Members of the 2026 Lady Bobcats volleyball team are, seated in front, from left: Kamryn Kramer, Asa Starr, Charli Pandorf, Alley Jorgenson, Tiersa Johnson, and Josie Lehmkuhler; Row two: Paityn Dailey, Amelia Pandorf, Olivia Fitzgerald, Rileigh Trumbull, Lauren Reiff, Claire Kulp, Emma Bierman, and Lynae Wiese; Row three: Avery Corbin, Rae Hagler, Kora Dailey, Berklee Preston, Emma Stallbaumer, Paisley Witthuhn, Addison Dalrymple, Veronica Meyer, and Beverly Thompson. The team is coached by Michelle Preston. (Courier photos by Ellen Mortensen) Seniors on the 2026 South Loup volleyball squad are, front row, from left: Asa Starr, Josie Lehmkuhler, and Kamryn Kramer; Back row: Alley Jorgenson, Tiersa Johnson, and Charli Pandorf. (Courier photos by Ellen Mortensen) Returning letter winners for the Lady Bobcats are front row, from left: Asa Starr, Josie Lehmkuhler, and Kamryn Kramer; Row two: Tiersa Johnson, Charli Pandorf, and Rae Hagler; Back row: Gracie Brennan, Olivia Fitzgerald, and Emma Stallbaumer.

to Strong Returning

Michelle Preston returns for her third year at the helm of the South Loup volleyball team in 2026. She will be joined by Assistant Coach Jadyn Weber as the team looks to improve upon their 2025 record of 8-22.

Coach Preston has a strong lineup of returning players this season who definitely have the talent and ability to turn this team around. Key returning players for the Lady Bobcats include Rae Hagler, a junior who finished the 2025 season with 331 assists, 20 blocks, and an average of 2.3 digs per set; Emma Stallbaumer, who led last year’s team with 2.4 kills per set and 166 total kills, and 43 blocks. Stallbaumer also had 178 digs and 21 serving aces. Senior Charli Pandorf led last year’s squad with 2.6 digs per set and 186 total digs.

Junior Olivia Fitzgerald finished last season with 19 service aces and is also expected to make an impact on this year’s team. Rounding out the list of key returning players is Asa Starr, a senior who had 51 kills and a .043 hitting percentage in 2025.

Coach Preston also made note of an incoming fresh- man middle blocker, Berklee Preston, whom she anticipates could also be someone to watch this season.

“We want to have fun, and with that fun, winning will come,” Coach Preston shared. “We know we have talent, and we want to show others what we can do.”

Preston said the team has worked hard over the summer break on the fundamentals of the game and they are confident that work will pay off. “We have an athletic group of girls who want to be great teammates and work together to get more wins this season,” she added.

Volleyball fans got their first look at the 2026 Lady Bobcats on Aug. 20, as they hosted Burwell in Callaway. The girls will be back in action on Thursday, Aug. 27, when the team travels to Ainsworth with game times of 5 p.m. for reserve, 6 p.m. for JV, and 7 p.m. for varsity.