Lyman girls basketball duo of Skyler Volmer, Mak Scott help Raiders in bounce-back season
Feb. 17—MITCHELL — Two names are regulars at the top of any Lyman girls basketball box score.
Mak Scott and Skyler Volmer.
The two Raiders form one of the top duos in the state and have been at the forefront of Lyman's turnaround season in 2022-23.
"Both of those two girls ... they've both been starting since they were seventh-graders," said head coach Cody Volmer, who is Skyler's father. "We knew what we had as far as the athletes that they are. We feel like they're two of the better players in South Dakota. I think they prove that game in and game out."
Both Scott, a freshman, and Skyler, a junior, can score in bunches, such as against Wall, when they combined to score 44 of the team's 48 points despite a loss. But there's more than just scoring to their games.
At the DWU Classic, Volmer had a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds, while Scott scored 14 points, pulled down five boards, dished out four assists and came up with four steals in a 44-40 win over McCook Central/Montrose.
"We talk about the game as an entirety, the scoring part is just one part of your game," Cody said. "You got rebounding, you got assists, you got defensive strategy, and those two work really, really hard at all the other levels."
At practice, Scott and Skyler go up against each other in one-on-one and shooting drills and that the competition against one another has been beneficial for both of them.
They both bring different skill sets to the table for Lyman. Scott is a 6-footer, who's able to step out and shoot the 3-pointers and handle the ball, while also being able to score down low.
"As a 6-foot-tall girl, to have the kind of handles and shooting that she has, it puts her right up there with any of the top-rated freshmen in South Dakota," Cody Volmer said of Scott. "I feel like going forward she's going to be really recognized for those abilities due to the athleticism that she possesses."
For Skyler, she said she's worked a lot on her pull-up jump shot, which is one of her go-to moves this season. She added 25-30 pounds of muscle over the summer, according to her dad, and she's used that to get more physical when driving to the hoop.
On top of that, Skyler is the leader for Lyman, a role Cody said she stepped into as a ninth grader. She's consistently diving on the floor for loose balls and using her athleticism to sky in for blocks and rebounds, as well.
"My dad has always taught me that from a young age," Skyler said of her hustle. "If you're going to do anything, it's going to be at 110%."
They've been playing together since Scott was a seventh-grader, and they both play for the same travel team — the South Dakota Network — though Skyler plays with an older team than Scott does. But playing together for Lyman has helped both girls, and when they're on the court together it only boosts each other's confidence.
"(It) doesn't put so much pressure on me to do everything," Scott said of the comfort of having Skyler on the court with her.
"When one of us is getting guarded really hard, we can go to the other one," Skyler added.
After a 7-15 mark last year, the duo helped Lyman to a 12-win regular season that featured a 10-game winning streak, and with a pair like Skyler and Scott, it gives their coach confidence night in and night out.
"We feel like we have potential to beat everybody we come up against," coach Volmer said. "When we get in tough situations, I feel like those two can handle just about any of them."
