While other volleyball teams had been playing for more than a week, Tonganoxie High had to keep on practicing day after day.

When Thursday rolled around, the Chieftains, in their season opener at home, defeated Bonner Springs and Atchison handily before slipping by perennial power Baldwin, 15-11, 15-12. The successful night moved the Chieftains to 3-0 on the season.

THS coach Tiffany Parker wasn’t completely satisfied with the first matches, but was encouraged by the win against the Bulldogs.

“When we can beat Baldwin, it’s a starting mark for where we could be at the end of the season,” Parker said.

Against BHS, Tonganoxie opened with a 3-0 lead and maintained it until the Bulldogs fought back and then trailed 7-6. Points went back and forth, but Tonganoxie never trailed in the game and won 15-11.

Game two turned out to be the real doozy. Baldwin drew first blood, taking a 2-0 lead, but then the Chieftains came back, as did the Bulldogs again and again. The teams had seven ties and four lead changes.

Baldwin had its best opportunity with a 12-10 lead, but the Chieftains rattled off five straight points for the victory.

Parker was impressed with Baldwin.

“I think that, believe or not, they’re even more experienced,” Parker said about the Bulldogs, who are 10-4.

Before the Baldwin match, Tonganoxie defeated Bonner Springs, 15-6, 15-3, and then downed Atchison, 15-3, 15-4.

THS’s second-year coach said her team’s defense was steady throughout the night, and that Kelly Breuer and Christie Menhusen had impressive matches.

THS took their 3-0 record into a triangular with Paola and De Soto on Tuesday in Paola. Results from those matches will appear in next week’s edition of The Mirror. Tonganoxie won’t be in action again until next Tuesday at Perry-Lecompton.