Sports preview: Boys volleyball sets up for final season before MSHSL takeover

The Forest Lake boys volleyball team is ready for a season unlike any other they’ve had in recent years: playing under the Junior Volleyball Association and the Minnesota State High School League. In what’s considered an overlap type of season, the team is making their transition from a club unit into a varsity sport in the state of Minnesota in 2025.

First-year head coach of the emerging program Deb Bakke, who’s the head girls JV coach in the fall, noted that while it’s been a difficult operation, she’s excited for the sport to be fully under the MSHSL umbrella next spring.

“There’s still a lot of crossovers going on...But leading into next year, it will be completely a high school sport, which will be really nice,” Bakke said.

The team has four rostered seniors on the varsity side and return just two varsity starters from last year, including senior Yupeng Vang and junior Chris Vue.

“They will very much be key, key players for us this year,” Bakke said. “We have two other players that were kind of leading the JV team last year that are going to definitely be big contributors for our season this year.”

Bakke’s expectation of the boys this season is to elevate their overall volleyball IQ.

“A lot of these guys just do pick-up games and play in more of these scrimmage-type games with buddies and stuff where it’s not quite as structured,” Bakke said. “So my goal is to have them see volleyball from a different angle – a coach’s perspective – in terms of why am I doing this and why is she having me serve here and whatnot. Also, to have them see and read the other side of the court.”

Bakke noted how one of the bigger possible challenges for the team this season is its lack of height.

“We had a game last night against St. Anthony and they had someone who was almost nearly 6-foot-6. He dominated, and we struggled with that, because we don’t meet other teams’ heights right now. That will definitely be a challenge.”

The Rangers will spend one final season before making the crossover – and are poised for an exciting season.