Kit Carson, Cheyenne Wells Continue Search for First Volleyball Wins

The early portion of the volleyball season has been a difficult one for both Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells, as the two High Plains League programs continue to search for their first victories.

Both teams entered September with young rosters still trying to find the right combinations on the court, and each has encountered a challenging schedule along the way.

Lady Wildcats Fall to Limon

Kit Carson slipped to 0-6 on the season after dropping a three-set decision to Limon, which improved to 3-1 with the victory.

The Lady Badgers earned the sweep in set scores of 25-20, 25-17 and 25-21.

Kit Carson was competitive in the opening and closing sets, staying within striking distance, but couldn’t generate enough offense to get over the hump.

Individual statistics were not available for the Lady Wildcats, but the Limon numbers showed the kind of offensive pressure Kit Carson faced throughout the match.

The Badgers pounded down 36 kills over the three sets and were particularly damaging from the service line, where they dropped in 15 aces.

Kit Carson will now turn its attention to a pair of matches that could provide an opportunity for the Lady Wildcats to break into the win column.

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, Kit Carson will be at home against Genoa-Hugo, which enters the contest with an 0-4 record. The Lady Wildcats then travel south on Thursday, Sept. 10, to face Springfield, another team that has struggled during the early season and currently owns a 2-6 record.

No. 4 Swink Too Much for Tigers

Cheyenne Wells also continues to battle through a difficult early-season schedule, and the Tigers faced one of their toughest assignments yet when they traveled to Swink on Sept. 1.

Swink, ranked No. 4 in the Class 1A division, demonstrated why it is considered one of the better teams in the state by sweeping the Tigers, 25-14, 25-14 and 25-12.

The victory kept Swink perfect at 5-0 while Cheyenne Wells fell to 0-6.

The Lions controlled the match offensively, finishing with 38 kills compared to 10 for Cheyenne Wells.

They were even more dominant from behind the service line, where Swink collected 16 aces while the Tigers managed two. Swink also finished with five blocks and 35 assists, demonstrating a balanced attack that Cheyenne Wells had difficulty slowing down.

The Tigers finished with six assists.

Sophomore Roary Unruh led the Cheyenne Wells attack with four kills, while junior Bailey Scheler added three. Brooklyn Gerstner and Braylee Garay accounted for the Tigers’ two service aces with one apiece.

Tigers Battle at Idalia Tournament

Cheyenne Wells was back on the court Sept. 3 when the Tigers traveled to the Idalia round-robin tournament for matches against Idalia and St. Francis, Kansas.

Although the Tigers were unable to come away with their first victory, they were much more competitive as both matches went the full three sets in the best two-out-of-three format.

Cheyenne Wells dropped a 2-1 decision to Idalia, which moved to 3-4, and then battled St. Francis before again falling 2-1. St. Francis improved to 2-3.

Despite the two losses, forcing both matches to deciding third sets represented a step forward for a Cheyenne Wells team trying to gain experience and confidence.

The Tigers will have some time to work before returning to High Plains League action.

Cheyenne Wells travels to McClave on Thursday, Sept. 10, where the Tigers will face a Cardinal team off to a solid 4-2 start. They will then return home on Saturday, Sept. 12, to welcome Walsh, which currently owns a 1-4 record.

For both Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells, the early-season records haven’t been what either program hoped for, but opportunities are ahead.

Kit Carson gets a pair of upcoming matches against teams that have also struggled early, while Cheyenne Wells showed signs of improvement at Idalia by pushing both opponents to three sets.

Now the objective for both is the same—turn those competitive stretches into complete matches and put that first victory of the season on the board.