Jaimie Nelson called it a learning experience, but the Glacier Wolfpack’s 2025 volleyball season was also rewarding: A second straight State AA berth in Nelson’s first year leading the program.

Now, Nelson hopes, the Pack are that much closer to being a program that reloads, rather than rebuilds. 

“I have three seniors coming back,” she said this week. “Allie Krueger, Madi Stevens and Addison Thramer.” 

That gives Glacier a leader at the net (Krueger was first-team all-conference at middle hitter), setter (Stevens) and the back row (Thramer was second-team all-Western AA). “Great starting spot,” Nelson said. 

In addition to that, Nelson hopes for big things from junior defensive specialist Ella Hummer and sophomore outside hitter Audrey Mitchell. 

“We saw Audrey Mitchell last year,” Nelson said. “She stepped in a few times as a freshman on the varsity court, and this year she’s earned a full-time spot. 

“Ella Hummer is going to round out are back row. She is calm and driven; there’s not anybody on the court who is going out work Ella.” 

Mitchell is one of 10 sophomores on the varsity-junior varsity roster, along with four juniors and one freshman. Meanwhile Nelson feels steadier this fall. 

“Last year, being a new coach, obviously I learned a lot,” Nelson said. “I’m a lot clearer about what I want to see out of our gym and our program. We’re just trying to create an environment where they can compete and keep going.” 

Glacier finished fifth in the Western AA conference standings last fall, then beat Missoula Big Sky to make State. The Pack won one match in Bozeman and finished 9-20 (Missoula Hellgate was the lone Western AA program with a .500 record, finishing 13-13). 

“We have a motto: Play with purpose,” Nelson said. “We plan on being intentional about everything they do. They learned a lot at the end of the last season. They showed a lot of fight and that made volleyball a lot of fun.”