BUFFALO - It was a great afternoon of volleyball Tuesday at Milo Peterson Gymnasium, as Altoona-Midway Middle School picked up its first win of the young season and fought tooth-and-nail before falling in three sets in the other match.

In the nightcap match of the triangular, the Lady Jets played great volleyball and took the measure of the Elk Valley Lions 25-10, 25-18. Earlier in the day, AMMS battled Altamont Middle School to the wire before dropping a three-set heartbreaker, 25-27, 25-15, 4-15.

The girls looked great tonight. The girls worked hard in both matches, and it paid off with the win,” said AMMS coach Lacy Wheeler. “In fact, they were so close to winning both matches. I am so proud of all of them.”

AMMS vs. Altamont

The opening match of the evening couldn’t have been any more exciting. Altamont squeezed out a 27-25 win in the first set, but the Lady Jets bounced back and won 25-15 to even the match. Altamont managed a 15-4 victory in the deciding third set.

This match was very close; the girls were working well together and getting to the ball, just couldn’t quite pull it off,” Wheeler said. “They all contributed, moved well, and communicated great with each other.

Altamont received the ball well in this game, and we couldn’t get a streak going. They also had a server find a spot right between the front and back line that we just couldn’t get adjusted to in time,” Wheeler added. “It was a really hard loss after two really great first sets.”

In the thrilling first set, Ainsley Wheeler had 5 points and 4 digs. Emily Lockhart had 3 points and 4 digs; Makayla Mustain had 4 points with 2 aces and 7 digs. Emma Kinzle had 5 points with 3 aces and 3 digs. McKenna Matlock had 5 points with 1 ace and 3 digs, and Teryn Ellsworth had 3 points with two digs.

In their victorious second set, Wheeler had a whopping 16 points with 5 aces and 1 dig. Lockhart had 3 points with 2 aces and 2 digs. Mustain had 2 points with 1 ace and 4 digs. Kinzle had one point and 2 digs. Matlock had 2 points with one ace and 3 digs. Ellsworth had one point and one dig.

“The girls looked amazing in this set, the best I’ve seen yet. Ainsley went on a run with 10 points right off the bat to get us going. That boosted everyone’s morale after the tough loss in the first set. Makayla and McKenna really got going and kept the ball alive with their 7 combined digs.:”

In the deciding finale, Altamont got going early, and AMMS was unable to recover. Wheeler, Lockhart, Mustain and Kinzle managed one service point apiece for the Jets.

AMMS vs. Elk Valley

In the nightcap, Altoona-Midway picked up win No.1 of the season with a dominating 25-10, 25-18 win over Elk Valley.

“The girls looked ready to play after the break,” Wheeler exclaimed. "We came out swinging with our serves. The girls had great communication on whether balls were in or out or short. Having every girl but one get an ace really boosted their self-esteem and

confidence.”

In the first set, Wheeler rattled off 14 points, including 11 aces, while adding two digs.

Lockhart had 3 points with 2 aces; Mustain finished with 3 points with one ace. Kinzle and Matlock each chipped in 2 points and an ace, while Ellsworth added one point and one dig.

In the second set, Mustain led the way with eight points, six aces and a dig. Wheeler finished with six points, three aces and a trio of digs. Lockhart and Matlock each had three service points, and Ellsworth added two.

“We continued to look great in this game,” Wheeler said. “Makayla really stepped up with her serving, and McKenna, Emily, and Ainsley were really moving on defense.”

Altoona-Midway and Elk Valley also played a “B” match, with the Lions and Jets splitting a pair of sets. After Elk Valley won 15-11, the Lady Jet “B” unit rallied to win 16-14.

Matlock had a combined 8 points, 2 aces and 2 digs in the “B” matchup, while Ellsworth fired in 7 points, 3 aces and 2 digs. Kinzle finished with 4 points and 2 digs, while a trio of fifth-graders, Lakyn Faller, Daisy Dalton, and Kira Adams, all showed improvement, and each of them chipped in with two points and one dig apiece.

“We are still working on serving with these younger girls, but I’ve seen so much improvement from when we first started practices,” Wheeler said. “They looked much better in the second set. All three of the 5th graders out there moving their feet and making contact on the ball.

“Teryn was doing much better with her serves in the B match, and I know that will help her confidence. Emma was really focused and moving her feet even better in the B game as well,” Wheeler continued. “I’m so glad both the A and B teams were able to play so well and win at least one set in every match they played. I know all of the girls were very excited to win the match with Elk Valley, and so was I.”

AMMS has two more home volleyball dates scheduled for next week. The Lady Jets will host another triangular on Monday (Sept. 14), when teams from Bartlett and Mound Valley come to town, and on Thursday (Sept. 17), Altoona-Midway will host Liberty Homeschool Alliance in a dual matchup.