Fuqua School’s varsity girls volleyball team began its 2018 season Tuesday with a 3-0 home win against Richmond Christian School, setting a strong tone for what could be a significantly successful campaign.

“I thought we played awesome, and we worked together, and we communicated, and they did great,” Lady Falcons Head Coach Breanne Allen said of her players. “And their serves were on tonight, so that really helped us.”

The result of Tuesday’s match was a contrast to Fuqua’s preseason run, which featured two scrimmages that it lost.

Allen said the difference between those scrimmages and the opener was communication, as Tuesday revealed a Lady Falcons squad that was talking and working together as a team.

Nearly half of the Fuqua roster is comprised of seniors, but even the younger players are not new to the sport.

“They’re all experienced — even the ninth-grader,” Allen said, referring to Meredith Schmidt, the lone freshman on the roster. “She’s good.”

The Lady Falcons compete in the Blue Ridge Conference and will aim to qualify for the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division III state tournament.

Allen was optimistic about what her team could accomplish this year after Tuesday’s showing.

“If we keep playing like we did tonight and communicate and work together and have our serves like we did tonight, I feel like we’re going to keep winning,” she said.

The coach said the on-court leader she is relying on the most is senior setter Hannah-Gray Schmidt.

The girls Allen counts on to finish Hannah-Gray’s sets include senior Regan Ware, junior Abbie Schmidt and sophomore Elizabeth Hall.

After hosting The Covenant School on Thursday, the Lady Falcons are set to visit Roanoke Catholic School on Monday at 6:15 p.m.