If you ask her, junior catcher Lexi Kyros will tell you just how excited she is for spring and the start of another softball season for Marist.
She might even shout it out.
The Michigan recruit let Marist coach Colleen Phelan know all about it in a text she sent while riding home from Normal after watching the RedHawks win the Class 4A girls volleyball state title.
“Hi, Coach Biebel. Sorry this is a late text, but after witnessing state volleyball just win it, I want it bad. We need it. Whatever the team needs, I’m there. Have a good night.”
Oh, yeah. She’s ready.
“Ha-ha… I was talking to Mary Fortner (who was driving) and I was on the phone with Ellie Holmstrom,” Kyros said. “Coach Biebel is going to lead us and she’s going to get us there. I texted her because I wanted her to know that I’m her leader.
Marist’s Lexi Kyros (19) frames a pitch against Joliet Catholic during an East Suburban Catholic Conference game in Chicago on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
“I was super excited for the volleyball players. They are all amazing people and some of them are my good friends. They’ve lit a fire under us. I want to experience that.”
It has already been an exciting school year for Kyros, who committed to Michigan in the fall. It came after a sophomore season where she hit .390 with nine doubles, seven home runs and 39 RBIs while throwing out eight base runners.
Her next picture on the Michigan softball field, meanwhile, won’t be her first.
That happened back in eighth grade, when she and Fortner were competing in a basketball tournament at the school’s rec center.
Marist’s Lexi Kyros (19) swings at a pitch before a nonconference game against Lincoln-Way West in Chicago on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
“Me and Mary also played softball, so we were like, ‘Let’s go to the softball field,’” Kryos said. “It was full of snow, but they had a door open, so we were able to get onto the field for a picture.
“Michigan was actually my dream school. When I was in fifth or sixth grade, my dad was a big Michigan fan. Going into freshman year, I went to my first softball camp there. I just really liked everything it stood for when I was younger. I just thought it was a cool place.”
There’s also a unique story about Kyros’ start at Marist. As a freshman, she not only took over the position from Caroline O’Brien, the East Suburban Catholic Conference’s player of the year in 2023, she did it while O’Brien was still there.
Phelan, whose maiden name was Biebel, moved O’Brien to shortstop for her senior season and put Kyros behind the plate. It was a win-win for everybody involved.
Marist’s Lexi Kyros (19) connects on a pitch before a nonconference game against Lincoln-Way West in Chicago on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
“I wouldn’t say we thought Lexi was a better catcher than Caroline that year,” Phelan said. “We just needed Caroline’s athleticism somewhere else. So Caroline wound up being Lexi’s assistant coach that season.”
Kyros responded in a big way, hitting .351 with seven doubles, three homers and 22 RBIs. She had a great debut behind the plate, posting a .985 fielding percentage and throwing out 11 base runners.
“It was pretty crazy,” Kyros said. “I was kind of hoping for it. I worked so hard for the opportunity.”
After proving her worth as a freshman, Kryos further established herself as a top-shelf catcher once O’Brien moved on to Notre Dame.
“I had met Caroline through summer camps,” Kyros said. “She was such a super-nice person. I definitely looked up to her. Before my freshman season, Caroline was such a good friend. She drove me to all of the preseason stuff.
“We got really close, really fast. She took me under her wing and mentored me as a little sister and a friend. She’s still a really good friend of mine.”
Marist’s Lexi Kyros (19) takes a break in the dugout before a nonconference game against Lincoln-Way West in Chicago on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)
Kyros has made her own impact on the RedHawks around her. Just ask Fortner. She’ll tell you all about it.
She might even shout it out.
“Lexi is just awesome to be around,” Fortner said. “She’s so intense. She’s fun before the game listening to hype music and during the game when she’s in the dugout. But she’s all business behind the plate. Other teams are scared to run on her.
“I’m so happy for her going to Michigan. It’s always been her dream school. She deserves it.”
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
