PATCH GROVE — The River Ridge varsity volleyball team is off to a great start to their 2019 season, picking up wins over Kickapoo and Shullsburg last week, before taking top honors at the Six Rivers East Tournament last Saturday at Monticello.

The Timberwolves, and 14th-year head coach Dianne Langmeier, kicked off the season last Tuesday night at home with a 3-0 sweep of visiting Kickapoo.

Winning by scores of 25-3, 25-9 and 25-16, the Timberwolves got a team-high 18 kills, five digs, five service aces and one block from senior Skylar White.

Fellow senior Rylee Zinkle chipped in four kills, while junior Kendell Esser had three.

Senior setter Jaci Williams dished out a team-high 10 assists to Esser’s seven, while senior libero Faith Schier had five digs.

Two nights later at Shullsburg, the Timberwolves picked up a 3-0 victory with scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-17.

Junior middle hitter Britney Moravits and Skylar White each had 20 kills in the win, while White also had two service aces and 12 digs, and Moravits two blocks.

Williams distributed a team-high 12 assists in the win, while Schier came up with 21 digs. Zinkle added two assists and two blocks.

At Saturday’s Six Rivers East Tournament in Monitcello, the Timberwolves went a perfect 5-0 with wins over Black Hawk, Albany, Juda, Monticello and then Black Hawk again in the championship match.

On the day, White had a team-high 60 kills and two blocks to go along with 30 digs and three aces, while Williams had 47 assists, 20 kills and 16 digs. Schier led the team with 44 total digs, while Sadie Crubel served up a team-high four aces.

In their championship match, the Timberwolves defeated Black Hawk, 2-1, wining by scores of 25-20, 21-25 and 15-9).

“Black Hawk has a great tea, and we felt pretty happy to come out of there with the win,” said coach Langmeier. “It was a very aggressive match with lots of great volleys.”

This Thursday night the Timberwolves will travel to Potosi, and next Monday will be at Prairie du Chien.