. After winning this tournament in 2013, the Golden Bears are hoping to add another championship to their Challenge legend.
This following weekend in Denver, the nationally rated teams will be completed by Wayne State (Neb.), ranked No. 21 this preseason, and Point Loma (No. 16). Following a historic season in 2024 in which the Sea Lions won their first-ever DII tournament, Point Loma is making its tournament debut. They are 2-1 going into the weekend. Wayne State, which has already won the Challenge twice, most recently in 2022, is traveling to Denver for the sixth time. Before losing to the tournament hosts on the last day, the Wildcats were hammering their way through the Trevecca Nazarene/Ray Thrasher Classic with three consecutive sweeps.
Lewis, Missouri Western, and West Florida all garnered votes in the preseason poll and will travel to Denver. The Argos are coming off a 2024 season in which they established the GSC record by finishing 22-0 in conference play, and they went 3-1 in their own SpringHill Suites Invitational opening-weekend tournament. MoWest, which is 4-0 and making its second appearance at the Challenge in program history, is playing in its first DII event since last year. Lewis frequently participates in both the NCAA tournaments and Denver. The Flyers are making their 13th appearance and are 3-1.
The challenging schedule
You can keep up with the tournament beginning on Friday, Sept. 12 at the official website of the Colorado Premier Challenge.
Below is the schedule of matches for Day 1, with a look ahead to Day 2 as well. All times are Eastern.
SEPTEMBER 12
| Matchup | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| West Texas A&M vs. Bentley | 12 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Angelo State vs. Missouri Western | 12 p.m. | Regis |
| West Florida vs. Ferris State | 12 p.m. | Regis |
| Lewis University vs. Wayne State (Neb.) | 12 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Point Loma vs Bentley | 4 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Concordia-St. Paul vs Missouri Western | 4 p.m. | Regis |
| Regis vs Ferris State | 4 p.m. | Regis |
| MSU Denver vs. Wayne State (Neb.) | 4 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| West Texas A&M vs. Point Loma | 8 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Angelo State vs. Concordia-St. Paul | 8 p.m. | Regis |
| Regis vs. West Florida | 8 p.m. | Regis |
| MSU Denver vs. Lewis | 8 p.m. | MSU Denver |
SEPTEMBER 13
| Teams | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Bracket – Game One | 11 a.m. | MSU Denver |
| Gold Bracket – Game One | 11 a.m. | Regis |
| Bronze Bracket – Game One | 11 a.m. | MSU Denver |
| Silver Bracket – Game Two | 1:30 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Bronze Bracket – Game Three | 1:30 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Gold Bracket – Game Two | 1:30 p.m. | Regis |
| Bronze Bracket – 3rd Place Match | 6:30 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Silver Bracket – 3rd Place Match | 6:30 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Gold Bracket – 3rd Place Match | 6:30 p.m. | Regis |
| Silver Bracket – 1st Place Match | 9 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Bronze Bracket – 1st Place Match | 9 p.m. | MSU Denver |
| Gold Bracket – Championship Match | 9 p.m. | Regis |
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