Now in their third year as a combined athletic program, the ACGC volleyball team will try to go three for three against the West Central Valley Wildcats as both squads open the regular season tonight in Stuart.

It’s been a tale of two paths for the Guthrie County rivals. In their first two seasons the Chargers have surged to a record of 36-22 and are coming off a postseason that included their first trip to the Regional Semifinals. However, they’ll have to do that without MaKayla Hoing, who begins her studies at the University of Iowa this fall. The former Charger tallied nearly half the team’s kills in their two victories over the Wildcats.

First-year head coach Trevor Irwin knows the girls in gold and black need to be disciplined and fundamentally sound to start the season at 1-0. “We just need to connect with our passing, our serve/receive, and then capitalize on any free balls that are given to us and just minimize our errors.”

The Wildcats have notched just nine wins in the last two seasons, finishing at the bottom of the West Central Activities Conference both years. Head coach John Jones enters his second year in Stuart after being the head coach for ACGC’s inaugural season. Two of the top three in kill recorders last season for the Wildcats return to Stuart. Senior Madison Waddell and Junior Jenna Merical combined for 107 of the team’s 261 total kills in 2017.

First serve is set for 7pm from West Central Valley High School in Stuart.