Seabury Academy athletic director Brian Clyne looked like a worm Friday night.

With every volleyball put in play, the Seahawks’ AD squirmed one way, then the other.

After putting in 14-hour days for nearly two weeks in preparation for the inaugural athletic event at the private school’s newly refurbished gymnasium — which just last year still was Alvamar Racquet Club — Clyne wanted Friday to go without a hitch.

“I almost cried when I saw them take the court for the first time,” Clyne said of the Seahawks’ debut in their new showroom.

Why wouldn’t he? Seabury’s new gym was packed Friday night with few hundred fans forgetting all about the first night of Friday night football.

The student body was out in full force, displaying forest green and navy signs across the fresh facade of the new gymnasium.

In fact, the only hitch was that an overhyped Seabury team couldn’t find a way to pull out a victory in the Seahawks’ triangular with Manhattan Flint Hills and Topeka Heritage.

Seabury Academy's Laura Frizell spikes the ball over Manhattan Flint Hills' Jennifer Halinski. The Seahawks were defeated in their first triangular in their new gym by both Flint Hills and Topeka Heritage Friday.

It’s not that the Seahawks completely were outgunned in any of their four games as they fell, 25-19, 25-21, to Flint Hills and 25-16, 25-21 to Heritage. Seabury just couldn’t settle down.

“I think we were a little too excited, especially in the beginning because of everything that was going on,” junior Laura Frizell said.

Seabury coach Craig Friedrichsen said the same, but wasn’t going to blame anyone on this night.

“With this place being packed, and all their friends watching, they couldn’t help but be excited,” he said. “This was just fun. I’ll take it anytime.”

So, too, would Clyne, even if the young Seahawk squad couldn’t eke out a victory.

“When I remember this night, I’m not going to even remember the scores,” Clyne said. “What I’ll remember is all the other things, and how special it was to start this season in our own gym.”