Lady Bulldogs honor community and rule the court

The Lovell Lady Bulldogs had an inspiring and action-packed week of volleyball, highlighted by big wins, strong teamwork and a special night dedicated to breast cancer awareness.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Lady Bulldogs hosted Thermopolis for their annual “Pink Night,” an event to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. This year’s proceeds were dedicated to Stormy Jameson, a beloved community member who has made a tremendous impact on Lovell’s high school sports, community athletics, the Lovell Chronicle, church activities and countless other areas of local life -- now facing the challenge of breast cancer far too soon.

Playing in her honor, the Bulldogs took to the court with passion and purpose. All three teams -- freshman, JV and varsity -- defeated Thermopolis in convincing fashion. The varsity squad swept the Bobcats in straight sets, 25-8, 25-14, and 25-20.

“This was a time our team was able to focus on running our pace from start to finish, which has been one of our goals,” head coach Tera Kostelecky said.

The Bulldogs tallied an impressive 45 kills and 13 aces, with 37 of those kills assisted, showcasing the team’s strong connection and balanced play. Junior Kaydree Owens shared, “I thought our energy was super good, and it made it really fun.” The match was truly a memory for the books.

The energy carried into the weekend as Lovell traveled to Worland for the Conference Duals, where they played four more conference opponents: Mountain View, Lander, Pinedale and Lyman.

For freshman Macie Anderson, it was her first Duals experience. “My favorite part of the weekend was the competition against Mountain View because it made it super fun,” she said.

In that five-set battle with Mountain View, the Lady Bulldogs narrowly fell short but still outperformed their opponent in several key categories. They notched 44 kills (41 assisted), 13 aces and 4.5 blocks, while also racking up 77 digs, more than Mountain View managed.

“The team served aggressively and played excellent defense,” Coach Kostelecky said. “Unfortunately, a few little things didn’t fall our way, things out of our control.”

Despite the setback, Lovell rebounded strong. The varsity team swept Lander in three sets, and both  the JV and varsity swept Pinedale and Lyman in straight sets. The JV team also showed grit, taking both Mountain View and Lander to five hard-fought sets.

“It was really awesome to see the kids grow together and interact both on and off the court,” Kostelecky said. “This team is truly something special — a team unlike any other I’ve coached before. We are excited to see where we continue to climb.”

The Lady Bulldogs will return home this Thursday, Oct. 16, to host Cody for their final home match and Senior Night at 4, 5 and 6 p.m. Junior Hannity Felkins noted, “We have a really good chance in beating them. I’m so excited to play them again.”

The Bulldogs will then hit the road to Worland on Friday and Powell the following Thursday to wrap up the regular season before heading into postseason play.