The 2024 Bomber Girls Volleyball team ended their season with a record of 16-14. They fought through a tough game against one of their biggest competitors, the Zumbrota-Mazeppa Cougars. Despite the tough loss, they fought hard the entire time and never gave up. Going into the game the bombers knew they were going to have to fight hard after losing to the Cougars in a thrilling 5-set match at the beginning of the season. The bombers had a big senior class making them a very experienced team. Their team bond was amazing on and off the court which helped tremendously with tough games, like the section game against the Cougars.
Freshman, Claire Meyers has made a big impact on her team since starting her varsity career in 8th grade. When asked what was the most exciting win of the season she replied “My favorite wins this season were the Kasson-Mantorville and Pine Island wins. They were both tough and intense matches!” Both of these matches ended in a bomber win. They both had great volleys and showed how the team could work together through tough patches. “The strongest part of the team this year was that we were all close and could have fun together,” Meyers said when asked what the strongest part of the team was. They had all been playing together for awhile so their connections only strengthened as the season went on.
The Bombers have struggled with some tough season-ending injuries this year. Madison Jordan tore her ACL and meniscus; when asked what was the most difficult part of her injury, she explained, “The most challenging part of my injury mentally was knowing that I would never be able to play with my senior teammates again, and accepting how long it would be until I could return and do the things I love to do. Physically, it is hard not being able to do the simplest everyday things that I took for granted.” Jordan suffered this injury during the 2nd game of the season against Chatfield. “I am most excited to get back and better than ever next season to show what I can do,” she noted when asked what she is most excited for next season.
Sophie Sjoquist, one of the eight seniors from this season, was a middle, and starter for the Bombers. She had a big influence on the underclassmen, both on and off the court. When asked what the team chemistry was like she explained. “I think we had amazing team chemistry! All of us girls got along really well together, making our season both on and off the court so much fun. Our bond helped improve our communication on the court and created a positive atmosphere both in games and at practice. Us seniors will miss the underclassmen so much next year!” This year’s team had an extremely special bond that lots of teams hope for in the season. Most teams can’t say they are playing with their best friends, but for the Bombers they could. “This season we faced some significant challenges, particularly with injuries. While several players were affected by injuries this season, we also lost a key starter who had gotten injured in another sport. Other girls had stepped up to fill those roles, and we adjusted our strategies to keep moving forward. Despite these setbacks, we supported one another and found ways to make it work. Ultimately, these challenges brought us closer together and made us a stronger, more resilient team.” She wrote when questioned on some of the challenges the team had faced this past season.
Head coach Melissa Huseth just finished up her 20th year as the head coach for the Bombers. She has put lots of time and effort into the Bomber Volleyball Program. When asked what the team’s greatest accomplishments this season were, she responded “A few things come to mind…perseverance through a challenging match schedule playing many larger schools and/or state-ranked smaller schools, overcoming major injuries of fellow teammates and also competing with their hearts despite the challenges. The team finished 4th in the tough HVL conference, played multiple 5-set matches, and was seeded 4th in probably the toughest sections in Class AA. We also had eight seniors who dedicated their time to volleyball and were amazing leaders on and off the court.” These eight seniors have played together since they were in elementary school and haven’t stopped since. The team struggled through some injuries including some of the seniors cutting their last season short. “We overcame the injuries by working hard at fundamentals each day in practice – focusing on our strengths this year which was our 1st ball touches like serving and passing. The girls on this team never once showed frustration or disappointment in repetitive drills and continued to give their best throughout challenging practices and all the emotional challenges this season. I am so very proud of their team-first attitude and the love and support that they showed to their injured teammates and our beloved coach, Sami Lorentz, and her son Cooper. I am so very honored and proud to have the opportunity to coach in our program and community.” she noted. The Bomber Volleyball Program has shown tremendous support to the Lorentz family and their son Cooper. In the bomber’s first section playoff game, the bombers and the surrounding community wore “Cooper Strong” t-shirts and dedicated a moment of silence in support of him. The community raised over $34,000 in donations to the Lorentz family to pay for medical bills and more, throughout his long journey ahead.
The season may not have ended the way the Bomber Volleyball Team had hoped but they have so much to be proud of from this past season. The team had many challenges they had to overcome including injuries forcing them into having to try new things. The Bombers graduated eight amazing seniors this past season: Karsyn Winchell, Anna Ritz, Anna Otte, Kendra Reed, Chloe Sjoquist, Sophie Sjoquist, Avery Rustad, and Addison Miller. The team had excellent leadership given that they had a big senior class. Lots of the girls are eager to get back onto the court and most are playing in some sort of club, or off-season team this winter in excitement for next season.
