Cori Matthews may have not seen the results she was necessarily seeking during her first match as the new Hollis Brookline boys volleyball coach.

As it was the first match for the players and coach, Matthews acknowledge that there were certainly some nerves all around. Still, she could rest peacefully after her squad showed the attributes of a team that was led by a veteran mentor.

Despite trailing for the majority of their three sets, the Cavaliers never looked discouraged. The team battled but could not overcome a strong Pinkerton squad, falling 3-0.

Before this spring, Matthews spent two seasons as an assistant on the HB girls team. She also played throughout high school, so she’s been in plenty of winning and losing situations. With that said, Matthews liked what she saw from her team on Tuesday evening.

“We’ve always been good at not getting discouraged,” she said. “We never give up and we fight for every point.”

The Cavs trailed their first set 20-12 before staging a brief rally. The team went on a 9-4 run to pull within three, but Pinkerton got that elusive last point to take the first set, 25-21.

HB stayed closer to the Astros in the second set before falling 25-20. The third set seemed to get away from the Cavs, as the Astros took an early 7-2 lead and cruised to a 25-14 victory. Matthews cited communication as an issue in the loss.

“When things got tight, they got quiet,” she said.

Aaron Campbell led the Cavs with four kills. Alec Paulson finished with seven assists while teammate Brett Belden chipped in three kills.

The Cavs were looking to rebound on Wednesday at Goffstown.