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South Dakota Class A

Volleyball State Tournament 2023

1. Sioux Falls Christian (32-4)

Sioux Falls Christian has won 8 of the last 9 state titles. They once again come in as favorites with the number one seed. There is not going to be anything easy about winning it all in this class this year. They have four losses sprinkled through the season, to 29-1 Hinton (IA), 34-0 Warner twice and 27-0 Harrisburg. None of those losses came to Class A teams. The team is doing it the way they always do, with teamwork. They are hitting .263 and their defense is stout with Taylor Byl leading the block and Lavin Maddox covering the court. Addison Barber is an experienced setter who has multiple weapons to feed on the outside including Sidney Oostra, and Brietta Tims.

Leaders

Kills/Set:                               Sidney Oostra 3.2, Taylor Byl 2.8, Brietta Tims 1.8, Katelyn Maas 1.6

Assists/Set:                         Addison Barber 9.4

Digs/Set:                              Lavin Maddox 3.1, Sidney Oostra 2.6, Maggie Keepers 1.8, Chloe Bosma 1.7

 

2. Rapid City Christian (33-5)

The Comets improved each of the last several seasons. This year they’ve broken new ground, earning a 2 seed at the state tournament. They’ve only lost one game in Class A all season. Give credit to a great group of senior leaders. Ana Egge has stepped up as a senior and become one of the top players in the state. Moriah Coyle has been sharp running the 5-2 as one of their setters and Sophie DeWitt has stepped up as an agile libero. They also have talent in all their classes with junior Lydia Williams leading the team in blocks and super sophomore Faith King who leads the team in assists and digs and is second in kills.

Leaders

Kills/Set:                               Ana Egge 3.8, Faith King 3.0, Kendall Glassbrenner 1.8    

Assists/Set:                         Faith King 5.3, Moriah Coyle 4.7

Digs/Set:                              Faith King 2.9, Sophia DeWitt 2.9, Ana Egge 2.6

 

3. Miller (28-6)

The Rustlers punched their ticket to Summit Arena in Rapid City with a commanding 3-0 win over Flandreau in the SoDak 16. They have been better than expected for a young team that continues to improve. They don’t feature anyone over 5’10” but have great play at the net. It doesn’t show up in the stat sheet but they do a great job defending angles and getting in system quickly. Senior setter Heather Resel has also had a great season feeding the attackers.

Leaders

Kills/Set:                               Aleah Schlechter 3.2, Paige Werdel 2.6, Shaylee Anderberg 2.2

Assists/Set:                         Heather Resel 8.9,

 

4. Platte-Geddes (31-6)

The Black Panthers had to redeem themselves by beating Elkton-Lake Benton in the SoDak 16. They lost to them in the regular season. They’ll have to do the same if they want to advance in the state tournament. They lost in the regular season 2-1 to Dell Rapids in the Northwestern Tournament. They get another shot at the Quarriers on Thursday afternoon. Platte-Geddes has one of the top attack tandems in the class with Cadence Van Zee and Karly VanDerWerff at the net. They have strong senior leaders in their captains Baleigh Nachtigal and Emerson Ringling. This group is put together well and has a chance against anyone they play.  

Leaders

Kills/Set:                                               Karly VanDerWerff 3.8, Cadence Van Zee 3.2, Kari VanDerWerff 1.8

Assists/Set:                                         Baleigh Nachtigal 9.1

               

5. Dell Rapids (28-6)

Since losing to Lennox in the Dak XII Conference Tournament Dells has 18 of the last 19 sets. This young team has started to evolve into a title contender this season but they’ll have to prove it on the big stage at the state tournament. The talent is in place, freshman Madelynn Henry has had a phenomenal freshman season and junior setter, Sophie Randall, is the best in the class. Although those two get the headlines, they’ve had a great supporting cast up and down the court.

Leaders

Kills/Set:                               Madelynn Henry 4.5, Lauryn Kloth 2.9, Elin Schoenhard 1.4, Kylee Fieddelke 1.3

Assists/Set:                         Sophie Randall 9.6

Digs/Set:                              Alaina Wolff 3.1, Sophie Randall 2.1, Madelynn Henry 2.1

6. Wagner (26-6)

Wagner is on a mission. They come into the state tournament with 6 wins in a row and four of those against teams with winning records. They have one of the best front lines in the business with six different players with at least 20 blocks. Their matchup with Miller will be one of the best games on Thursday.

Leaders

Kills/Set:               Ashlyn Koupal 3.4, Kya Kjeldgaard 2.7, Shona Kocer 2.1

Assists/Set:         Macy Koupal 9.2

Digs/Set:              Ashlyn Koupal 4.2, Madi Knebel 3.9

7. Dakota Valley (19-10)

Dakota Valley is thrilled to be in the state tournament, but they’ll have to make a charge from the 7 seed. They’ve gotten a lot out of their younger squad this year including some huge wins down the stretch. They haven’t played Rapid City Christian since 2020 and are excited about the possibility of getting an upset. Sophie Tuttle provides some experience and stellar play as their senior leader. Bria Perryman and Jacee Squier have been terrific in their two-setter offense.

Leaders

Kills/Set:               Sophie Tuttle 3.5, Claire Munch 3.4, Samantha Kimbell 2.2

Assists/Set:         Bria Perryman 4.8, Jacee Squier 4.4

Digs/Set:              Sophie Tuttle 3.4, Claire Munch 3.2, Reagan Granstrom 2.9

 

8. Lennox (19-10)

Lennox is a dangerous team. They took a set from Sioux Falls Christian the last time they played and they’re one of the few teams that took it to Dell Rapids this season. Their defense keeps them in matches and they can get on a roll from the service line too. Dani Highum has been a leader all season with Addison Martz setting up a great block in the middle.