FRUITPORT – Before the season started, Fruitport volleyball coach Nicole Bayle said  “August could be a little rocky for our squad, but we are hoping by mid-September to begin to find our groove as a team.”

As it turned out, August wasn’t very rocky for the Trojans at all. And it’s only the first week of September and they seem to be grooving just fine.

That was certainly the case on Thursday night, when Fruitport cruised past Belding in three straight sets, 25-23, 25-11, 25-9 in the O-K Silver conference opener for both teams.

The victory was the team’s fourth in a row and improved the Trojans’ record to 7-2-1 on the season. They will next take the court on Saturday when they host the Fruitport Invitational.

Bayle’s early season concerns were based on several factors – the loss of standouts Sadie Haase (graduation) and Gracelynn Olson (offseason injury) – plus the introduction of several young players who would be counted on to play key roles, but lacked varsity experience.

Now it’s looking like the Trojans’ solid core of returners from last year’s conference, district and regional championship team are taking charge, and the newcomers are fitting right in.

“We have some new kids who have brought some awesome energy, and we’re starting to see our returners really step it up by being aggressive, leading by example and playing together,” Bayle said. “This team is very scrappy and works hard together. We have been improving at a rapid rate and we’re hoping to keep getting better.”

The Trojans were not perfect on Thursday, and had moments that showed there is definitely room for more development and improvement.

A good example came in the first set, which was pretty close from start to finish.

The score was tied nine different times, the last time at 15-15. Fruitport went on to build leads of 20-15 and 23-17, then went into a bit of a slumber, allowing the Black Knights to battle back within a point at 24-23.

The Trojans managed to get the final point and escape with the 25-23 victory.

“They are still growing in competence and maturity,” Bayle said. “We have like four kids who are doing something different than last year, and this was the first time we were playing at home. We’re glad to get that first home match out of the way before Saturday’s tournament.”

The drama quickly ended after the first set. The Trojans took control with solid defense, strong serving and numerous players making great shots. The more consistently the Trojans played, the more Belding fell apart, leading to the sweep and an early night for everyone.

The Fruitport offense was powered pretty evenly be several girls who are back from last year, including Izzy Hanson-Wilbur (12 kills), Emma Fecher (7), Emma Danicek (6) and Ellie Stroup (5).

Fecher and Alexa Sweet had 17 and 14 assists, respectively, while Sweet served a team-leading four aces.

Two newcomers, sophomore Porter Johnson and freshman Regan Wilson, played key roles in the defense with 13 and five digs, respectively. Hanson-Wilbur added seven digs while Stroup had six.