BSM Girls’ Volleyball made it to the State tournament for the first time since 1983, where they made program history. The Red Knights made it to the championship game and received second place in state-class AA.

At the beginning of the season, the volleyball team set in place small, medium, and big goals to mentally prepare themselves for challenges along the way. “I think something that helped us was setting goals so we set small, medium, and big goals. Small goals were things that we worked on, everyday at practice to cultivate a strong environment. Medium goals were more tangible things like winning certain tournaments and then obviously our big goals were winning sections, going to state,” junior Ellery Clark said.

A positive mindset and team bonding is a must when preparing for a game, especially a state tournament game. “We just listened to music as a team. We do our Shibuya [name-calling game] because that kind of gets us in the game mode. I think just being together as a team, with our phones away just like listening to music [and] getting ready together…. just kind of help us get in the game mode,” senior Anna Lervick said.

For most of the players including Lervick and Clark, the semi-final game was an unforgettable part of the state tournament. “For me personally, the most memorable moment was winning the last point of the semifinal match against Kasson-Mantorville and we got to go to the state championship. I think that that was a big moment for us because we never thought that we would make it that far. And like the realization hit us that we’re gonna be competing for that state championship for the first time in history,” Clark said.

Fan support provides a welcoming and uplifting environment for the team and brings them a lot of joy and entertainment. “It helps a lot honestly. Having fans makes a huge difference because it gets everyone going…. It’s really funny to hear different, student sections cheering back and forth. And it’s pretty cool to just see all of your classmates, friends, and stuff being there supporting you in the stands,” Lervick said.

Making BSM volleyball history has been a very exciting experience and they hope to appear as the perennial participant. “It’s exciting. It’s new. It’s something that we want to set a standard for. We made it to state this year but … we don’t want [it] to be 40 years before we make it there again. We want to make that like a standard,” Clark said.