Wednesday was a tough match for the Warrenton girls' volleyball team.
Try as they might, the Warriors couldn’t get things going in a straight-set loss, 25-16, 25-19, 25-10, at home to Sullivan.
Short of a rally to open the second game, where Warrenton jumped to a three-point lead before ultimately losing the advantage, the Warriors struggled.
Senior setter Grace Ruediger said that the team’s struggles were just that – the team’s.
“It’s difficult because people can dwell on mistakes,” Ruediger said. “If the whole team isn’t on the same level, matching each other’s energy, it can be really hard to get everyone to that level, to play a good game and get those points back.”
Warrenton Coach Kayla Nelson echoed her senior’s words.
She gave Sullivan all due credit for winning the match, but added that her team needs to find that spark to get things going in the proper direction.
“We played very flat and we never really had momentum on our side,” Nelson said. “I feel like it really affects our team because you can’t really judge their skill when you’ve got to find that energy level first.”
Warrenton (2-3-3) has little time to think about the defeat, though, as the Warriors hit the road to take on conference foe Holt (4-4) at 5:15 p.m. today.
WRIGHT CITY RUNNERS SHINE AT VAN-FAR – The season-opening Van-Far Invite Tuesday was a memorable one for the Wright City cross country teams.
Each battled through oppressive heat to earn noteworthy finishes.
On the girls’ side, Victoria Riggs started strong and led the whole way, winning the race in 21 minutes, 45 seconds, which was nearly two minutes ahead of the nearest competitor.
"It was really awesome to see Victoria race for us for the first time,” Wildcats Coach David Schnell said. “She is an incredibly tough competitor. She has some big goals for this season and this meet has set her off on a great start."
On the boys’ side, the Wright City trio of Wilder Hall (20:33), Frankie Zykan (20:47) and Nolan Loughary (20:52) finished eighth, ninth and 10th, respectively, to help the Wildcats take second as a team.
"The boys team did a great job of working together as a pack and battling through tough conditions,” Schnell said. “It's the best team finish we've had in quite some time and we're hoping to build on that success as the season continues."
WRIGHT CITY SOCCER PICKS UP FIRST WIN – The Wildcats (1-4) earned the team’s first win of the season, getting past Pacific 3-1.
Freshman Giannie Tiscareno tallied all three goals while sophomore Wyatt Smith and junior Tony Cortes (two) provided the assists.
The Wildcats will next take to the pitch at 4:30 p.m. on Monday when the team hosts Liberty Christian Academy for a crosstown game.
