Chamois entered the volleyball season knowing victories might not come easily, but the Lady Pirates have continued to develop through injuries, roster changes, and the growing pains of an inexperienced team and first-year coach.

That work produced a milestone Sept. 21 as Chamois outlasted New Bloomfield in five sets for its first victory of the season.

The Lady Pirates opened with a 25-22 victory before New Bloomfield answered 27-25 in the second.

Chamois regained the advantage with a 25-19 win in the third, but New Bloomfield forced a deciding set after taking the fourth 25-16.

With the match on the line, the Lady Pirates pulled out a 15-13 victory in the fifth to complete the 3-2 win.

The victory also came on Erica Bledsoe’s first day back after an injury suffered against Prairie Home forced her to miss time and contributed to a week-long pause in Chamois’ schedule.

Bledsoe returned still dealing with some discomfort, but Coach Abby Keilholz said the Lady Pirates continue to show a willingness to compete through the physical demands of the season.

Several players have dealt with sore knees as the team works on diving and extending plays, but Keilholz has been encouraged by the effort.

“For the most part, they have a lot of heart and hustle,” she said. “It’s amazing for me to see and watch them grow. They’ve grown so much.”

That growth has become especially important as Chamois’ already-thin roster has become even smaller.

The Lady Pirates began the season with seven players, but Jaelyn Thoenen has since moved away, leaving Chamois with the minimum six needed to play.

That has made freshman Leighton Doney increasingly important after she joined the team late in the preseason.

“We’re incredibly grateful she’s here,” Keilholz said.

Doney was able to step into the lineup when Bledsoe was injured against Prairie Home, giving Chamois enough players to finish the match.

Keilholz said the Lady Pirates have continued making strides in several areas despite the lack of depth.

Raigen Cramer has emerged as a stronger presence at the net.

“Raigen has been extremely good at blocking recently,” Keilholz said.

Brie Keilholz has also become more confident as an attacker.

“Brie has gotten so much more confident in herself,” Abby Keilholz said. “You can definitely tell by how much stronger she has gotten as a hitter.”

Serving has also become one of Chamois’ more consistent areas.

“Our serving is overall just really, really good,” Keilholz said. “All of our serves are going over the net and turning into playable balls.”

Doney continues to work through a change in her serve after joining the team later than most of her teammates, but Keilholz said the overall progress from the serving line has been noticeable.

Defensively, Carly Schollmeyer and Bledsoe have impressed their coach with their ability to handle hard-driven attacks and keep rallies alive.

“They keep getting smoked with the ball pretty hard, taking it really good, and getting it back up and playable too,” Keilholz said. “In my opinion, that is very impressive.”

For Keilholz, those moments are important measures of success for a team operating under circumstances unlike most of its opponents.

She entered the season having never coached or played volleyball and has been learning alongside her players while trying to keep a small program on the floor.

“I said from the beginning, I’ve never played volleyball. I don’t know all the rules and everything like that,” Keilholz said. “But I’m here solely for the girls.”

The response from the community has helped.

Keilholz admitted she was initially concerned people might judge the team primarily by wins and losses despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the program.

Instead, she has heard encouragement.

“Every time I talk to anybody in the community, they’re all super supportive,” Keilholz said.

She said community members have also noticed the improvement taking place even when it has not always appeared in the final score.

“They’re all saying they’ve grown so much,” Keilholz said. “Even though we’ve only won the one game here so far, they’re already growing so much, and they’re not even worried about the technical losing score.”

With Bledsoe back and Doney now carrying an essential role in the six-player rotation, the Lady Pirates will continue trying to build on their first victory while developing the skills Keilholz believes are beginning to take hold.