Kelly Green summed up Kimball’s surprising 9-1 start.

“It’s a new year, it’s a new attitude,” she said after the Longhorns dropped Hemingford and Gordon-Rushville on Tuesday night, both games lasting only two sets.

Last season Kimball suffered ups and downs, amassing a nondescript record. This year’s edition of the Longhorns is in the midst of a five game streak without losing a set.

Still, Gordon-Rushville proved a difficult opponent. In fact, the Mustangs started as if they intended to settle the matter quickly, jumping out to a 14-7 lead in the first set on the strength of Cirsten Hinn’s work on the back line, as well as the court.

But Kimball began to chip away. With Darbi Klinkhammer serving, Amber Kilgore won back two points with strong net play and Jessica Hanks took another with a deft flick that slipped through the Gordon-Rushville defense. Moments later, Danika Daum yanked two more, one with a hard smash.

“At the start of the season I knew we had a chance to win these types of games,” coach Vicki Mitchell pointed out. “But these girls have gone way beyond expectations.”

Over the weekend they took revenge on Mitchell on their way to the Gordon-Rushville tournament title. Now they clawed their way even against the Mustangs in Hemingford.

“We know how to make a comeback,” Hanks explained.

Kimball took the lead with Regan Hinton serving and never looked back. Tabitha Unzicker closed things out with a spike from Emily Poss’ set up.

Kimball won 25-20.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Green observed.

The Mustangs fought hard through the early portion of set two. But Unzicker put together a 6 point service run, thanks to the powerful presence of Kilgore and a sharp exclamation by freshman Madison Biesecker.

“Everybody on our bench can play,” coach Mitchell said. “When we subbed, we didn’t miss a beat.”

Biesecker’s 5 point service run—two won on aces—secured an insurmountable advantage for Kimball in the second set against host Hemingford. The Longhorns won that game 25-13, 25-21.

They slumped in the second, committed a number of miscues during Dani Campbell’s time at the back line and allowed Cali Mulcahy to craft a 4 point run toward the end.

“We let up on intensity,” Mitchell said.

In the end, Green drove home a Klinkhammer set to put the final of the first game away.

As set two against Gordon-Rushville continued, the Longhorns pulled away. Kilgore put a stop to the Mustangs last real offensive threat and Klinkhammer scored 5 consecutive points from the line targeting Brandi Roth and Brittany Hoagland.

Kimball won in fine style, 25-10.