Lady Lions split matches, finish week with sweep

The Bakersfield Lady Lions split two matches last week, battling Gainesville through five sets Tuesday before bouncing back with a three-set sweep of Koshkonong Thursday.

Bakersfield fell to Gainesville 3-2 in a closely contested match. The Lady Lions served particularly well, recording 13 aces while missing just four serves.

Eden Cotter led Bakersfield’s offense with 23 kills, followed by Lexi Clarkson with nine and Riley Summers with five. Marlee Maynard added three kills as the Lady Lions finished with 47 kills and two blocks.

Coach Suzanne Montague said the Lady Lions played well for long stretches but struggled to finish late in the match, an area the team continues to work on as it learns to remain aggressive under pressure.

Bakersfield responded Thursday with a 3-0 victory over Koshkonong, winning 25-17, 25-19 and 25-13.

The Lady Lions stayed in control throughout the match while handling several long rallies and broken plays. Bakersfield finished with 21 kills and nine aces.

Cotter again led the offense with 10 kills. Clarkson had three kills and five aces, while Summers added three kills. Maynard and Ellie Wells each had two kills.

For the week, Bakersfield finished 1-1 in matches and 5-3 in sets, recording 68 kills and 22 aces.

Montague said the team continues to focus on staying aggressive, handling pressure and improving with each match.

Bakersfield is competing in the Big Spring Conference Tournament in Eminence Sept. 24-26. They will take on Couch in the first games of the meet.