The Ballard High School volleyball team didn't get the win in its first KingCo match of the 2010 season Sept. 15 against Eastlake High School, but the young team did show progress.

After dropping the first two games of the match 25-17 and 25-23, the Beavers avoided a shutout by trouncing Eastlake 25-11 and winning their first game of the season.

Eastlake took the match by winning the fourth game 25-20.

Ballard junior Monique Marquez had a game-high five aces to go with her 27 assists.

Sophomore Liza Berg led the team with 11 kills and had 12 digs. Sophomore Ria Conti had a team-high 15 digs.

Ballard, which has only one senior on the team, even got production from freshman Grace Taylor, who finished with five kills and three aces.

In the first six games they dropped this season – against Inglemoor and Lakeside – the Beavers lost by an average of 8.3 points, including blowouts by 12 and 13 points.

In the three losses against Eastlake Sept. 15, Ballard cut that to a five-point average differential and avoided the blowouts of earlier in the season.

The Beavers (0-1 KingCo, 0-3 overall) have a chance at revenge when they face Eastlake (1-0 KingCo, 1-2 overall) again at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Eastlake High School.