Bemidji Girls' Volleyball Seeks Togetherness for 2026 Campaign | Lakeland News

Duration: 2:15 467 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Following a challenging season where the Bemidji Girls' Volleyball team, known as the Lumberjacks, managed only a single victory, new head coach Leanne Delahunt has set a clear focus on unity for the upcoming 2026 campaign. The players reflected on their previous struggles, acknowledging that while they gave their all in tight matches, they often failed to finish strong due to a lack of cohesion. Through this difficult experience, the team realized the critical importance of working together rather than relying on individual efforts, emphasizing the need to trust teammates and support one another when someone is struggling. They also highlighted the value of maintaining a positive mindset even during losses, ensuring that each player focuses on their own position without being distracted by the actions of others. A significant factor expected to influence this season's performance is the increased number of seniors on the roster, which will rise from three last year to six this year. Many of these experienced players saw substantial playing time in 2025 and hope that their added maturity will help improve the team's overall record. The current squad represents a strong mix of returning veterans who have already adapted to varsity play and new incoming freshmen who are highly talented, creating a balanced environment for growth. Additionally, the program aims to engage more young athletes from the middle school level, allowing them to witness the potential of high-level competition while contributing to the team's future success. The Lumberjacks are set to kick off their season next Thursday with an away match against Buffalo, followed by their first home game on Saturday where they will face Elk River. This upcoming schedule marks a fresh start for the team as they enter the season without carrying the weight of last year's disappointing results into their mindset. By combining their renewed sense of teamwork with a deeper bench and more experienced leadership, the girls are confident that this year will be different from the past. The community and local sponsors, including Paul Bunyan Communications, continue to support the team as they strive to rebuild their reputation and achieve greater heights on the court.

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We over me. That was the message new head coach Leanne Delahunt had for the Bemidji girls volleyball team when they reported for practices on Monday. The Lumberjacks are coming off one of the toughest seasons in recent memory, one in which they only garnered a single victory. But as difficult as it was to endure, the girls learned plenty from the experience. >> We were giving it our all, but like we weren't finishing how we could. All the games were tight, so it was it was hard. I think we all learned that we like can't do it by ourselves and like we need to work together. But also focusing on our own positions instead of worrying about what other people are doing. If someone's down that day, we help them out and everyone's a team, we're not separate. Last year we stayed really positive throughout like even though we were losing, we were always up lifting up beat. Like we went to the next game not thinking about the last game and just like this season, we're not going to come into this season thinking that it's going to be the same as last season. >> One thing that will be different is the number of seniors on the roster. Last year the Jacks only had three. This year they will have six, many of whom saw play time in 2025 and they're hoping that maturity will play a role in improving their record this go around. >> A lot of people didn't have that experience and it's really hard to come onto that big court and like try to like show who you are. I think this year it'll be a lot better because there's a lot more like seniors and a lot more people have been on varsity since last year. We do have a few new people which I think is a really good mix and we have a lot of new like incoming freshman that are very good, too. >> We do have a lot of young ones and I really want to get more of our youth involved from the middle school as well so that they can kind of see what they could be and I think that'll be part of our success for the program. >> Lumberjacks begin their season next Thursday on the road at Buffalo. Their first home game will be two days later on Saturday when they take on Elk River. Sports on Lakeland News is sponsored in part by Paul Bunyan Communications, powered by the Gigazone, one of the largest all fiber optic gigabit networks in the country with internet speeds up to 10 gig. Lakeland News is a non-profit news organization. Donate to Lakeland PBS today to support your local news team.