Helena, Mont. — The Frontier Conference held it's 2026-27 Women's Basketball Media Day on Wednesday. Scott Crawford and Rocky Erickson sat down with head coach Jenna Bolstad and players Hannah Stark and Misti Zempel to discuss the upcoming season.
A new era of Mayville State University women's basketball is underway as first-year head coach Jenna Bolstad prepares to lead the Comets into the 2026-27 season with an emphasis on culture, player development and daily improvement.
Bolstad, originally from Colbertson, Montana, joins Mayville State with previous coaching experience in the Frontier Conference and a vision for building a competitive program. After spending time at Miles Community College, where she played college basketball and helped her team compile 56 wins over two seasons, Bolstad is ready to bring her approach to Mayville.
"It's not much different than Miles City, Montana, or Montana in general," Bolstad said. "Small-town feel, great family atmosphere here. I'm just kind of ready to go for the year."
For Bolstad, the first step toward building a successful program has been establishing relationships and creating a culture that players can embrace both on and off the court.
"Coming in, it's been all about culture, building relationships with our players and our community," Bolstad said. "Getting out in the community, doing a lot of basketball camps, anything we can do in that direction, and then just being involved on campus."
With the foundation in place, Bolstad is turning her attention to player development and finding ways for the team to improve throughout the season.
The Comets enter the year with a group Bolstad describes as willing to learn and open to new ideas. She hopes that mindset will translate into progress as the team adjusts to her system and prepares for the challenges of the Frontier Conference.
The team's motto for the season reflects that approach: "Compete Together, Grow Daily."
"Our goal is to compete," Bolstad said. "Every day we try to ask them, 'Did you get better in some facet today?' It's 1%. I don't need 50%. I need 1% every day to just help us grow."
Bolstad has emphasized competitiveness in practice, challenging players to push one another while identifying areas where the team can make improvements. Limiting turnovers, reducing opponents' second-chance opportunities and closing gaps from last season are among the priorities.
The coaching staff is also working to provide competitive practice environments, including incorporating scout-team players who can help the Comets prepare for the size and physicality they will encounter during the season.
Senior Hannah Stark said Bolstad's demanding approach has helped elevate the team's competitiveness while providing players with the support they need to improve.
"She's super competitive and really wants us to work as hard as we can every time we step in the gym," Stark said. "That's honestly made me a better player and our entire team more competitive and better as well."
Stark added that Bolstad's willingness to challenge her players is balanced by her commitment to building relationships and supporting them.
"She's very hard on us, and that's a good thing, and our team loves it," Stark said. "With a hard coach comes someone who is also just ready to be a supporter as well."
Bolstad has added assistant coach Emily Mueller to the staff. Mueller previously played at Northern Michigan and gained coaching experience at Northern Michigan and William Woods University. She will focus primarily on post play, helping the Comets develop their inside game.
Along with basketball, Bolstad hopes to continue building connections throughout the Mayville State campus and surrounding community. Forward Misty Zempel said that welcoming atmosphere has helped make Mayville State feel like home.
"I came on a couple visits my senior year and thought, 'This isn't the place,'" Zempel said. "During the school year, it felt like home. It still feels like home. The community is super welcoming, and overall, it's a great community."
The Comets will begin their preseason preparations with a scrimmage in Crookston before opening the regular season during Halloween weekend with two games in Missouri. Mayville State will then compete in the Pizza Ranch Classic at Northwestern College, where the Comets are scheduled to face Northwestern and #1 Dordt.
Bolstad is familiar with the level of competition awaiting the Comets in the Frontier Conference, having previously coached in the league at Montana Tech. She believes the conference provides an opportunity for the team to measure its progress against some of the best competition in the NAIA.
"It's some of the best basketball you're going to see," Bolstad said. "You're getting to play quality games every single weekend, night in and night out."
To watch the full press conference visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5RV0_KP3IE&t=6s
