Pictured is the River Pilots 2020 varsity volleyball team.

The very young River Pilots volleyball team lost their first 4-matches, before beating Bellaire Big Reds in 5-sets to open the 2020 volleyball season.

In their latest match against Bellaire, there was plenty of fireworks with Katie Refener leading the charge with 16-points with 10 service aces, while Kiley Wagnild supplied 14-points with 3-aces, and Paige Barkes providing 10-points with 7-aces to lift River to an exciting 5-set win by the scores of 25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 18-25 and 15-5 Sept. 2.

Barkes also added 11-digs and Wagnild 5, while Emily Taylor stuffed the statistic sheet with 9-points with 4-aces and 21-digs. Kami Todd provided 4-points with 2-aces, while also stuffing the stat sheet with 7-assists and 2-digs. Hannah Raper provided 4-points with 2-aces, 7-digs, 5-assists and 4-kills.

On Sept 1, the Lady Pilots left it all on the floor, losing in 4-sets, 25-14, 25-21, 17-25 and 25-15. Refener scored a team-high 11-service points with 6-aces, while Taylor and Raper combined with 17-points, with 6-aces, 8-kills, 2-blocks, 5-assists and 22-digs.

The Pilots also gave the Shadyside Tigers all they could handle Aug. 29, but fell in 3-straight 25-11, 25-19 and 25-16, with Raper leading the 5-points with an ace, while dishing out 5-assists, and posting 1-assist, 1-kill and 1-block. Wagnild followed with 4-points and 3-digs, while Rilyn Haught blocked 4-shits and blasted 2-kills.

In their match with Frontier Aug. 27, the Lady Cougars kept the Pilots at ball throughout and defeated River in straight sets, 25-16, 25-9 and 25-8 with Barkes leading the way with 3-points, with 2-aces and 2-digs. Raper provided 2-points with 1-ace, 3-kills, 6-assists and 6-digs, while Taylor added 2-points with aces, 12-digs and 1-kill.

To open the season against Union Local, the young Pilots, lost 3-straight sets 25-8, 25-4 and 25-4 Barkes leading the charge for the Pilots with 2-points, 1-aces and 1-dig, while Taylor secured 1-point, 5-digs and dished out 2-assists.