High School Season Preview: Girls' Volleyball

Fiona Davies places herself comfortably under the category of "vocal leader." Whether it's a practice, scrimmage or regular-season match, Davies insists that she's the loudest player on the court.

"I don't know if I'm the best player on the team, but I always try to be the most vocal," Davies said.

As one of the Lexington High School girls' volleyball team's senior co-captains, leadership is expected of Davies. As one of just two returning Minuteman starters, her experience is desperately needed.

"Our whole season is going to be based upon the success of our leadership," longtime Lexington coach Jane Bergin said before a preseason scrimmage last week. "We have the skill. We're going to have to develop the skill as a team and to learn and work together."

Junior Christine Barons joins Davies as the lone returning starters from last year's team that finished 10-9 and reached the MIAA Division 1 North sectional tournament. Lexington lost in the first round 3-1 to Billerica Memorial High School in what Bergin calls the "the best match any of my teams has played in the tournament."

That's going back some 23 seasons. And Bergin's teams have made the postseason all but two of the past 20 years, the coach said.

Now, Davies and Barons must learn to play with four new faces fulltime to make sure the Minutemen build on last year. Davies, who is a co-captain with fellow senior Sheridan Adley, admits this season feels much different than years past.

"It's going to be a lot different than last year," she said. "It's going to be hard because a lot of us aren't used to playing together."

Communication will be the biggest thing the Minutemen must nail down before the Wednesday's season opener at the LHS gymnasium against Bedford High School.

Bergin said the rate at which the new starting lineup gets comfortable will go a long way in determining the success of the Minutemen this season.

"You have to trust (your teammates)," the coach said. "It's all communication. That's going to be the success of our season. How do we develop that and are we successful at that?"

Davies must first get comfortable playing her own position. She moved to middle hitter from the outside in the Minutemen's starting lineup. Admittedly undersized for her new spot, Davies she's still going to do whatever it takes to help the team.

"I'm just going to overcompensate for being small," Davies said.

Barons is entrenched at one of the outside positions, and Bergin is counting on she and Davies to lead the Minutemen on another tournament run.

"Fiona – we're going to really rely on her blocking skills," Bergin said. "She's got pretty good timing and pretty good vertically leaping ability.

"Christine is just a natural athlete. So she just contributes overall. Here's a kid that had never played volleyball and then towards the end of last year she ended up being a starter. We're expecting a lot of things from her."

LEXINGTON GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL

Coach: Jane Bergin (23^rd season)

League: Middlesex League

Last Year: 10-9 (Lost in the first round of the Division 1 North tournament)

Returning Players: Fiona Davies, senior; Sheridan Adley, senior; Mary Rossi, senior; Christine Barons, junior; Alex Pion, junior; Kara Lakin, junior; Sam Jandl, junior

Key to Success: Results will come for the Minutemen as soon as their new starting lineup jells and gets comfortable playing together.

Game to Watch: Lexington's Volley for Molly charity fundraiser will take place at the Sept. 24 home match against Reading Memorial.

Coach's Take: "The biggest thing for us is can we build and improve?"