The sound of volleyballs echoing throughout high school gyms will be heard when the 2023 South Dakota high school season begins on Tuesday. Here is a preview of some of the top teams, games, and players to watch across northeastern and north central South Dakota this season:

Warner seeking third consecutive Class B title

The two-time defending champions from Warner will once again be one of the top teams in the state entering 2023. Despite losing a trio of seniors to graduation, the Monarchs return several key players with plenty of experience, including four starters. Seniors Ava Nilsson, Lauren Marcuson, and Courtney Bjorgaard, as well as junior Kyleigh Schopp, started every match last season, while senior Kyra Marcuson started all but two matches. Nilsson led the team with 1,167 assists last season, while the Marcuson sisters combined for 679 kills. Schopp tallied 317 kills. With several up-and-coming players to complement this experienced group, look for the Monarchs to once again make some noise throughout the season. Key games for Warner include a road game at Miller, a home contest against Northwestern, and several tournaments throughout the season.

Warner’s rival, the Northwestern Wildcats, will also be among the top contenders for a state title this season. The Wildcats earned a fifth-place finish at the state tournament last season, and will feature several young players that will need to step into leadership roles. Northwestern has no seniors on the roster, and will be led by junior Payton Grandpre and sophomore Ashley Haven. Key games for the Wildcats will include road trips to Warner and Faulkton, a home match against Miller, and several tournaments throughout the season.

Wolsey-Wessington qualified for its first-ever state volleyball tournament last season, ending the year with a third-place finish. However, the Warbirds must find a way to replace six seniors from last season’s squad. This season, Wolsey-Wessington will rely on seniors Payton Kemnitz, Lainey Uttecht, and Kailynn Dorris to lead the team on the court. Key contests for the Warbirds will come right away in the season against Arlington, Northwestern, and Warner, as well as a date with Miller on Oct. 16.

Castlewood must replace four seniors from its sixth-place state tournament team a year ago, but returns several players that bring back valuable experience, including Presley Knecht, Lyndsey Archer, Ella Hunter, and Gracie Haug. Elkton-Lake Benton, Arlington, Colman-Egan, and Hamlin will be key contests for the Warriors.

Faulkton qualified for four Class B volleyball tournaments from 2018-2021, but fell in the SoDak 16 last season to Northwestern. The Trojans must replace four seniors from last year, but return current seniors Addison Melius and Kelli Stoecker to lead the team.

Hitchcock-Tulare will be led by three-time all-state selection Katelyn Schroeder. The junior will help to ensure the Patriots will be a formidable foe.

Herreid-Selby Area also fell in the SoDak 16 last season, losing to Colman-Egan in straight sets. The Wolverines lost only two players to graduation, and could be a tough opponent for any team.

Several teams vying for Class A tournament berths

Class A in northeast and north central South Dakota features parity as several schools will be seeking state tournament berths.

Among the schools looking to rebuild or reload will be the Miller Rustlers. After a fourth-place finish at the state tournament a year ago, the Rustlers must find a way to replace seven seniors that had a major impact on the program. Seniors Shaylee Anderberg and Journey Palmer, as well as junior Aleah Schlechter will be among the returning players expected to fill the voids left by graduation. Miller’s key matches will include a trip to Northwestern, as well as home contests against Warner and Ethan.

Mobridge-Pollock will look to build off of its success from last season after finishing 26-7 and falling to Belle Fourche in the SoDak 16. However, the Tigers need to replace five seniors and will look to senior Ryli Thompson and junior Charley Henderson to lead the team this season. A key match for Mobridge-Pollock takes place early in the season as the Tigers host Belle Fourche in a rematch of that SoDak 16 contest. No doubt the Tigers will have their eyes set on that match. Another key match for Mobridge-Pollock will be against Warner on Oct. 20.

Hamlin captured state tournament appearances in both 2020 and 2021, but fell short last season, losing to Platte-Geddes in the SoDak 16. Now the Chargers are tasked with trying to replace four key players that graduated this spring. Hamlin will look to returning players such as senior Marissa Bawdon and sophomore Addison Neuendorf to attempt to get the Chargers back to the state tournament this season. Key contests for Hamlin will include matches against Class B foes Arlington and Castlewood.

Florence-Henry will look to finish what they started last season after going 22-8 and losing to Flandreau in the Region 2A playoffs. Although they lost five seniors to graduation, the Falcons return seniors Taylor Watson, Caylin Kelly, and Reese Schmidt to help lead the team this year. Florence-Henry will have key matches against Castlewood and Hamlin this season.

Groton will look to build off of a 14-15 campaign a season ago – a season that resulted in a SoDak 16 bid, where the Tigers lost to Miller in straight sets. The Tigers return the majority of their roster, having only lost two players to graduation, and will rely on several players to step up this season. Seniors Sydney Leicht and Anna Fjeldheim, as well as juniors Liz Fliehs and Laila Roberts, will provide experience for the Tigers. Groton schedule includes several quality Class A and B opponents, including Hamlin, Castlewood, Warner, Florence-Henry, Mobridge-Pollock, and Northwestern.

(Note: Previews on Aberdeen Christian and Aberdeen Roncalli will be running in the near future).