Winning the Class 2A state volleyball championship Friday is impossible, but watching title hopes vanish is a real possibility.

Top-seeded Simla didn't melt in the Denver Coliseum's spotlight.

The Cubs took care of Mancos (25-15, 25-12, 25-15) and Resurrection Christian (25-16, 25-17, 20- 25, 27-25) during the opening day of pool play.

"I'm very pleased with the way my team is playing," veteran Simla coach Susan Snyder said. "The girls are doing what we have asked them to do. My starters, my bench players, all are pulling together for us to be successful."

Simla upped its record to 28-0 and concludes pool play this morning against Burlington. The Cubs are atop the Pool 1 standings, followed by Resurrection Christian and Burlington, both with 1-1 records.

In Pool 2, defending state champion Hoehne is 2-0. The Farmers beat Rangely in five games, then upended Dayspring Christian in three games.

Sangre de Cristo registered a win against Dayspring Christian and came back from a one-game deficit in its late match against Rangely to also finish the first day 2-0. The win secured a berth in the semifinals with Hoehne.

"That first match, we had a lot of nerves," Hoehne coach Kathy Neve said. "My seniors stepped up and helped pull my younger players through that match.

"Against Dayspring, the girls just went out there and got after it. My three seniors, Megan Hiss, Amanda Paradisa and Tonya Arnhold, stepped up again, and my younger players are finding where they fit with this team. We conclude pool play (today) against Sangre, and that's the only match I'm worried about right now."

The top two teams in each pool will play cross-bracket semifinal matches today. The championship is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Simla has plenty of state experience upon which to draw.

The Cubs played in four state championship matches against Fowler from 1994-97, taking the crown in 1994 and 1996. And Simla lost in the semifinals to eventual state champion Hoehne in five games a year ago and Fowler in 2005.

"We have to go out there (today) and respect everybody but not fear anybody," Snyder said. "I think we're playing pretty well right now, but we need to be playing our best (today)."

Resurrection Christian mounted a frantic rally against the Cubs and took a 25-24 lead in Game 4, after a spike by Sharayah Cox.

Simla survived game point, though, when the Cougars were called for a net violation. Moments later, Simla's RaeLynn Snyder, the coach's daughter, sealed the match victory by smashing home a cross-court spike.

"Resurrection Christian is a good team, but my girls came through (Friday)," said coach Snyder, whose squad won the Region D tournament last weekend by upending Hoehne in five games.