Richards volleyball has 3 district wins

The Richards High School volleyball team has been competitive to open district play.

The girls had a 3-3 record in district competition and 7-7 overall mark as of Thursday.

“So far we’ve been winning our 1A district games,” first-year coach Caitlyn Kirkpatrick said, referring to Dime Box and McDade. “The bigger schools are really good.”

The bigger schools have deeper rosters formed after tryouts and cuts, the latter of which programs like Richards do not have.

The coach said the girls have been working hard to answer the district teams’ offensive attacks. “A lot of the pre district teams were not as good at hitting,” she said. “Get our feet moving a little more and digging out.”

Senior Kayla McClellan, junior Emme Loman and freshman Elizabeth Holtey have countered the attacks with solid blocking from the front row. Holtey opened the season playing on the back row before being moved to the front, where she has been effective getting her hands up for blocks.

“We’ve been working a lot at the net, rotating new people in,” Kirkpatrick said, noting that senior Marissa Martin has been a recent addition who presents a different look.

“She’s a lefty,” the coach said. “She’s been hitting them on the opposite.”

In recent district action, Martin led the team in digs against Snook, and sophomore Aaliyah Obryant led in digs against McDade. Senior Alexis Eldred had five kills and McClellan three kills against McDade, she said.