The Conant volleyball team is a lot better than their straight-set loss to Fall Mountain Monday evening that head coach Kerry Linstad called a step back.

"I have higher expectations of them than what we are at right now," Linstad said after the game. "I have very, very high expectations for this team and they just haven't panned out yet."

The fledgling Orioles are in just their third season as a varsity program and are still undergoing growing pains as they attempt to take flight. However, they now have enough time under their belts to consider themselves experienced and strive to be more competitive.

"I have a lot of returners," Linstad said. "They know the game. The IQ is higher. It's just a mental game right now that we struggle with, staying in it the whole time. I've got a lot of talented kids, it's just putting it all together - still working on that."

Conant's three senior captains have been with the program as long as anybody, and they've stepped into their leadership roles. ShaylaSeppala can play low to the ground and at the net.

"Shayla knows the game really well," Linstad said. "She's a good leader."

Kylee Daniels and EmrynVitello are the team's best players on the front lines, and the three combine to lead the rest of the young Orioles as they build themselves up. Underclassmen Addison Reader, Nex Harris and Allies Sisombath are coming along, too, but need more experience to bolster their exuberance. 

"I think because we're still so young that it's just going to come with time," Linstad said. "Everybody that we play has been in the season for years compared to us, so I think it's just going to take time."

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Conant (1-7) only has four wins in the history of the program, but they're in position to add to that over the course of this season. So far, they've beaten Hillsboro-Deering, taken a set from Mascenic and have two more games against Kearsarge (1-6), a team the Orioles have had success against in the past. 

Conant is steadily improving, which is why Linstad was surprised at the team's performance against Fall Mountain, where the Orioles struggled to communicate and let playable balls drop in no man's land. 

"That hasn't happened in a very long time," Linstad said. "That's why I was very confused. We work on that a lot. We're still going to push, still practice, still push. Hopefully we'll get a couple more wins."

Conant hosts Kearsarge Wednesday night and then is at home against Mascenic on Friday.