Don’t let New Life Academy coach Wally Bomgren fool you. 

Bomgren seems cool and calm during games, rarely leaving his seat to stalk the sideline or bark orders to his players. 

But Bomgren says the relaxed exterior hides the passion inside. 

“I’ve got a fire burning,” Bomgren said after his Eagles rallied to defeat Jordan in five sets in the Side Out Classic on Saturday at Hopkins High School. 

“I’ve got to calm down a little bit, but if the team gets a little flat, I’m all over them,” Bomgren added. 

The Eagles, ranked No. 8 in Class 2A in the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, needed a dose of Bomgren’s fire after dropping back-to-back sets to No. 4-2A Jordan on Saturday. 

“I said we’re better than this,” Bomgren explained. “I think we’re a good fifth-set team.”

The Eagles got the message and won the fourth and fifth sets to clinch the victory. 

“This (win) shows we can beat these highly ranked teams,” senior outside hitter Abby Gorter said. 

Gorter finished with 20 kills and 11 digs for the Eagles, and Abby Thor added 17 kills in the win. 

Aggression during games is a trait Gorter shares with Bomgren. 

“I have to stay serious (during games),” Gorter added. “I get very aggressive out there.”

Gorter, who along with fellow seniors Abby Thor and Kara Stenerson, was named to the Class 2A all-state team last year after the Eagles went 31-3 and were the top seed in Section 4. New Life Academy bowing out to Mayer Lutheran in the section finals. 

The Mayer Lutheran loss has served as a catalyst for a determined mindset this season, Stenerson said. 

“I think (the loss) started the fire over again,” she added. 

“We don’t want that to happen again for we’re doing everything we possibly can to make sure we’re peaking at the right time and winning the right games.”

New Life Academy rallied to defeat Jordan 25-12, 24-26, 25-27, 25-20, 15-9 at the Side Out Classic on Saturday at Hopkins High School’s Lindbergh Center. 

The Eagles, who are No. 8 in the Class 2A preseason rankings from the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association, dominated in the first frame before dropping back-to-back sets to the No. 4-2A Jaguars. Close wins in the fourth and fifth sets clinched the victory for New Life Academy.  

The win moves the Eagles to 1-1, while the loss drops Jordan to 0-2 after losing in four sets to No. 4-3A Hopkins on Aug. 27. 

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