Riverside didn’t start the season off on the right foot at all but have started to course-correct its ship. And when Chardon came to visit Sept. 24, the Beavers stepped up to the challenge. They led wire-to-wire in the first two sets, and a third-set rally after a timeout completed the sweep. Riverside improved to 5-7 on the season, while Chardon fell to 6-7. The Beavers featured some new faces in key places for the contest. Julia Huffman took over libero responsibilities while Makayla Koenig, who had sporadic appearances in the rotation this year, was the setter against Chardon. Different and unique lineups have been something Coach Jess Marut has tested and played with all season. “We’re a very versatile team,” Marut said. “There are times where we’ll have four setters on the floor. They may not be the go-to setter, but they’ve set for Club or been a JO setter a year ago. It gives us options to run different things, and I want to give the girls credit for that as a team. It takes a lot to switch positions and try different things.” While Koenig was the designated setter against Chardon, she started the contest strong with five kills in the first set. But the Beavers’ offense ran through the swing of Jacelyn Zgonc. The sophomore finished with 14 kills, 12 in the second and third sets combined. “The biggest thing about running our offense is spreading it around,” Zgonc said. “Our hitters did a really good job of pulling the blocks, and that made it easier for me.” Aubrey Laurenty also played a key part in the Riverside victory, racking up eight kills, four in the second set. She also added four blocks as well. The Beavers had some big holes to fill in the middle with the pair of Savanah Laurenty and Riley Horvat graduating last year. It’s taken some time to get everyone adjusted to their new roles, but Zgonc has seen everyone grow a lot more comfortable in the Beavers’ rotation. “Having point blockers make it a lot easier for me to do my job,” Zgonc said. “It’s been about the work that we put in during practice. We have some extra motivation. The first half of the season didn’t go as planned, but we’re ready for the second half of the season.” After controlling the first two sets, Chardon took the lead in the third and forced Riverside to use both timeouts. The Beavers trailed, 18-16, during the second timeout. But out of the break, Riverside stormed to the lead thanks to a 5-0 run and forced a Chardon timeout. “We treated every point like it was the last,” Marut said. “That was the message from the beginning. This is a rivalry game for us, but it was about hitting that peak point for us and building the confidence in the girls while having the team come around, playing point for point in the game.” An intricate part of the Beavers’ comeback was the serve of Marlee Pettine, who had three aces in the third set alone. Chardon was led by a strong night from Addison Koppelman, who had 12 kills. Mackenzie Siko added eight kills while Aubrey Fetchik had six. The Hilltoppers aim to snap a three-game conference losing streak when North travels to The Baron on Sept. 26. Riverside looks to pull even in WRC play when Kenston visits on the same day.