Spiking their way into sections

After finishing their regular season with a record of 21-7, the Bomber girls volleyball team is moving on to playoffs.

Kallie Johnson, Sports editor|October 31, 2022

Nathan Baszuro

Members of the CFHS varsity volleyball team cheer their teammates from the bench.

The Cannon Falls Bomber volleyball team has finished their regular season now, diving into playoffs. The Bombers were seeded No. 2 in Section 1AA Girls Volleyball out of the 17 teams in the section. Zumbrota-Mazeppa is seeded No. 1; Chatfield is seeded No. 3. 

The Bombers ended their regular season with an overall record of 21-7. The girls played their last conference game on October 18th at Byron High School. They were defeated in a close match by the Bears 0-3 with set-scores of 25-15, 28-26, and 25-23.

Elle Lind registers a kill in a late season game. (Nathan Baszuro)

Previously, the Bombers plowed through the competition and walked away with three wins the week before. Energy and excitement filled the gymnasium as the Bombers fought in a five-set match against Kasson-Mantorville on Tuesday, October 11th. The girls took the first set 30-28 and battled throughout 17-25, 20-25, 25-21, and came out victorious 15-12 in the fifth set. They traveled to St. Croix Lutheran Academy on the 13th and won against the Crusaders 3-1. Finally, on October 14th, the Bombers hosted Pine Island as their homecoming match at 2 pm. With the support from the students wearing red and black, the girls swept the Panthers 3-0.

Kyra Schoenfelder serves during a match on her home floor. (Nathan Baszuro)

Cannon Falls will host No. 15 seed Plainview-Elgin-Millville on Thursday, October 27th at 7 pm. The advancing team will play in the Quarterfinals on November 1st at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester — a neutral location — to play the winner of No. 7 Cotter and No. 10 Pine Island. From there, matches will continue to be played at the Mayo Civic Arena for the Semifinals and Championship. 

Grace Swanson, a senior on the volleyball team, says they’ve been focusing on practices with a new mindset going forward. She stated, “We now have more gym space to break down different skills or position work with two open courts in the gym.” The JV and C-squad teams played their last game of the season on the 18th in Byron, leaving the gymnasium open to the varsity team. 

Swanson described the most recent practices as intense, focused, and enthusiastic. As a team, the girls are working to improve the diminutive details of their game and perfect the skills they have been working on since the summer.  According to junior, Madison Burr, ” Our coaches have really shown us that they know we can take what’s out on the court. They have believed in us every point and every game”. 

If you’re looking for a competitive game to watch, bring your friends and family to cheer on the Bombers as they begin playoff rounds.