Another weekend, another tournament. After a week lacking matches, the varsity volleyball squad got back out to compete at their home tournament on Saturday. The competition featured both conference rivals, as well as other teams from around the area.

To start off the tournament, the Trojans had a rematch with conference challenger Glenwood. The Rams–who had beaten the Trojans in straight sets during their last meeting–came into the tournament in their second week of being ranked for class 4A.

The Trojans looked to take down Glenwood, but the Rams made quick work of the Trojans in a 21-9, 21-7 win. Atlantic’s offense was limited throughout the match. However, the group had consistent serving, as they went 15 for 16 behind the line.

Following the defeat from Glenwood, the Trojans faced another ranked opponent–St. Albert. The opposition came into the season slotted in 7th by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union for class 2A. St. Albert has held that position for both opening weeks of the season. Coming into the Trojan Tournament, the Saintes were 6-2.

Against St. Albert, the Trojans faired better. The hometown team notched 22 digs, with sophomore Alyssa Derby leading the pack with six. Sophomore Mia Trotter got to test the waters of competing with the varsity team. She snagged a dig and didn’t miss a serve the entire match. The complete Trojan squad had another great go-round for serving, as they went 23 for 24. Though the Trojans had a strong serving game going their way, so did St. Albert. The opposition had 12 aces, and won the match 21-10, 21-10.

To round out the morning matches, Atlantic competed against one more ranked team–Treynor. The Cardinals arrived at the tournament with a 5-2 record, and as the 11th ranked team in class 2A.

Though the group started efficient through the opening possessions, they failed to use that momentum to push them through the rest of the two sets. Both coaches stress the team’s motto of “keeping our foot on the gas.” The Trojans lost their third match 21-12, 21-7. Treynor would go on to win the tournament, as they handed a loss to every team present.

Next on tap was Underwood. This was the first matchup of the day for the Trojans in which they weren’t up against a ranked team. The girls were optimistic and hoped to grab a win on the day. The two teams went toe-to-toe throughout the two set match, but the Trojans ran out of real estate and lost a close one 21-19, 21-16. The Trojans did a fantastic job of keeping the volleyball in play on hard-hit spikes, as they slated 17 digs in the match.

For the final match, Atlantic took on Winterset. The girls showed their resilience and fight as they continued to work hard, even after the long day. After narrowly dropping the first set 22-20, Atlantic tried to push the Huskies to a necessary third set. However, the group faced many struggles in doing so, and lost the second set 21-8. The Trojans put up three blocks, had eight assists, four aces, eight kills, and 12 digs.

The group gained experience as they got to play conference opponents Glenwood and St. Albert–who the Trojans will play later on this month. They also got a quick look at Winterset before they head to their tournament in the latter half of the season.