After a 1-2 showing the first week, East swept Albemarle, West Rowan and Harding to stand 4-2 overall. More importantly, the Mustangs moved to 3-1 in the 3-A South Piedmont Conference, and despite a long season ahead of them, they’re in good position to grab one of the league’s four playoff spots.

“Two years ago we started 0-5 and then went undefeated in the conference,” East head coach Sandy Basinger said. “We turned things around — it was just a matter of experience.”

East’s young team still has a lot of learning left to do, especially at the net and from the service line, Basinger said. But those problems are to be expected after throwing a team together in less than two weeks.

“Only eight days of practice and then we play Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,” Basinger said of the tough first week. “You don’t have a day in between there to work on the things you need to. It’s a rough way to start out.”

It’s time for the Cavaliers to forget about their early-season success and the 5-2 nonconference mark that came with it. Today is the start of the 2A Central Carolina Conference season, and now everything counts for a whole lot more.

“We’re feeling pretty good,” North head coach Tricia Hester said. “Most everybody has gotten to play and done a real good job when they’ve gone in there. I hope we can continue that.”

Hitters Megan Honeycutt and Kristen Kobylis have pounded away at opponents at the net, while key reserves like Melissa Dunn and Cassie Constantino have come off the bench with good service games and defense.

Hester is expecting big things from the Cavs, who face league favorites East Davidson and Ledford in back-to-back games Sept. 2 and 7.

“Ledford is a really big match,” Hester said. “They’re usually No. 1.”

Hornets head coach Bob Beiter took care of that one small problem he had — finding a sixth starter for his team.

With a solid nucleus of Sherree Gillespie, Jen Reilly, Alexis Lineberry, Amy Steelman and Deanna Teis to build around, Beiter inserted Christin Bost into the back row, while Sucy DeLeon comes on to play front row and serve.

Serving, setting and spiking have hurt Salisbury in its 0-3 start, but Beiter has seen improvement.

“We’re communicating more, balls aren’t dropping in right in front of two people,” Beiter said. “We’re discussing it, staying in the spots where we’re supposed to be.”

Most pleasing in the early going to Beiter has been the play of Reilly, who had a great game with 16 kills and 13 points last week.

“Jenny Reilly has dramatically improved over last year with her hitting skills and bumping, and back row as well,” Beiter said. “She’s done an outstanding job.”

Wanda Watts knows her team is blessed with a few great hitters. But getting the ball to Jennifer Morgan, Brittney Gaddy and Megan Davis hasn’t always been easy.

The Raiders, 2-4, are working with two new setters in Meredith Bost and Morgan Andrews, and troubles on serve receive have made getting the ball to that pair difficult at times as well.

It can at times create a snowball effect that leads to frustration, and, ultimately, losses. South lost its final game at North Rowan 15-4 Monday night after playing three previously close games.

“Especially in the last game, they just started to get upset with each other,” Watts said. “That’s been a big problem, not getting frustrated.”