Young Vikings volleyball team finds confidence, chemistry heading into postseason

The Cook County Vikings will host the Floodwood Polar Bears at 6 p.m. Monday at Pam Taylor Gymnasium in the opening round of the Section 7A volleyball tournament.

The Vikings have faced the Polar Bears twice this season. Cook County won 2-1 in a preseason tournament before falling to Floodwood 3-1 on Sept. 17. The Vikings finished 8-3 in section play, with regular-season losses to Barnum, Cromwell-Wright and Floodwood.

“This will be like our comeback match,” Senior Lauren Berglund told WTIP.

Berglund is the lone senior on a young Vikings team that has grown more confident throughout the season. After opening the regular season 4-3, Cook County won four consecutive matches and captured the On the Edge volleyball tournament championship.

The Vikings earned the No. 3 seed in the Section 7A South Subsection and will host their first home playoff match since 2022. A victory Monday would send Cook County to the subsection quarterfinals, a round the team has not reached in several years.

Hosting a playoff match was one of the team’s goals entering the season.

“We go to a lot of away games, and our crowd is significantly bigger than everywhere we go, which is like really reassuring,” Bea Mueller told WTIP. “It’s like they like watching us and they want to be here.”

The season has also helped some players rediscover their love of volleyball. Long bus rides are filled with karaoke and games, and the friendships built off the court have translated into excitement during matches.

“We’re definitely way more like energetic and enthusiastic when we’re playing, and in practice too. Everyone just wants to be here, and it’s really fun because we’re working more on the team dynamic,” Mueller said.

WTIP spoke with members of the Vikings volleyball team about their season, excitement for the postseason, and favorite karaoke songs. Listen to the conversation below.

Josh Hinke October 26, 2026