BENTONVILLE — Shayne Wiedemann and Melissa Bakke serve as the outside hitters on Bentonville’s volleyball team, and they are the Lady Tigers’ go-to people when a big play is needed.
They’re also members of the junior class, but the comparisons end after that.
PROFILES
Shayne Wiedemann
SCHOOL: Bentonville
POSITION: Outside hitter
CLASS: Junior
HEIGHT: 5-foot-8
NOTABLE: She has recorded 273 kills out of 424 attempts (64.4 percent) through 95 games, an average of 2.9 per game. ... She had a season-high 18 kills in an Oct. 12 match against Fort Smith Southside. ... She had a season-high 13 digs to go with 13 kills in an Oct. 14 match against Rogers Heritage.
Melissa Bakke
SCHOOL: Bentonville
POSITION: Outside hitter
CLASS: Junior
HEIGHT: 5-foot-11
NOTABLE: Has recorded 248 kills out of 352 attempts (70.5 percent) through 91 games, an average of 2.7 per game. ... Had a season-high 15 kills in a Sept. 28 match against Fort Smith Northside. ... Served for five of her seven aces in a Sept. 9 match against Rogers High.
Yet Bentonville coach Michelle Coens enjoys taking these two players and their different approaches to their position and meshing their talents together on the court.
“They are our go-to players in the time of need,” Coens said. “They may not get the best sets to come their way and still have to make a kill out of it.
“But both of them are great to have out on the court. We have them play opposite each other all the time, so we can always have a strong hitter on the front row.”
Wiedemann is all business when she takes the court. Standing 5-foot-8, she relies on being a smarter hitter and pinpoint control to overcome her lack of height.
“She has some of the best ball control that I’ve seen in a long time,” Coens said of Wiedemann. “She has a good work ethic, she’s very coachable and she’s very athletic. Put those three together, and you can produce a very good player.”
Wiedemann’s teammates thought so much of her abilities and talents that they voted her as the player most likely to have the ball when a crucial point is needed.
“I take it as a compliment that they chose me,” she said. “I feel like hitting is a challenge out there, and I approach each shot that it could be the point that could win the match.
“I don’t have a lot of height, and I can’t jump high enough to get a lot of power on the ball. So I look for good positions to put the ball when I hit it, and it has made me a smarter hitter.”
Things are a little different for Bakke, whom Coens calls a “gentle giant” on the court. The 5-11 Bakke is one of the taller players Bentonville has had in quite some time, and her height helps when playing at the net and trying to hit the ball over opposing blockers.
“It’s nice to have somebody to work at the net with that much height,” Coens said. “Melissa is a little goofy and always has a smile on her face. But she’s very powerful and packs a big punch.”
“I rely on that power,” Bakke added. “I like hitting the ball over the blockers near the net, so I just try to power through with my kills.
But Bakke is also trying to make sure her attitude and leadership are contagious to her teammates.
“I take it as an honor that I’m trying to be a positive authority out there,” she said. “I know that something good can always happen out there, so I’m trying to encourage my teammates and make any conflict go down.”
Both players saw action as sophomore last year, and Coens has seen the experience the two have shown this year. And she’ll get an additional year of having Wiedemann and Bakke together on the court, which made Coens gleam.
“They’re more mature this year and a lot sounder with their game,” she said. “They’re able to control their emotions on the court and understand what we’re trying to do. They’ve just become better all-around players.”