Lady Bulldogs open season with weekend success

The Lovell Bulldogs volleyball teams kicked off the 2025 season in dominant fashion, with the freshman, JV and varsity squads all finding success on the court.

The freshman team opened play Saturday in Powell with a pool-play tournament, winning every match and starting their season with momentum. Meanwhile, the junior varsity and varsity teams traveled to Lander to face Wyoming Indian and Big Piney. The JV squad swept both matches, while the varsity Lady Bulldogs also went undefeated, winning both of
their best-of-five matches.

Against 2A Wyoming Indian, Lovell took control after a tight first set, winning 27-25, 25-7, 25-15. They followed that with another three-set sweep of 2A Big Piney, 27-25, 25-16, 25-10.

“It really was an awesome opening day for the Lovell volleyball program for the 2025 season,” said head coach Tera Kostelecky.

The Lady Bulldogs’ schedule didn’t let up. After returning home Friday night, the varsity team hit the road again early Saturday for a one-day tournament in Columbus, Montana, featuring 12 teams.

Lovell battled through pool play, defeating Red Lodge (20-14, 20-18), splitting with Huntley (20-9, 15-20) and beating Big Timber (20-14, 20-17) to finish first in their pool and earn the fourth seed in the gold bracket.

The Lady Bulldogs then powered through three hard-fought matches in bracket play. They topped Columbus in a thriller, 19-25, 25-18, 16-14, then defeated defending champion Shepard in another three-set battle, 26-28, 25-19, 15-10.

In the championship match against Baker, Lovell fought point for point but came up just short in extra points, falling 24-26, 25-20, 16-14.

Despite the loss, Coach Kostelecky called the weekend a major success.

“It was a short night and early morning, but the girls were so excited to face some tougher competition on the court,” she said. “It was fun watching our kids find their rhythm and tempo of the game. Our girls were tired, but they were tough mentally and physically. Every mistake was followed by a step forward.”

Statistically, the Bulldogs had an impressive start. The varsity team tallied 220 digs with an average of 2.0 on a three-point passing scale, allowing them to run a fast-tempo offense that produced 177 kills. They also notched 42 blocks and averaged 2.2 in serve-receive.

To go along with the team’s philosophy emphasizing the importance of the team over individuals, Coach Kostelecky has chosen to provide only team statistics. With just one senior and a roster filled with sophomores and juniors, the Lady Bulldogs are a young team with a bright future, Kostelecky noted. Their season goals are ambitious – not only reaching State but pushing for a championship.

“This is a great way to start the season,” Kostelecky said. “We’ve already shown we can face adversity, overcome tiredness and mental wear and stay positive. That’s the kind of mindset that will carry us far.”

GREYBULL

On Tuesday night, the Lovell Lady Bulldogs faced the Greybull Lady Buffs for the first home games of the season. The varsity squad took care of business and swept the visitors 25-17, 25-20, 25-5.

The JV also won 25-12, 25-18, while the frosh defeated Greybull 25-18, 25-21.

UPCOMING

The Lady Bulldogs will host Columbus on Saturday afternoon with game times set for noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.