Top-ranked Iowa City Liberty volleyball shines in season-opening win over Prairie

Before the top-ranked Iowa City Liberty Lightning can book their trip to this year's state volleyball tournament or have players earn spots on all-state or district teams, they first have to get through the regular season, which began Tuesday against the Cedar Rapids Prairie Hawks.

Despite a few hiccups in the middle of the match, the Lightning still looked good in their 3-1 home victory (25-11, 25-20, 22-25, 25-13).

Here are some important takeaways from the match.

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The Dynamic Duo of Shelby Kimm and Cassidy Hartman are as good as ever

With two returning players who were all-state selections, one question surrounding Liberty is if its stars can replicate their 2021 success.

It is safe to say that Cassidy Hartman and Shelby Kimm were more than up for the challenge Tuesday.

Hartman led the team with 18 kills, while Kimm had her biggest impact in the third set, where she had six of her 11 kills.

Just as they did last year, the duo worked well with one another and made key plays for their team with ease.

Hartman said she recognized the importance of starting the year strong.

"It feels really good to know that all of the hard work that we put into the summer paid off," Hartman said. "We know that we have to keep being consistent and smart with our shots so that we can keep helping our team."

Though there is much work to be done before a new-look Liberty lineup will be at its best, it helps to have two seniors the team can rely on.

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Liberty's home-court advantage shows its value early

Maybe it was because it was the first day of school or just the overall excitement for the season-opener, but either way, the energy at Liberty was palpable.

A raucous student section numbering more than 100 shook the stands with creative chants, cheers and stomps.

While at points it could be difficult for the Hawks to hear themselves think, the Lightning were relishing the mayhem.

"The energy from the student section gives us a lot of energy on the court," Hartman said. "It helps to bring up our game and to play at our highest level."

Coach Allie Kelly added that the presence of such a dedicated student section is what helps make being at Liberty so memorable.

"At a lot of places you see a big student section for just football and basketball games," Kelly said. "It is really special here that we consistently have a great student section for every home game. The same goes for the parents and families in the stands. Our players feel that energy and love from their classmates and can thank them the next day for giving them that spark."

Lightning have to limit self-inflicted wounds before they can reach their potential

With it being the first match of the season, it would be unfair for anyone to expect a perfect performance from any volleyball team.

The Lightning are no exception, as their own mistakes cost them a set in Tuesday's match.

Their 22-25 loss in the third set was the first set they had lost to Prairie since 2018.

The team bounced back in the fourth set to secure the win, but Kelly said it was good for the team to feel some pressure early on.

"Prairie pushed us in ways that challenged us to mix up some of the things that we do," Kelly said. "We had some unforced errors, particularly behind the service line, but we know that every team is going to try to give us their best game. So, it is good to learn how to get through those times."

Raven Moore covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at RSMoore@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Raven_XReport.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City Liberty volleyball starts new season on a positive note