MANCOS – When the need arose this past fall, Mancos senior Lexi Lyons answered the bell.
Coming out of the offseason, the Jays had a vacancy at the defensive specialist position, and while Lyons had grown through her volleyball career as a setter, there was no hesitation to make the switch to help her team fill the gap.
“Over the summer, the coaches needed someone to play defense, and they trusted that I could, so they asked me if I would be willing to – and I said ‘absolutely,’” Lyons reflected. “It was what was best for my team.”
It’s the type of mindset that doesn’t always translate through recruiting video, but Lyons ability to adjust to learning a completely new assignment spoke for itself. Her high work rate combined with her ability to control the ball either in service reception or setting up teammates – not only helped Mancos to another double-digit victory season this past fall, but also caught the eye of Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
“Their coach invited me to come join them for a practice, and when I visited, it was just a feeling that this was a perfect fit,” Lyons said.
Lyons inked her name on the Eagles roster for the upcoming fall, joining a program that’s coming off one of its best seasons in program history, advancing to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship tournament.
“When they told me they wanted me to join their program, it was a realization that I really am good enough to play at the next level,” she said.
In her final campaign for the blue-and-white, Lyons led the team in digs and services received, while also proving to be a threat from behind the service line as well, leading the team in aces.
“My teammates were really supportive, because they pushed me to be better in a position that I was new to, and they were accepting of the areas that I lacked because I didn’t have the knowledge yet,” Lyons said.
Her adjustment to the back line to lead the team in multiple categories becomes even more impressive given that she had dished out over 700 assists just one season prior.
Working with both Mancos head coach Delaney Wright as well as her club team helped Lyons make the jump, and she hasn’t looked back since. The dream of college volleyball really started to take share for Lyons during her sophomore season, and that never wavered, even with the positional shift.
“I give a lot of credit to my coaches – the way that they coached, the drills that they ran – and they just taught me how to be a good teammate,” added Lyons, “and I wouldn’t be here without my mom’s support, getting me into club volleyball.”
Next stop – Bartlesville, Oklahoma – a town about 40 miles north of Tulsa, where Lyons fittingly looks to pursue another way to help others as she pursues a degree in nursing at OKWU. Lyons looked up to her uncle, also a nurse, and after taking some introductory courses for nursing while at MHS, her pathway felt clear.
“Something I’ve learned along the way, ‘if you try hard enough, you’re good enough,’” said Lyons, “and that means pushing to be your best even when things are hard – the rest will fall into place.”
