ROYAL CITY - The Royal High School volleyball team started the season with a 3-0 loss to Kittitas last Saturday, but coach Paul Olsufka is not singing the blues.

The Knights were up against last year's 2B eighth-place finisher at state. And they provided three solid challenges, taking the Coyotes to the wall twice, 25-19, 25-22 and 25-22.

"The girls were very competitive. The match was a positive for me as a coach," Olsufka said. "The girls showed that they can compete with a good group of girls that have state experience. Believing in themselves and each other is the next step they need to take."

Kayla Smith led the Knights' attack, serving 13-for-14, with 1 ace. She was also tough at the net with five kills and four blocks. And she had eight digs.

Seila Jenks served 9-for-12 with four aces and seven digs. Tonya Iverson served 11-for-14 with one ace, two kills and three digs.

Morgan Small served 7-for-8 with eight digs. Tahlia Ledezma served 7-for-7 with 13 assists. Becca Lee served 3-for-3 with two kills, one block and five digs. Katie Ellis had four kills.

"I have all the confidence in these girls that they will have a good year on the court, and Saturday showed me that they are capable," Olsufka said.

Royal will host River View today at 6:30 p.m. It will play at Wahluke on Thursday at 6:30 and take on White Swan at Royal on Saturday at 11 a.m.