The Puma girls volleyball team will take on conference rival Hamilton Huskies tonight in a key matchup here at Perry. The girls roll into the game today coming off back to back games against divisional opponents. The first of which came against Val Vista rival Basha High School on Tuesday night followed by last night’s game against the Xavier Prep Gators. Both of these being road matches.

The Pumas own one of the most experienced teams in the division, as Perry has ten seniors out of their sixteen player roster. The Huskies come into tonight’s matchup less experienced than the upperclassmen heavy Puma roster. The Hamilton roster boasts just six seniors out of an eighteen player lineup.

The Huskies saw nine members of their playoff team graduate while the Pumas were forced to say goodbye to only seven players from their 2017 team. However the girls have already seen the majority of the team commit to play college volleyball.

Senior captain Matea Suan, who has committed to play sand volleyball at Missouri State University, sees that as almost an advantage, “It gives them something to work for,” Suan said. “Obviously they want to improve they want to be ready for the next level when they go to college.”

This game sparks a string of sectional games for the Pumas as six out of the next seven games will be against conference foes. These critical games will conclude the Pumas regular season as they look ahead to playoffs. And when their season concludes hopefully it will be on to trying to accomplish a goal this volleyball program has been trying for years and that is capturing a state championship.

“Each week we take time before practice just to talk about us as a whole and how we are going to get to our goal.” Suan said.

Previous matchups against this Huskies team have taught the coaching staff about the way they like to play.

“They run a different offensive system,” head coach Fred Mann said. “We look at previous matchups to see the patterns of their offense.” After years of playing this team year in and year out the players and coaches know what to look for.

“They play fast and serve deep.” Mann said, “I hope our experience pays off.” The Pumas were defeated by the Huskies 19-17 in the third set of the Westwood Tournament of Champions on September 15. “It is going to be a really close, intense game.’’ Suan said. The freshman play at 4, JV at 5 and varsity will take on the Huskies at 6.