Vancleave duo heading to the next level

They’re the two best friends that anybody could have and in typical BFF fashion, both Lyndi Bakker and Bryn Daughtery signing their national letters of intent, side by side on the same day.

This morning, the Vancleave duo put pen to paper in front of teammates, coaches, family and friends, Bakker doing the honors with Pensacola State College for volleyball and Daughtery with Pearl River Community College for softball.

The latter having been a part of Vancleave’s first two trips to south state on the diamond, now returning as the team-leader in average hits, home runs, and RBI as a senior.

Then there’s former News 25 Student Athlete of the Week, Bakker having celebrated three of Vancleave’s five consecutive state championships while leading class 5A in kill percentage, earning her MHSAA 5A volleyball MVP and a swagger that plays at the next level.  Daughtery said, “Coach Meeks, the head coach there, she just makes it feel like it’s at home. It’s just like a step up from Vancleave. It’s like if Vancleave was a college, it’s just really home feel.”

Bakker said, “It doesn’t feel real. I mean hopefully, I want to carry the attitude and stuff like that over to college and not be like all big and bad, but just help myself and carry myself because I’m playing against really good girls that are way better than me, but just to keep my confidence level up with all of it.”

Both Bakker and Daughtery say their hopes are to play at a four-year school when the time comes to have another signing day.