All it takes is one spike for Lawrence High junior Michaela Cordova to find a rhythm on the volleyball court.

That was the case Saturday at the Joan Wells Invitational, when Cordova drilled four straight kills during the end of the second set against Blue Valley. Her efforts helped the Lions secure their first win of the day.

Behind a balanced offense of Cordova, junior Abby Monroe and Sammy Williams, the Lions took third place at their home tournament with a 2-2 record. Lawrence earned victories over Blue Valley (25-18, 25-18) and Shawnee Heights (25-16, 25-10).

“Honestly, it’s actually like the best feeling ever,” said Cordova, who finished the four matches with 24 kills and 30 digs. “It’s just so fun trying to put the ball away and just getting excited with teammates.”

The Lions (15-6, ranked No. 7 in Class 6A) lost their first two matches of the tournament in three sets to Blue Valley Northwest (25-16, 17-25, 26-24) and Blue Valley West (21-25, 25-18, 25-21).

After a break for lunch, the Lions looked like a motivated team. Their defense was sharper with a strong block in front of libero Lauren Maceli, who had a team-best 56 digs, and defensive specialist Hannah Stewart.

“We started worrying about what was on our side of the net, instead of worrying about what the other team was doing,” said Williams, who recorded 24 kills and a team-high eight blocks. “We just played our game.”

Against Blue Valley, in the first game out of their lunch break, the Lions opened the first set with nine of the first 12 points, fueled by two service aces from Willoughby and kills by Williams, Cordova and Brooke Wroten.

“We just came out feeling like after we lost two, let’s win the other two and get it done, put it away,” Cordova said.

Following the win against Blue Valley, the Lions were in full rhythm against Shawnee Heights. They had a 10-4 run to end the first set, and opened the second set with a separate 10-3 spurt.

Williams, Monroe and Cordova combined for 10 kills in the first set. Monroe, a left-handed hitter, finished with a team-best 27 kills throughout the four matches.

Despite punctuating the offense with key spurts of kills, Cordova said she prefers the back row, where she has a chance to show off her defense.

“I honestly love back row. I do,” Cordova said. “Front row, I used to be tall. So front row is where I’ve always been and I love it. But back row, I’m getting more and more passionate about back row.”

Focusing on a strong finish after their first two losses, the Lions believe they are starting to play their best.

“We’re starting to learn from our mistakes and build,” Williams said.