CELEBRATION — Brooke’s Lily Clark reacts after a point against Buckeye Local on Monday. - Andrew Grimm

WELLSBURG — Brooke volleyball coach Deidra Parr knew she had a young group coming into this season and a tough early portion of the schedule for them to contend with.

Now, in the back half of the schedule, Parr is starting to see that young group grow and find its groove.

The latest example of that was the Bruins sweep of visiting Buckeye Local Monday evening inside the Brooke Wellness Center.

“We’ve come along,” Parr said. “We have a really competitive team, they’ve practiced hard. It kind of started in a five-set game at Indian Creek, we didn’t win, but they competed hard and they’ve built on that momentum from there and they’re getting better.”

The victory moved the Bruins to 4-10 on the season. While that is not where they would have wanted to be at this point coming in to the year, what is noteworthy is three of those victories have come recently as the Bruins have started to put things together.

After a season-opening win over Harrison Central, Brooke dropped its next nine straight and has now won three out of four.

“They’ve learned how to play together as a team,” Parr said of the difference she’s noticed. “I don’t even have to tell them to communicate now, they just do it. That’s how they practice and that’s how they’re playing now. They’re working together.”

The win over the Panthers Monday avenged one of those early season losses as Brooke dropped a four-set decision at Buckeye Local back in August.

Being able to have a better result in the second meeting is a trend Parr hopes the Bruins can build off of and continue.

“We knew we had a very young team coming into the season, we had a tough start, now we’re looking forward to playing some more of those same teams again at home,” Parr said. “Hopefully we continue to improve and come along.”

Brooke is back at home tonight hosting Edison on senior night.