For the second year in a row, the Lady Oakies have started their season with a victory over the Excelsior Springs Tigers. Is this a sign of hope for the Oakies, or will their season continue like many in the past and fall well under a .500 season?
    On September 2nd, the Oakies traveled to Excelsior Springs to face the Tigers in a very close and competitive game. Opening up the game with an incredibly close first set, they took the win 25-23 and led 1-0 going into the second set. Coming off the first set win of the season, they kept the momentum going and took the second set 25-17. Up 2-0, the Oakies looked like they would take the 3-0 sweep, yet they came up short, giving up the set 17-25, still leading 2-1 going into the fourth. Junior Claire Place said, "We just found our need to win," and that they did, taking the fourth set 25-19 and winning the first game of their season.
    Coming off their first win, the Oakies battled the Trojans of Park Hill at home. This game was a reality check for the girls, losing 3-0. Only really showing the true strength of the Oakies with a heartbreaking loss in the second set, coming up short 27-25. Other than the second set, the game was a bloodbath. Yet lessons are taught threw defeat, and the girls did show a lot of promise during the game, leaving us wondering will the Lady Oakies will finish this season with a winning record.
    Looking at this week's matches for the Oakies, the games will be tough, yet there is truly hope in this volleyball season with this hot start. Today, they will travel to face the Fort Osage Indians, who are also looking for their 2nd win of the year, also 1-1. The Indians bested the Oakies 0-3 last year, but hope is there for the Oakies as the team has continued to build and grow into a contender.
    They will also face the bulldogs of Kearney and the Park Hill South Panthers at home on the 9th and 10th of September before they travel to fight the Liberty Blue Jays on September 11th. If the Oakies want to prove how far they have come over the past 3 years, these games will be some of the most important for setting the foundation of a great season.