Royal Valley Volleyball Team

Often times heading into a new sports season you never know exactly what you are going to get from a team. Teams always hope to get off to a good start, but you usually will have mistakes early.

For the Royal Valley volleyball team, they have opened up the 2018 season almost about as perfect as you could ask. The Panthers, coming off a second place finish in the Big 7 League last season, are off to a perfect 12-0 start to the season and have already collected two first place finishes in two tournaments they have competed in.

After going 26-12 overall and 13-3 in league play a season ago, the Panthers wasted no time showing why they are the No. 3-ranked team in Class 3A according to the Kansas Volleyball Association.

Royal Valley opened up the season August 25 at the Marysville Invite going a perfect 5-0, taking down 3A No. 1 Nemaha Central in the championship match in three sets. The Panthers then went 3-0 at the Hiawatha Triangular defeating the Thunder once again, while taking down the host Redhawks in two sets as well.

This past weekend the Panthers pushed their record to 12-0 with a perfect 5-0 mark at the Jeff West Invite, taking down the league-rival Tigers along with perennial power Silver Lake. Royal Valley dropped just one set the entire tournament and on the season have dropped just three sets total.

It has been a collective effort so far for the Panthers and the stats show just that. Alyssa Gooderl has three solo blocks and three assists, while Morgan Harvey has nine solo aces. Kenzie Ogden has 29 digs, while Lilly Rooks has 57 assists to go along with Emma McKinsey’s 67 assists. Ivy Fink has 70 serve attempts and 41 kills, while Mary Broxterman leads the way with 59 kills.

The Panthers are off to a great start and will look to continue to get better and improve as the season heads closer to sub-state. Royal Valley will continue its season Thursday September 6 traveling to the Sabetha Triangular.