One of the best ways to ensure that a team improves not only game to game but also year to year is to keep a group together for as long as possible. For the Liberty Christian Eagles girls volleyball team, that continuity has them off to a red-hot start in 2020.

Excluding a match against a club team (STL Panthers) that was scheduled for Tuesday night, September 22, the Eagles are off to a 5-0 start with each of their first four matches 3-0 sweeps. The only squad to win even a single set against the Eagles came on Monday night, September 21, when the defending state champion Christian Fellowship School from Columbia fell three sets to one (25-18, 25-15, 20-25, 25-20). The hot start has second-year coach Tory Vestal pleased with his team after tempered expectations a year ago.

“Last year was my first year coaching and we didn’t really know what to expect,” he said. “I made some minor changes and went back to some basic stuff. We lost three seniors coming into this year, but we’ve returned a good portion of our team.”

With a junior varsity team that consisted of mostly freshmen and one sophomore last year, the Eagles found that the team was well-positioned to improve. “We thought we would be a better overall team,” said Vestal. “These girls cover well and are pretty aggressive. Our expectations are higher this year.”

One of the changes made was something the team could not control — the division in which the Eagles compete in the playoffs. Despite having only about 65 students, Liberty Christian finds itself in the largest division, which could include schools with up to 500 students. “In previous years we were in a lower division,” said Vestal. “A couple of years ago we were in Divison 2, then Division 3, and last year we took third in the state at Division 4 (the largest division).”

Among the top players for the Eagles this year has been sophomore Kylee Ball, who has been playing on the varsity team since eighth grade. “She’s a front-row player but she can play anywhere. She’s super talented,” said Vestal, who has a remarkably young team. “We also have three freshmen. One plays all the way around, the other two rotate positions and serves.”

Other key contributors include Anna Beth Colbert, who Vestal says is the best setter in the conference, and Sarah Brumagin, the Eagles libero. “Anna Beth, Kylee, and Sarah control the flow of the game,” he said. “Having these girls is the reason I felt like we had a really good chance this year. We believe this group has what it takes to compete for a state championship. That doesn’t mean we will win it, but I know we will compete.”

The Eagles next match is Friday night, September 25, against Poplar Bluff.