WESTPHALIA — Fatima opened the volleyball season with five matches in five days, taking a set from Hickman at home Tuesday before splitting four matches Friday and Saturday at a tournament in St. Joseph.

The Lady Comets finished the week with a 2-3 record.

Hickman defeated Fatima 25-11, 19-25, 25-15, 25-16 in the season opener.

Gracie Dickneite led the Lady Comets with seven kills and three total blocks. Layla Wingrath recorded six kills, and Addison Lehmen added four.

Emma Scheppers distributed 17 assists and collected 11 digs. Lehmen paced the defense with 14 digs, Leah Muenks had 11, and Camryn Muenks and Kaylee Berhorst finished with 10 apiece. Leah Muenks served two aces.

Fatima rebounded Friday by opening the St. Joseph tournament with a 25-18, 19-25, 25-23 victory against Cameron.

Wingrath led the Lady Comets with 10 kills, followed by Dickneite with seven and Scheppers with six. Scheppers recorded 17 assists, Berhorst collected 17 digs, and Elizabeth Voss served three aces.

Fatima completed Friday’s action by defeating Rock Port 26-24, 25-15. Dickneite and Wingrath finished with four kills apiece, while Voss added three. Scheppers distributed 11 assists, and Dickneite recorded three total blocks.

The Lady Comets fell 25-21, 25-21 to Northland Christian on Saturday. Voss led Fatima with six kills, Wingrath added four, and Leah Muenks served three aces. Berhorst collected 13 digs, and Scheppers provided 11 assists.

Saxony Lutheran defeated Fatima 25-15, 25-13 in the tournament finale. Lehmen, Wingrath, and Voss recorded two kills apiece. Scheppers led the defense with seven digs, and Voss had five assists.

“We had a very busy first week of competition, and I was really pleased with the improvement I saw from our team throughout the week,” Fatima coach Ellie Crede said. “I was really proud of the growth we showed from the first game to the last.”

Crede said the Lady Comets improved in several areas, particularly communication and teamwork.

“By our fifth match, even though we didn’t come away with the win, the girls were communicating much better, trusting each other, and working together as a much more cohesive team,” Crede said. “For such a young season, I was encouraged by the progress we made and am excited to see how we continue to grow together.”

Fatima won Tuesday’s JV match against Hickman 25-21, 25-14.

The Lady Comets’ C team also swept Hickman 25-16, 25-20. Brooklynn Otto recorded 11 assists, Kinlee Perkins finished with seven kills and two aces, Kaylee Muenks collected 13 digs, and Camille Dickneite served three aces.

“I think we were a little nervous at first, actually playing against someone else, but once we settled down, we played pretty well,” Fatima C-team coach Greg Wingrath said. “Hickman has a couple of decent hitters, but our defense wasn’t fazed by that. We got a lot of those balls, and that can be deflating to a hitter. We only missed three serves all night, so there were no complaints there. Overall, it was a good team win.”