ALTOONA-MIDWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL Sept. 7, 2026

Contact: Craig Null, USD 387 activities writer

THAYER - The Altoona-Midway Middle School volleyball team opened its 2026 season Thursday, falling to the Thayer Flyers in a Mineral Belt League matchup.

Thayer won the “A” match 25-10, 25-13, and was also victorious in the “B” contest, 15-4, 15-8.

The Lady Jets will swing back into action Tuesday, Sept. 8, when they host a triangular at Milo Peterson Gym. Invading the AMMS gymnasium will be middle school teams from Elk Valley and Altamont. First serve is slated for 4 p.m.

“We had the typical first-game jitters that are to be expected, but both the A and B squads improved in the second sets from their first, so that was a plus,” said AMMS coach Lacy Wheeler. “They all showed improvement once their nerves settled down.

“I’m looking forward to watching these girls improve all season long,” she added.

Wheeler also pointed out the girls were looking forward to playing at home Tuesday, since the gymnasium in Thayer has lower ceilings that in Peterson Gymnasium, where the Jets have been practicing.

“In addition to the girls being nervous for the first game, the ceiling at Thayer is pretty low, and none of the girls had played there before, so we were at a disadvantage to the home team that practices there,” Wheeler noted. “We had several serves hit the ceiling, and their nerves being high with the low ceilings, several digs also hit the ceiling. The girls started to settle in towards the end of the set, but couldn’t make the comeback. Ainsley Wheeler led the Lady Jets in the “A” matchup, collecting a total of 12 service points, including three aces. Makayla Mustain finished with three service points, while Emily Lockhart, Emma Kinzle, McKenna Matlock, and Teryn Ellsworth each had two.

“I was really proud of all of the girls. They hustled and were great at uplifting each other throughout the match,” Wheeler said.

In the second set of the “B” contest, Kinzle provided a highlight when she rattled off three consecutive aces. Matlock also notched an ace during the match. Kinzle led the squad in digs in the first set, while Matlock took dig honors in the second set.

“We’re a young team, but the girls did a great job of keeping good attitudes and never giving up,” Wheeler noted.

The Jets being a young team is an understatement. There are no eighth graders on the AMMS squad this season. Making up the Lady Jet roster this fall are four seventh graders: Emily Lockhart, McKenna Matlock, Makayla Mustain, and Ainsley Wheeler; two sixth graders: Teryn Ellsworth and Emma Kinzle; and a quartet of fifth graders: Daisy Dalton, Lakyn Faller, Kira Adams, and Nickee Beel.

“We still need to work on moving to get to the ball, and also to patiently wait for the ball to get to us sometimes, but overall we held our own against a good team that had already played a scrimmage game against another school to get their nerves out of the way,” Wheeler said. “The A team had a few really good volleys that just didn’t go our way. The girls are experiencing that they can do it, and seeing that everyone else makes mistakes too really helps them with their self-esteem, especially the younger girls.”