Nearly 50 volleyball players tried out for spots on the Bonney Lake volleyball squad.

Varsity positions will be tough to claim as just two senior starters graduated, making Bonney Lake a favorite for postseason play.

Bonney Lake, which finished third in the South Puget Sound League 3A last season, will return six players with a great deal of experience, five of whom are seniors.

Returning as starting outside hitters will be senior Taylor Watkins and junior Danielle Norton. Seniors Shaly Edman and Erica LeFevers will be back in the middle, hitting under the watchful tutelage of veteran coach Shirley Baker.

Baker maintains this year’s squad could land in the top three spots by the regular season’s end, maybe even better.

“The advantage to putting a team on the court like the one we have this year, is that we won’t be pressuring newcomers into filling the starting roles right away,” Baker said. “We will instead, have time to develop them.”

A good example is at the libero position. Bailey Kinkel was an understudy last year, and is now ready to slide into the starting role.

Baker is happy to have senior Chelsey Merkel returning as the Panthers’ reliable and steady setter.

“The fact that there are only six teams in the new SPSL 3A will definitely put more importance on the preseason, nonleague contests that you play in preparation for the league portion of your schedule,” Baker noted. “Because that means that you only play five league games. I think we are going to be OK this season, though.”