Bedford spikers sweep opener from Everett | Local
Bedford opened its 2022 volleyball season with a matchup against county rival Everett on Tuesday.
The Lady Bisons swept the three-game match, winning the games in different ways, 25-21, 25-22, 25-12.
Bedford had a substantial lead in the first game, only to have Everett tighten the contest before holding on for the win. In the second game, it was a battle until the end with Bedford taking the final four points to earn the victory. The Lady Bisons rolled to the sweep with a big win in the third game.
In the first game, Bedford jumped out to a big early lead of 21-12. Seniors Peri Bagley and Bailey Stahlman combined for five kills in that early stretch, while the Lady Bisons also had four aces, including two from Stahlman.
Down by 9, Everett started a comeback with two aces from Makenna Richards, and later, a sideout on a kill by Marissa Hillegas.
Bedford pushed the lead to 23-15 on another kill by Bagley, but Everett got three service points by Liza Morgart with an ace and a kill by Hillegas that closed the gap to 23-20.
However, despite a service point from Hillegas, Bedford got a sideout for the win in the first game, 25-21.
Everett got off to a strong start in the second game, grabbing a 7-4 lead on two service points apiece from Richards and Bailey Simons. Bedford came back to tie the match at 10-10 on kills from Hannah Burkett and Stahlman. The two teams battled back and forth for the rest of the game.
Everett took a 22-20 lead on a kill by Gracie Walters, but Bedford got the sideout with Laney Lafferty serving out the game with four points including three aces and a block by Stahlman.
The Lady Bisons carried that momentum in the third game with Lafferty serving up the first four points including two more aces as well as a kill from Raegan May.
Simons got a kill to end the Bedford run, and later in the game, she served two points including an ace that cut the deficit to 7-6.
Bedford got a tip from Bagley to stop that Everett rally and Stahlman served two aced to put the Lady Bisons back on top. Everett got the sideout, and Hillegas got a point with a block, but that was the last point on serve that Everett got in the game.
Bedford’s Rachel Weber had two kills as the Lady Bisons took a 14-7 lead and rolled to the 25-12 win. Stahlman served out the game with four points including two aces.
“Peri and Bailey had great games,” said Bedford coach John Porta. “Bailey had a great game serving. Laney Lafferty had a great game setting. Our passes weren’t good, but she was all over the place.
“You could tell this was our first game.”
Stahlman had 7 kills, 2 blocks, and 7 aces, while Lafferty also had 7 aces. Bagley had 6 kills.
Hillegas had 8 kills for the Lady Warriors.
“We were right there in the first two games, and I liked the effort in those games,” said long-time Everett coach Sue Conner. “Bedford is a tough team. We can take something away that we were right there with them in the first two games.
“We have to replace 5 starters, and we are getting there.”
Bedford, 1-0, played Windber on Wednesday, while Everett, 1-1, hosts James Buchanan on Thursday.