Keely Lawson and her classmates are letting it all hang out for their volleyball season at Princeton.

That’s how they played in Tuesday’s match at Mendota, defeating the Spikers 25-14, 25-16 for a Three Rivers East victory.

“I think our energy was really high, and we knew we had to come here to take care of business and that’s what we did,” Lawson said. “This season, we’re going all out. We’ve got nothing to lose. (There’s) six seniors, so we’re playing like there’s nothing to lose.

“And our attitudes are all positive and [we’re] getting all along and have great team chemistry. I think that just helps all around.”

The Tigresses (9-5, 3-0) had to get a little creative in the second set when middle blocker Kathy Maciczak went down with an ankle sprain.

Coach Andy Puck shifted Keely Lawson to the middle and inserted freshmen Kolbi Lawson in at her sister’s outside hitting position. Not to worry as junior Ava Kyle helped to alleviate any extra stress with a string of five service points to run the Tigresses to an 11-5 lead before the injury.

“We had a couple kids in different positions when Kathy went down,” Puck said. “Kolbi Lawson a freshman came in and ended up going in her sister’s spot, and then Keely (Lawson) took Kathy’s spot. ... Now are they capable of doing that? Without a doubt. Have we practiced that a ton? No, but they’re athletes.

“Ava Kyle comes in, I think we were tied 5-5 and we sided out, and she goes back to the service line and rips off the next five points and we’re up 11-5 just like that. If it had been 5-5, you’re probably talking a different game when you’re pulling out a starter and bringing in a freshman and moving your other starting outside hitter.”

Kills by Davis and classmate Caroline Keutzer pushed the Princeton lead to 18-10. Mendota scored on an Elaina Koch kill, but it did little to cool Princeton.

Keutzer struck for another kill and a Lawson stuff block sent Princeton to a 22-13 lead. Davis hit for the final point to wrap up the victory.

The Tigresses held a 12-10 lead in the first game before they took off. They scored six straight points to run out to an 18-10 lead.

The Spikers got as close as 20-14, with the Tigresses scoring the final five points and Keely Lawson hitting for the final two markers.

Mendota coach Demi Salazar was pleased with the Spikers marked improvement from their opening-weekend tournament match with Princeton at Hall.

“They hammered us the first time we played them. We scored four more points and five more points in the two games (tonight),” he said. “So our kids are getting better and that’s kind of where we’re going with all of this. We’ve played some tough tournaments and I think that’s helped us.”

Keely Lawson and Puck said the Tigresses carried a lot of momentum over from their third-place finish at Saturday’s Rock Falls Invite.

“We had a couple good matches against Rock Falls, L-P and then a really good Riverdale team,” Puck said. “We started running our tempo a lot quicker, really trusting ourselves. (Setter) Makayla (Hecht) is really trusting our hitters more. When your setter is trusting your hitters, you’re able to do good things and play a faster tempo.

“But it all starts in the back row. You can’t thank Camryn Driscoll and Ava Kyle and (Keely) Lawson and (Caroline) Keutzer enough back there. It takes a pass before you’re able to run an offense. We side out well, pass well and that’s A No. 1 in volleyball.”

Keely Lawson and Keutzer each knocked eight kills with Davis adding three. Kyle tallied eight points, including four aces, with Hecht delivering seven points and a team-high 23 assists and five digs.