Lovell netters ride wave of success to state title

They won it for Stormy.

Fueled by a season dedicated to former head coach Stormy Jameson, a deep lineup, rare team chemistry and a never-say-die attitude, the Lovell Lady Bulldogs vanquished all foes at the Class 3A State Volleyball Tournament in Casper over the weekend, sweeping Newcastle, Douglas and rival Cody to capture the school’s third state title and first Class 3A crown.

The Bulldogs had won Class 2A championships in 1997 under head coach Mike Greenlee and in 2011 under head coach Jameson, but this season the Bulldogs and coach Tera Kostelecky rose to the top of Wyoming’s second highest classification as one of the smallest schools in the class, recording a 36-6 match record and taking the title.

“I didn’t realize just how ‘big’ the championship was until about Friday evening before we started to play Douglas,” Kostelecky said. “At that time, I began to see how many people started to really fill the seats at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper. Even some of my own previous coaches were in attendance among community members and people from all over the state, surrounding states, family, friends, friends of families, school members, employees, students, administrators, etc. With each day more and more seats filled with Lovell blue, white and black. 

“I know Lovell holds school pride at a high level. I knew there would be a lot of people in support, but I didn’t quite expect what we saw on Friday and Saturday. Winning a state championship means a great deal to these kids. Last year the goal was to make it to State. They did that. This year, at the beginning, the kids set the goal to win the state championship. We as a whole did everything possible to make that happen. So, to reach a goal, end on a win, is a huge success for the Lady Bulldog volleyball program. Given we lose one senior and return all our starters, this is a great start to some really special years ahead.”

And it’s extra special as the team dedicated the season to former coach Jameson, who is battling cancer at North Big Horn Hospital.

“As the season went on and as news of Stormy’s condition became public knowledge, the success was in dedication to her,” Kostelecky said. “Most of these girls have had Stormy as a coach and/or in their volleyball careers at one point or another. Her presence has impacted so many. Her words on Pink Night rested on their shoulders and helped drive them more to make their goal.”

First two rounds

Coming into the state tournament as the second seed out of the West Regional, the Bulldogs stopped East number three seed Newcastle three games to one. After dropping the first set 25-22, the Lovell netters won the next three sets 25-18, 25-17, 25-14. A strong team, Newcastle went on to place fourth at State.

“The key for Newcastle was to play around their blocks,” Kostelecky said. “We are a scrappy team, and so are they, but we do not have all the height that they do. We focused on playing scrappy and playing a quick offense to split the block on the net.”

Next up was the top seed out of the East, Douglas, who came into the tournament undefeated in the East Conference. The Lady Bulldogs played at peak performance levels, dominating Douglas 25-15, 25-17, 25-18. Douglas went on to beat Newcastle for third place.

“I’d say our best match of the season was against Douglas on Friday night,” Kostelecky said. “Every play, every ball seemed to be seamlessly perfect. Our passing was on point, and it allowed us to run our quick offense.

“Douglas was the only team that we hadn’t faced all season long. We have scouted one another throughout the season. We know that their coach is ‘legendary good’ and that they would show up to compete. We just needed to do it better. And that just so happened to be the best match of our season.

“That sweep helped give us confidence going into the match against Number 1 Cody that we had lost to four times already this season.”

The Lady Bulldogs were playing at the top of their game, peaking at the perfect time.

“Peaking at the right time plays a huge role in the success of a team. Our program allows for opportunity to do so by the way we practice,” Kostelecky said. “We set our program into three stages, which enables our kids to grow at a rate that promotes peaking as a team. We all have had faith in these kids for many years, not just the current coaches, but all their coaches up until now. This group is a very special group of girls that has started a new legacy for Lovell High School volleyball.”

Championship match

The two wins advanced the Lady Bulldogs to the championship match against the Cody Fillies, who beat Lovell for the regional title in Pinedale 3-1 and reached the state title game with three-set sweeps over Wheatland and Torrington.

In the first set Lovell built a 24-20 lead and were on the verge of taking the set, only to see Cody win four straight points to tie the score 24-24. The score was tied 25-25 and 26-26 before Cody won the last two points to win 28-26.

The Lady Bulldogs didn’t get down. They fought back. After trailing early in set two, Lovell battled back to tie the score 11-11, then took a three-point lead, 16-13, and never trailed again, winning the set 25-22.

Lovell took an early 8-2 lead in set three, only to see a determined Cody squad rally to lead 10-9. The score was then tied at 10, 15, 18, 19, 20 and 21 before kills by sophomore Ali Walker and junior Brooklin Clark gave Lovell a two-point cushion. Lovell went on to win 25-23 on an Ali Walker spike.

Up 2-1, the Lady Bulldogs played an uneven fourth set that featured odd referee conferences, some Lovell unforced errors and every close line call seeming to go Cody’s way. The result was a 25-17 win for the Fillies, knotting the match 2-2.

It’s always important for a team to gain some early momentum in any fifth set, since a win takes only 15 points rather than 25, and the Bulldogs did just that, taking an early 3-0 lead on two kills by Avery Walker and an ace served up by freshman Macie Anderson.

Cody rallied to take one-point leads at 4-3, 5-4 and 6-5, but no more than one, as the set remained tight, tied at 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12. A spike whiff into the net for Cody gave Lovell a 13-12 lead, and Ali Walker ripped a power kill down the line to put Lovell on the verge of victory, 14-12. Cody called time out, but on set point it was Ali again as the sophomore took a perfect set from Anderson and hammered it home, the spike glancing off a Cody block and out of bounds for the win.

A team win

Coach Kostelecky said the win was a true team victory, with every member of the squad contributing.

“Each and every one of them has had an impact on the success of this team,” she said, “not only the 14 that suited for the state tournament, but every one of them that helped prepare them through practice, every one of them that supported them in all aspects. We have 30 kids on our roster that contributed in different ways.

“At the state tournament specifically, Kindle Collins was on fire in the back row. She committed to not letting a single ball hit the floor without effort toward it. She herself had more than 74 digs in the three matches. Celeste Lindsay had 23 kills, Kandace Asay had more than 15 kills. Anderson had 75 assists. Kira Collins had 60 assists.

“Ali Walker had the championship kill along with 65 kills on the weekend. Avery Walker had 53 kills on the weekend. Becca Nichols and Kaydree Owens contributed to 9 blocks and 10 digs on defense. Ava Edwards had an ace in the win over Douglas. The point is, every member of the team did exactly what they needed to do at exactly the right time, and we ended up on top as the ‘underdog’ with the championship.”

One of the keys to victory was the chemistry the team enjoyed, Kostelecky said.

“Positive reinforcement is something we have been working really hard on for these kids for a lot of years,” she said. “It seemed to be just this year that it has really clicked for this group. We have been pushing for these kids to let go of a mistake and move on to the next ball.

“Our girls really love one another. They have become a true family in that they show love and are generally positive with each other any way they can be. They decided about regional time that they weren’t going to lose on their own self accounts. They were going to do ‘whatever it takes’ for one another to win.

“It paid off at the state tournament. It is a team expectation to celebrate positive things both on the court and from the bench. The girls have developed cheers and actions to go along with different good actions. It is actually really fun to watch them create. They are kids. They have fun at the game, and in that, it shows in their results most often.”

Kostelecky said she is grateful to many as the season concludes.

“There are so many to thank,” she said. “I am sure I am leaving someone out, and I apologize for that. But from the administration and the bus scheduling, hotel scheduling and administration support to the secretaries in the middle/high school office, the substitutes and the AD (Chris Edwards). Plus scorekeepers, officials and concession workers. The donors such as the Andersons and Nichols. All the parents for helping and traveling and supporting. The custodial staff for helping set up, take down and clean.

“The student section, the community support, the Lovell Chronicle, Stormy Jameson for covering us, the boosters, Vision West of Powell, Lane and Sher in the business office. There are so many people behind the scenes that do not always get recognized for the things they do but are all essential in the successes of these girls. We appreciate each and every person.”

With the team completing a remarkable season, Kostelecky is looking back with pride.

“Volleyball season always seems like a long but quick season,” she said. “We are incredibly blessed to be a speck of a part of this team and success. We are grateful for the support of the school and community and have had a blast helping grow these young women.

“We look forward to continuing their growth into the coming years. We are so very proud of all the girls and the championship trophy which they certainly deserved and earned this season.”