Home sweet home, finally, for the Yuma High School volleyball team.
The Indians made their 2021 home debut Thursday, September 9, against the Class 3A Brush Beetdiggers, after opening the season with six away matches, including three in the Kit Carson Tournament. The season-opening road haul concluded this past Tuesday at in Imperial, Nebraska, against Chase County.
They have a week off after today before hosting Akron on September 16.
Yuma definitely remains a work in progress, flashing its potential while also struggling for consistency at times.
The Indians are 4-3 overall, 0-1 in the Lower Platte Activity Association, heading into today’s home opener. They lost in three sets at Chase County, but rebounded two sweep Brush in three in Thursday’s home opener, 25-17, 25-7, 25-14.
They opened LPAA play last Wednesday against Sedgwick County in Ovid. It was their first match in more than one week, and came against a squad ranked No. 2 in Class 2A. Sedgwick County is No. 1 in the 2A Rating Percentage Index entering this week, while Yuma was No. 23 as of the September 10 update, with plenty of opportunities to move up as the season progresses.
Yuma entered the match at Ovid ranked No. 7 in the 2A Top 10, but it was a rough one for the Tribe, losing 14-25, 12-25, 17-25.
It started out well for Yuma, as the Indians took a 7-4 lead in the opening set. However, that was as good as it got for the Tribe. 
The Cougars reeled off six straight points, and also had runs of three and four straight points to open up a 19-10 lead. The Indians quickly fell behind 6-2 in the second set and never made a run in the 13-point loss. Yuma was within two, 8-6, in the third set, but Sedgwick County ran off seven straight and never looked back.
The Tribe struggled in all facets, including at the service line, where it went 82.2 percent. Elle Roth was 9-11 with one ace, Mia Dischner 8-9, Allie Barron 7-7 with one ace, Caddis Robinson 7-8, Meidi Reyes 2-3, Jailyn Mekelburg 2-2, Emma Rayl 1-2 and Lea Richardson 1-3.
Yuma totaled only 17 kills. Roth had seven, Richardson five, Robinson two, Barron two and Dischner one. Robinson had eight setting assists and Richardson six. Roth led in serve receive, and Roth and Robinson led in digs.
The Indians were back on the road again Friday for the long trip to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming.
This time they were able to take care of business against the one-win Hornets, earning the 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 sweep.
Yuma was more solid at the service line, at 90.5 percent. Robinson was 20-22 with one ace, Roth 12-12 with one ace, Reyes 10-10 with one ace, Barron 9-10 with one ace, Dischner 6-6 with one ace, Rayl 4-5, Kinley Eyering 2-2, Richardson 3-6, and Mekelburg 1-1. The Indians recorded 40 kills, led by Roth with 18, while Reyes had nine, Robinson six, Barron five, and Dischner and Mekelburg one each. Richardson had 19 setting assists, and Robinson 17. Roth and Rayl led in serve receive, including Roth going 27-27, and Richardson, Rayl and Roth led in digs.
