ROYAL CITY — The Royal Knights volleyball team (0-6) had a tough battle at home against Naches Valley Tuesday night as they fell 3-2 in the five-set game.  

"The first two sets were definitely rough," said Knights senior Graycie Kast. "We didn't have a lot of energy starting off, but that third set, we got our energy back and just started having fun and the game just came to us." 

The Knights fell behind early in the first set as they struggled to score, giving Naches Valley an advantage. Royal began to find momentum as the set went on to cut into the deficit, but Naches Valley remained dominant on the court to win 25-12.

In the second set, Royal battled to keep things close, but errors allowed the opposition to create points and maintain their momentum. The Knights continued to try rallying but couldn't get ahead and lost the set 25-9. 

Despite being down 2-0, the Knights held their heads high and dug deep for the third set. This proved to be the most competitive set of the night as both teams fought hard for the victory, and Royal came out on top with a 25-20 win. 

Utilizing their momentum from the third set, the Knights showed high energy in the fourth to get ahead of Naches Valley. By the end of the set, Royal had earned a 25-18 win to send the game into its fifth set. 

Royal showed their strength on the court throughout the final set, but Naches Valley rallied to win 15-8. 

Knights Head Coach Melanie Griffin said she is proud of the fight her players showed in their close matchup. Though they took a loss Tuesday, the level of competition they've seen has increased each week since the beginning and along with that the skills of Royal's players have gone up as well. 

"We've competed with them," said Griffin. "All the other teams are using their timeouts, which is a good thing on our end. We're giving them a match; we're giving them a fight." 

She said the Knights rose to the occasion, especially against Naches Valley as their opponent brought in some unexpected hitters. As the game went on, the Knights learned ways to work around those tough players. 

After falling behind 2-0, Griffin said Royal made some adjustments to the rotation, which brought new energy onto the court. This change was exactly what the team needed to earn wins in sets three and four. 

"We played with our hearts," said the coach. "Volleyball is a game of playing with your heart, playing with momentum. You get the momentum on your side, you get some good energy players, and you can really own a game like that and we really put that into play." 

Kast said as the team heads deeper into the season, she and her teammates will need to work on their passing, backrow digs and court coverage. As a senior leader on the team, she is focused on helping keep the energy on the team high heading into future matchups. 

"Just (focusing on) next play mentality," she said. "You're going to make mistakes, it's a game of mistakes, so just keep your head up and continue to play." 

As Royal shows consistent improvement with each matchup, Griffin said the main focus is going to be sending the ball over the net with purpose and maintaining a consistent energy flow throughout the game to keep momentum on their side. 

The Knights plan to keep building on their season and players are going to continue finding their place in the rotation. The coach said she is feeling excited about the prospects of the younger players and the positive and kind leadership being shown by the seniors. 

"They're just a good bunch of kind girls," she said. "I'm not just coaching volleyball, I'm turning these girls into good young women, good adults, and I'm really seeing that a lot of the work's already been done for me. I don't have to teach them to be nice girls, they just are." 

Even with a rough start to their season, the coach said her players have come together each game and show high energy and excitement both on and off the court. 

"The love and excitement they have for the game and for celebrating each other's victories is just such a good start," said Griffin. "They've been such a blast, I'm selfishly having so much fun with them." 

The Knights head on the road Thursday to face Cashmere at 6:30 p.m. 

BOX SCORE

NCHS: 25-25-20-18-15: 3

ROYL: 12-9-25-25-8: 2

    Averi Scroggins, a freshman from the Knights, leaps up to slam the ball over the net Tuesday evening.
  

    Knights senior Heaven Parker crouches low to respond to a hit from Naches Valley in Tuesday's matchup.
  

    Natalie Cortez, a senior from Royal, responds to a hit and gets the ball back up toward the net.
  

    Mia Thompson, a freshman from the Knights, sets the ball for her teammates Tuesday evening.
  

    Royal senior Emilie Lira prepares to serve Tuesday against Naches Valley.