NEW MADISON – The Tri-Village Lady Patriots volleyball team continued their strong start to the season Saturday, sweeping Houston 25–18, 25–16, 25–15 to improve to 5–1 overall.
Despite having five seniors, Tri-Village’s rotation also features one junior, one sophomore and four freshmen — and all saw action in the win, something that pleased second-year head coach Alaine Kirby.
“Overall, we played well today,” Kirby said. “There are still some things we need to work on — being more consistent with our serves and defense, and smarter with our hits. We’ve got some young girls who are learning, and with experience they’re growing each game. I have high hopes for us this season.”
Tri-Village jumped out quickly in the opening set, allowed Houston back into it, but closed strong for a 25–18 win. Sophomore Ava Camacho put down a couple of early kills, while senior Bailey Frech and junior Hannah Whaley each finished with five kills to pace the attack.
In the second set, the teams traded points until freshman Peyton Brubaker stepped to the service line. After recording six service points in the opener, Brubaker rattled off 10 straight in set two, pushing the Patriots to a commanding 17–6 lead.
“Peyton does a great job coming in to serve for us — she’s super consistent with that serve,” Kirby said.
During that stretch, Tri-Village dug well, passed cleanly and attacked with authority, finishing off a 25–16 win and a 2–0 lead in the match.
The Patriots carried that momentum into the third, building an early advantage before briefly losing focus and allowing the Wildcats to claw back. Tri-Village regrouped, however, and closed out the sweep with a 25–15 victory.
“We’ve been doing that every third set — we’re not a third-set team and I’m not sure why,” Kirby admitted. “I keep telling the girls we’re never playing a third set; we’re playing the first set every single match. It’s something we’re definitely trying to work on, and it will get better as the season goes along.”
The Patriots were led by seniors Mylee Bierly with 21 digs, Zoe Ayette with 30 assists and Gabby Kirby with 18 kills.
“We have good senior leadership on this team,” Kirby said. “When Mylee is digging and passing well and Zoe is setting it, we know Gabby’s going to put it down and kill it for us. Those three can really get us going.”
There were plenty of positives beyond the seniors. Each of the freshmen contributed, and Kirby praised their improving communication as their confidence grows.
“I feel like we’re doing well contributing as a team,” she said. “We’re talking more than we did early in the season. In the first few games, communication was a struggle, but that’s coming along, and the younger girls are getting more confident speaking up on the court.”
With the Patriots sitting at 5–1 overall and 2–0 in the WOAC, they now gear up for a stretch in which five of their next six contests are conference matches.
“We are ready for this stretch and will take it a game at a time,” Kirby said. “We expect high performance and good competition with the goal of being at the top of the WOAC. These girls really want to perform well, especially in the conference, and I honestly believe they can.”
Between the stat-stuffing senior trio of Bierly, Ayette and Kirby, Brubaker’s timely service run, and steady contributions from the freshmen, Tri-Village showed the kind of depth and balance that can carry a team through conference play. If the Patriots can smooth out their late-set lapses, they have every chance to keep things rolling when they welcome Mississinawa Valley to the P.A.C. on Thursday.
