Halloween was a scary night for the seniors on the Bomber Volleyball team, as there was a possibility that they were taking the court for the last time. Even though that turned out to be the case, the team has a lot to be proud of after producing their most successful season in over a decade.

Senior captain, Kylie Wersal, singled out a bit of complacency as the squad’s main reason for their early season struggles, admitting that at times the team would find themselves playing down to their opponents’ levels, but head coach Melissa Huseth was pleased to see that the team “was playing their best ball in the postseason,” when performing to the full potential matters most. Although there were some difficult results to swallow during the regular season, the team also produced many noteworthy wins. Wersal highlighted the team’s effort against Kenyon-Wanamingo as one of the performances of the season. For the first time in seven years the Bombers came out victorious against the Knights, clinching the tight encounter by three games to two. 

Hard fought victories like the one against K-W, paired with some heartbreaking narrow defeats, made for a roller coaster of a 15-13 regular season that came and went in the blink of an eye. Huseth stressed that the team’s record should be kept in context, mentioning that, “We do pack our schedule with some very competitive programs, and tend to lose a few more games.” Coming face to face with higher quality competition, even if not winding up on top, unquestionably benefits the team—most evidently when playoffs come around.

A comfortable 3-1 home victory over Red Wing High School in the first postseason matchup meant that the team would travel to the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester to take on Byron High School. Winning three straight games and losing none, the Bombers got over the line with ease. The win against the Bears set up a date with regional powerhouse Kasson-Mantorville at the subsection final stage: a point unreached since 2007. Ultimately, that hurdle was just too high to get over and the Bombers fell to the high flying K-M team that has only lost 3 matches this season and went on to book their ticket to the state tournament.

Even with the loss of a substantial amount of talented seniors this season, Wersal deems the near future of the program strikingly bright. “I see a lot of talent in the younger girls and I feel that we even had a young team this year with a lot of young starters,” she held. Advancing deep into the postseason with many young players on the court indicates that there is more to come from the volleyball team in the coming seasons. On the whole, coach Huseth expressed absolute delight with how the season had gone. More importantly, she shared her deep admiration for the seven seniors who gave their all to the program over the years. “Each had an important role in the team. They were all wonderful people who came to practice every day and worked with a smile on their face,” she pointed out. Beaming, Huseth went on: “It’s just sad to say goodbye. I coached a lot the girls since when they were little. To watch them progress and mature and become not only good volleyball players, but good people, is a gift.” Walking off the court for the final time is one of the most painful experiences any athlete will endure, but this group of seniors can hold their heads high at what they accomplished on the court at Cannon Falls High School.