BOURBON - Off to the best start in school history, Triton's volleyball team is finding it hard to celebrate right now. It isn't that the Trojans (13-3 this year) are not happy about their play, but their thoughts are elsewhere.

In the past week, head coach Gayle Perry's mother died, and junior varsity coach Deb Shively's father passed away. Because of the close relationship between players and coaches, the deaths have affected the entire group.

"The kids are a little emotionally drained right now," Perry said. "We are struggling with that right now.

"They get along so well, and they are so supportive," she said. "Maybe that is why it is so hard on them right now because they are emotional with us. They feel for us. They are just kids, and they don't really know how to handle this. As an adult, I struggle with this myself. I can imagine as a kid it is even tougher."

Perry is hoping the tough times will make the Trojans not only a tougher team down the road, but stronger people as well.

"It is something we have to work through," Perry said. "I tell them that this is a little lesson in life, and we are all learning those life lessons, maybe the hard way, but down the road hopefully it will help them."

Leading up to Tuesday's game with LaVille, the Trojans had to almost go it alone with Perry gone most of the time.

"These kids have basically done it on their own the past week with me being gone," Perry said. "They prepared themselves well for tonight."

So well that the Trojans came out and disposed of Northern State Conference-rival LaVille 15-0, 16-14.

After totally dominating play in the first game, a mixture of starters and reserves seemed to relax in game two and think things would go as easily as they did in game two. But LaVille scrapped and clawed for every loose ball and kept things competitive.

"Game two, we had things going and subbed and got relaxed," Perry said. "We were a little tentative.

"These kids understand the game, and they want to win," she said. "It wasn't pretty in game two, but we played to win, and I think LaVille showed us that they can be very competitive."

But when the Trojans get tentative, they get a little soft. It just isn't Triton's game to go out and volley and dink and tip with other teams. Power, pure power, is the name of the game for Triton.

And with a roster that has three players at 5-foot-10, the more power, the better.

"We have to hit with power," Perry said. "We are a power team. We can't play soft. We have to attack. When we play aggressive, we play very well."

And Perry thinks the Trojans have a chance at some lofty goals - namely a sectional and NSC championship. After surviving a rough start at the beginning of the season, Triton won 10 matches in a row before a loss to Argos last weekend.

"We were real disappointed because we had two losses to start the season," Perry said. "We sat down and talked about it, and I told them they would win. They have turned it around.

"We have always wanted to win the sectional, and we think we have a realistic shot at it this year," she said. "I think it will be a good competitive sectional, but if we are on our game, we are the team that can handle anybody."

Standing in Triton's way come sectional time will be two teams, Glenn and Argos, who have already beaten the Trojans this season.

Triton is at the LaSalle Tournament Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m. [[In-content Ad]]