Women’s volleyball game in a gym; players in purple uniforms cheer as one dives for the ball near the floor, with a white-uniform opponent on the right. — The Miami Lady Warriors celebrate after a point during a win over Kelton in a District 1-1A opener at home Tuesday night.

It may have been an opener to District 1-1A play, but the Miami Lady Warriors were able to set the tone as legit contenders in the league with a assertive four-set win over No. 3-ranked Kelton, 25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, at home Tuesday night.

The win pushes Miami to 1-0 in district and 15-6 on the year while Kelton, which had been off to a tremendous start, suffers its first loss falling to 11-1 overall and 0-1 in the league.

“We knew this was going to be a big game for us,” Miami head coach Keri Dukes said. “Kelton came in ranked No. 3 in the state. This was a huge for our team. Kelton is a very good and we played well. Our girls knew what they needed to do and got the job done.”

Miami did its job with aggressive offense and outstanding defense to throw the Lady Lions off their game. On the offensive side, Kelton had trouble defending the versatility of sophomore Brylee Thompson. Thompson not only helped operate the offense with 17 assists she also did her job at the net using her big right-hand to bury 13 kills for a double-double. Thompson was even big at the service line with four assists.

Female athlete in a purple uniform with number 13, arms raised mid-movement in a gym with purple equipment nearby — Miami’s Brylee Thompson goes up for a kill against Kelton on Tuesday night.

Thomspon was complimented by teammate Scarlett Pillars who was tremendous on both sides. Pillars not only knocked went for a team-high 18 assists but was all over the court getting 23 digs for a double-double and knocked down seven kills. Then there was usung hero Christina DeMeritt stepping up as well with seven kills.

“I think we played well overall as a team,” Dukes said. “There is always room for improvement, and Kelton had a hand in that but we were able to make this a complete team win. Christina DeMeritt played smart and was big for us in the middle. Brylee Thompson and Scarlett Pillars each had a great game. Everyone contributed and that’s what you want to see.”

Harper Hale added 20 digs for the Lady Warriors and Ava Lackey had four aces in the win. Kelton’s McKinzi McManus had 13 digs with 11 kills for a double-double and six blocks. McKinzi’s sister, Brylee, also had a double-double with 17 assists and 17 digs.