Lady Bulldogs battle to second place at Regionals

The Lovell Lady Bulldog volleyball team brought energy, determination and grit to the 3A West Regional Tournament in Pinedale Friday and Saturday. After a thrilling two-day run with high performances, the Bulldogs walked away as regional runners-up and punched their ticket to the 3A State Tournament in Casper this week.

Lovell opened their regional journey with a dominant sweep over Worland, setting the tone early with set scores of 25-18, 25-20 and 25-18. The Bulldogs looked sharp across the board, recording 46 total kills—42 of them assisted—and serving an incredible 94%.

“We’ve been really focusing on our serving because it had been lower than we liked,” said head coach Tera Kostelecky. “It was nice to see it back up in the 90s again when it mattered most.”

Lovell also notched 9 aces and 58 defensive digs against the Warriors, using their team chemistry to keep the energy rolling. The strong start gave the Bulldogs the confidence boost they needed heading into their semifinal matchup against Mountain View, a team they split with earlier in the regular season.

That semifinal proved to be a true test of toughness and mental resilience. The Lady Bulldogs dug deep, battling through four intense sets to defeat the Buffalos 25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22.

“Mountain View is a tough team,” Coach Kostelecky said. “Our girls were nervous at first, but they showed incredible mental toughness and composure.” Lovell’s stat sheet backed it up—39 kills (36 assisted), 12 aces, 70 digs and 3.5 blocks—all fueled by sharp serving and the attitude to win. That hard-fought victory sealed Lovell’s spot at the state tournament and advanced them into the regional championship match.

In the title showdown, the Bulldogs faced a familiar opponent: the Cody Fillies. The rivalry lived up to the hype, featuring fast-paced rallies and momentum swings from both sides. Every point mattered, but despite their determined play, the Bulldogs came up just short, falling in four tight sets: 24-26, 25-23, 14-25, 23-25.

Coach Kostelecky praised her team’s effort and heart.

“It was great volleyball—pretty much point for point the whole way,” she said. “It felt like we were always just a step behind, playing catch-up instead of leading. But our girls attacked well, played well and never backed down.”

Lovell’s final stats told the story of a team that competed well: 45 kills (42 assisted), 3 aces, 91% serving and 63 defensive digs.

“Our numbers looked good,” Kostelecky said. “We just fell short in the score column. But I’m so proud of how far this team has come and how they continue to rise to the occasion.”

The Lady Bulldogs will now head to Casper for the 3A State Tournament, where they’ll open against the #3A East seed Newcastle Dogies on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center. With their chemistry peaking, confidence continuing to rise and the lessons of regionals fresh in their minds, the Bulldogs are ready to bring their signature intensity to the state stage, Kostelecky said, noting, “We’re playing some of our best volleyball right now. The girls are hungry, confident and ready to fight for every point. It’s going to be an exciting week for Lovell volleyball.”