Centennial girl's volleyball got off to a strong start at the Tournament of Champions on Friday, going 3-1 in their first day with wins over American Leadership Academy-QC, Shadow Ridge, and  Mesa Mountain View.

The energy from the Coyotes remained high in the Highland High School gym throughout the day as they were dominant in every match. Perhaps their biggest win came in their second set against Shadow Ridge where they dominated 25-13, going on multiple 5 and 6-point rallies.

When asked how the team stays so positive and upbeat through the long day, junior Ashley Lifgren said, "We have really good energy. We just have fun. We love each other so much and we cheer so much for our teammates."

Head coach Cari Bauer thinks this weekend will give her team a good opportunity to work on progressing towards future goals. "We had a very tough schedule coming into the season," Bauer said. "We're still working on some things. These tournaments mean something, but they don't. We can work on some little details."

Another impressive skill shown on the court was Centennial's ability to pass and kill, thanks to good communication. "We work on talking so much during practice. It makes us so diciplined on the court. We trust each other," Lifgren says.

The Coyotes' only loss came in their final match agaiinst Desert Ridge, dropping 2 straight sets.

"This is done and over with. We have to focus on tomorrow," Bauer says.

The Coyotes begin play Saturday at 10 a.m. against Highland.