The St. Edward’s volleyball team racked up multiple conference wins over the weekend as they defeated Panhandle State in a three-set match, and UT-Permian Basin just two days before. The victories make the Hilltoppers 2-0 in conference play. On Thursday, the Hilltoppers played the UT-Permian Basin Falcons, battling hard for an early lead. The Falcons proved strong as the first match stayed consistently tied until a kill by captain and senior, Ashley Vander Hey ignited a 7-1 run from the Hilltoppers. Several mistakes by the Falcons allowed the Hilltoppers to sail to a 25-19 victory. Similarly, the second match had both teams fighting for the upper hand for most of the set until a kill by junior Ale’tra Ware started a 6-1 rally for the Hilltoppers—enough to pull away from the Falcons as they took the set, 25-21 The Hilltoppers continued their momentum in the third set, keeping the Falcons trailing by two or less for most of the match. Although the Falcons looked to seal a win, their efforts came up short as senior Courtney Trevino earned the final point that led the Hilltoppers to a 25-23 victory. Two days later, the Hilltoppers faced Panhandle State in Oklahoma and continued their momentum as they swept the Aggies in three sets. Vander Hey once again ignited a 9-1 run in the first match, leading the Hilltoppers to a 25-14 victory. The Hilltoppers fought through the second set, keeping the Aggies at bay and gaining a commanding lead thanks in part to junior Meredith Bard’s three service aces. Motivated to close the gap, the Aggies efforts fell short once again as the Hilltoppers managed a final 8-3 run, allowing them to win the set, 25-12. Similar to the first, the Hilltoppers declared dominance over the Aggies early in the final set. Errors by the Aggies set the Hilltoppers up for an eight-point rally, with Bard contributing three more service aces, and Ware with back-to-back kills. This ignited the Hilltopper’s final 7-1 run to win the match , 25-8. The Hilltopper’s 2-0 record in conference play overshadows the 2-2 record at the Angelo State Tournament just one week before. Additionally, the Hilltoppers suffered ego-bruising 1-3 loss at the Florida Southern and St. Leo Classic tournament earlier this month, but have since been determined to pull through and continue the season victorious. “The tournament was a good learning experience for us,” Coach Sean Donahue said. “It challenged us and lets us see what our identity is at this point.” According the Heartland Conference Preseason Poll, an expectation of conference ranking voted on by conference coaches and Sports Information Directors, the Hilltoppers were picked second—falling short of the first place pick by just ten points to Arkansas-Fort Smith. Despite receiving the second pick, even after holding the Heartland Conference title for the past three years and winning two conference games thus far, the Hilltoppers look forward to another successful season. “Each year brings some unique challenges, and I’m sure this one will be no different,” Donahue said. “I look forward to the challenges of the season and see where we end up in the end.” Training and two-a-days prepared the team during preseason and created a bond within the team at the same time. “It was tough, but fun,” Vander Hey, captain and outside hitter said. “We got to go to Padre during preseason and practiced hard. We also got to spend some time at the beach which allowed us to bond with each other more as a team.” Although the tournament at Angelo State wasn’t the record the team hoped for, it wasn’t an indication of what team is capable of as the proved otherwise by defeating two teams in the conference. “We played tough teams,” Vander Hey said. “But it makes us want to strive to work hard in practice so that we can overcome challenges in the future.” The Hilltoppers will have their first home game against Newman University, after spending the last few weeks on the road. “We’re very excited to play at home,” Vander Hey said. “I’m looking forward to people coming out to our game and seeing how our home crowd is this year.” Similarly, Coach Donahue shares the same expectations and hopes for the season as it heads to Hilltopper territory. “Even if you don’t understand the rules of volleyball or never watched it, you will see some amazing athleticism and skill,” Donahue said. “And I bet if you come support once, you will want to come and support again.” The Hilltopper’s first home game is scheduled for September 22 against Newman University at 7pm.