The first volleyball tournament of the year yielded two wins for the Trojan girls, as well as a lot of promise for the 2018 season. Saturday was a busy day, with the girls having five matches on tap.

To start off the day, the hometown squad faced the nearby CAM Cougars. After two trying sets, CAM walked away with a 21-14, 21-13 win. The team exited that match 24-28 for serving, with junior Kenzie Waters and senior Sadie Welter not missing a serve the entire match.

Following the defeat from the Cougars, Atlantic took on the Riverside Bulldogs. After a tough, three-set brawl, Atlantic came out on top with a 21-19, 19-21, 15-10 victory. The team had 21 kills through three sets, with sophomore Alyssa Derby leading the group with eight. Fellow sophomore Haley Rasmussen–who is in her first year of setting for varsity volleyball–had assisted a total of 21 times in the win against the Bulldogs. This victory put the girls at 1-1 for the day, as well as the season.

Next up for the Trojan girls was Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson. The Thomas Jefferson squad had won both of their prior matches on the day, beating common opponent Riverside in straight sets. The girls looked to put a stop to Thomas Jefferson’s winning streak but came up short, losing the match 21-19, 21-13.

The fourth matchup of the day was against Earlham, who had also beaten Riverside in three sets. The two teams stepped up to play each other in a close and exciting match, with the Trojans earning 13 kills and five aces. The whole match was a close one, with Atlantic dropping the first set 18-21, winning the second set 21-17, and losing the third set 12-15.

Atlantic took on Essex for their final match. Even after a tough day, the Trojans dug in deep and won a hard-fought match, 21-12, 21-16.

After five matches the volleyball team left AHSTW with 68 kills, 16 blocks, and 17 aces and with the end of the day the season had officially started.