The Ely Timberwolves are used to winning and accustomed to playing deep into the postseason.
Both could very well occur again during the 2026 high school volleyball season, which starts with Monday night’s home game with Deer River.
After winning three straight Section 7A titles, Ely “slumped” in 2025 but still won the Arrowhead Conference title, picked up 19 victories and gave eventual section champion North Woods all they could handle in a tight playoff encounter.
This time around, the Wolves have bolstered their offense with the return of senior hitter Audrey Kallberg, who missed the entire 2025 campaign with a knee injury.
Ely also has a slew of talented juniors and seniors, who made their mark not only a year ago but as part of the Wolves’ 2024 state tournament team.
A return to state no doubt is at the back of the minds of the Wolves and head coach Megan Bialik, and Ely enters the season ranked 10th in the state in Class A and with a giant target as the arguable section favorite.
“Our hopes are that we can have the longest season we can possibly have,” said head coach Megan Bialik. “And we’re hoping to have a lot of success along the way. This crew has been together for so long and has had so much success. The seven seniors are really enjoying every practice and every last and making sure they are having a great time.”
The seniors head a talented arsenal for the Wolves.
Both Lydia Shultz and Charlotte Hegman gained all-conference recognition last year, while classmate Gretta Lowe got honorable mention.
And Kallberg’s return gives Ely not only a potent hitter but a force in the middle and one who has excelled at the state tournament level, “I feel like we’re getting in rhythm a little faster than last year and sometimes I think Audrey is the missing piece to our puzzle,” said Bialik. “And it’s nice to have a solid force again in our middle.”
Kallberg is just one of many weapons Ely can unload on its opponents, with Shultz, Hegman and junior Violet Udovich all capable of big hits.
Gretta Lowe returns as the team’s setter while seniors Amelia Penke, Payton Huntington and Ruby Lowe only add to the team’s considerable depth.
Kylee Zobitz and Hannah Ice are juniors on the Ely roster while the Wolves also have a pair of sophomores - Clara Luthens and Annie Eastham.
The Wolves looked sharp in early-season scrimmages at Hibbing and Chisholm while Monday’s clash with Deer River opens a bolstered schedule.
Class AAA Rock Ridge as well as South Ridge, a perennial Section 7A contender, were both added to the docket this year.
And the Wolves, ranked 10th in the state in Class A, will again play against the state’s small-school best during the Class A Showcase set for late-September in Burnsville.
Once again, interest in the Ely program is strong with about 40 girls out for the program making up the varsity, JV, C-squad and junior high teams.
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2026 Ely Timberwolves
Volleyball Schedule
Monday: Deer River
Tuesday: at Greenway
Sept. 8: Littlefork-Big Falls
Sept. 10: Cherry
Sept. 12: at Greenway Tourney, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 14: at Chisholm
Sept. 17: Mesabi East
Sept. 22: at Int. Falls
Sept. 25-26: at Class A Showcase, Burnsville
Oct. 1: at Nash.-Kee.
Oct. 5: at Northeast Range
Oct. 6: South Ridge
Oct. 8: at North Woods
Oct. 10: at Mes. East Tourney
Oct. 13: Mt. Iron-Buhl
Oct. 19: at Bigfork
Oct. 20: Rock Ridge
Oct. 22: Arrowhead Conf.
Title Game, TBD
Home games in bold;
Game time 7 p.m. unless noted
