Another state championship comes to the Burchyett household
Photo: Lewisburg setter Baylee Burchyett with parents Allison and Tyler Burchyett. Allison Burchyett is head volleyball coach at Northwest Mississippi Community College. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
During the celebration of winning the MHSAA 7A state volleyball championship at Ole Miss last Thursday, the view of a state championship trophy by the Lewisburg Lady Patriots was likely the first time players had seen the trophy that close.
But for one Lewisburg player, the reaction, along with the joy and excitement of culminating a season with a state championship, might have been something like, “nice to see you again.”
That player would be junior setter Baylee Burchyett, who is the daughter of Northwest Mississippi Community College head volleyball coach Allison Burchyett.
You see, the Lady Rangers coach brought the Gold Ball trophy home with her a number of times during her high school coaching career ahead of her hire to Senatobia in 2019.
Allison Burchyett’s teams won the state Class II title in 2015 at Lewisburg, and she coached championship teams three times at Southaven, in 2006, 2008 and in 2013. Her Lady Chargers squad had a perfect 45-0 record in 2006.
The successful coach makes as many of Baylee’s games as possible. When she does, Burchyett is not only recruiting future Northwest talent, but enjoys being Baylee’s mom, as well.
“A lot of times I’m recruiting whoever Lewisburg is playing, just so I can be at her games,” Burchyett said. “I do miss some and I can’t really avoid that, but I did try this year to be off more in the middle of the week to be here.”
However, regarding her relationship with Baylee, it’s all mom and daughter unless Baylee wants to talk volleyball.
“At home or in the car, anytime, unless she asks, we’re just mom and daughter,” Allison said. “If she asks a technical question about the sport, certainly I’ll answer, but in this situation, I’m her biggest cheerleader.”
As head coach at Northwest, Allison said it’s become tougher getting the schedule to allow her to see all of Baylee’s games. But she was there on Thursday, not just for Lewisburg, but to see all of the state championship finals being played on the Ole Miss volleyball floor. Burchyett was doing double duty, cheering her daughter on, but also looking for future Rangers on both sides of the net.
“I was watching Lafayette because I was the coach 24-25 years ago as the first coach there,” Burchyett said. “It’s a neat experience, working as a college coach, the mom of a player in the 7A finals, and then cheering on Lake Cormorant in the 6A match.”
That particular day, Lafayette, Lake Cormorant, and Lewisburg all won state titles against their South Half competition.
Burchyett said she’ll watch the game, and at times get nervous like other parents, but she enjoys the blessing of being a mom of a player, she says.
The sport remains a family affair in the Burchyett family, between player Baylee, mother-college coach Allison, and dad Tyler, who serves as public address announcer at Lewisburg home volleyball games.
