BENTON, Mo. — Kelly’s volleyball, still in its infancy, showed glimpses of its potential but faced a steep learning curve in a straight-set loss to Twin Rivers on Tuesday, Sep. 3.

As a brand-new program playing just their second game, the Lady Hawks (0-2) gained valuable insight against the more experienced Lady Royals (1-0), a program with three district championships since 2012.

“The determination was evident,” said Kelly coach Rhett Simmons. “This is a huge learning experience for them and they constantly put forth their best effort. Learning a new sport is difficult and some of these seniors have never even touched a volleyball, but they’ve really shown up.”

Twin Rivers jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, but Kelly roared back to life, taking a 7-5 advantage. It was a brief moment of elation for the young program.

The Lady Royals eventually pulled away, scoring 10 straight points to take a 15-7 lead and closing the first set strong to win 25-14.

However, the Lady Hawks had some positive moments, including a powerful kill by Daylee Bachanan, an ace by Peyton Ratley and a pair of aces from Abigail Campbell.

“Things are going well,” Simmons said. “There are just challenges you face when starting a program because you’re so far behind everyone else in all the fundamentals. But the girls are giving a great effort.”

Twin Rivers carried the momentum into the second set, racing out to a quick 5-0 lead.

Kelly struggled to keep pace, falling 25-10, but Lucy Massey provided a highlight with a kill, while Berlin Barney recorded a nice block.

“They’re hanging in there and we’re just going to take this step-by-step,” Simmons said. “The biggest thing for this program is keeping a positive outlook because getting knocked down is easier when you’re in a new program.

‘Going forward, there is only going to be improvement,” he continued. “I don’t see them letting up whatsoever and I’m really excited for this team because we have an exceptional group of girls. We’ll be a team to watch out for in the future.”

The Lady Hawks continued to fight in the third set, but the Lady Royals stayed a few steps ahead, winning 25-12.

While the loss served as a tough test, Kelly

Lola Pattengill, a senior who joined the volleyball team to stay in shape but quickly fell in love with the

sport, led Kelly in assists.

“I liked how we hustled,” Pattengill said. “Even though we are not as experienced as other people, we’re going to kee putting our best foot forward.”

Ratley led both the varsity and junior varsity squads in aces, showcasing her promising athletic skills. The freshman’s contributions were invaluable to the Lady Hawks, providing a much-needed boost.

“I just hope we keep growing,” Ratley said. “We know we’re a good first-year team, and we’re just going to get better and better.”

Kelly is back in action at Puxico (0-1) on Friday, Sep. 6.