Bakersfield Lady Lions show progress at Forsyth volleyball tournament

The Bakersfield Lady Lions continued to show progress, both on the court and in their development as a team, Saturday, Sept. 12, competing in the Forsyth Tournament.

Bakersfield played 10 sets against five different teams and finished the tournament with a 5-5 record in sets.

The Lady Lions opened with a 2-0 victory over Forsyth before falling 0-2 to Bolivar. Bakersfield then split sets with Ava, Buffalo and Rush, finishing 1-1 against each opponent.

Offensively, senior standout Eden Cotter led the Lady Lions with 40 kills across the 10 sets.

Lexi Clarkson added 14 kills and continued to provide a consistent presence both offensively and from the service line.

Abby Guffey recorded five aces and two blocks during the tournament. Coach Suzanne Montague noted Guffey's continued improvement from the service line, while also praising her two blocks at the net despite primarily playing libero.

Ellie Wells, who normally does not play in the front row, contributed three kills while continuing to play a major role in Bakersfield's defense and serve receive.

Marlee Maynard added two aces. Montague praised Maynard for consistently keeping her teammates positive and encouraged, celebrating their good plays and helping maintain team energy.

Riley Summers played through a sore shoulder and was unable to serve but continued to provide steady setting and leadership while directing the Bakersfield offense.

Shaniah “Niah” Foster continued her development as a setter and showed her trademark hustle, working to get to nearly every second ball when she was on the floor.

Nikki Enos stepped into the serving-specialist role for Summers and responded with four aces, consistently producing tough stretches of serves. Shiloh Bean also served consistently throughout the tournament and contributed to the team's ace total.

For Coach Montague, however, the most encouraging aspect of the tournament was the team's continued growth and willingness to embrace different roles.

“The biggest takeaway from the tournament was how much we are beginning to come together as a team,” Montague said. “We are seeing more girls contribute in different ways and embrace whatever role the team needs from them at that moment.”

That development has extended beyond physical skills. The Lady Lions are also working on the mental side of the game, learning to recover quickly from mistakes rather than allowing one error to snowball into several.

The 5-5 finish against five different opponents provided Bakersfield with a valuable measuring stick while also revealing areas for continued improvement.

“There is still plenty of room to grow, but we are becoming more confident, mentally tougher and more connected as a team,” Montague said. “Win or lose, we've gotten to the point where everyone is working hard and contributing and having a great time. It's fun to watch them play!”

The Lions hosted Gainesville Tuesday. Results of that match were unavailable at presstime. The team travels to Koshkonong on Thursday. Games start at 5:30 p.m.