Three teams from Region 1B are among the top five squads in the first Prep Medial volleyball polls of the season. Runner-up Warner is rated second, while Northwestern is rated third, and Hitchcock-Tulare is rated fifth in the initial poll.

Miller, which finished fourth at last year’s State A tournament, is in that exact same spot in the first Class A poll.

Aberdeen Central in Class AA, Aberdeen Roncalli in Class A, and Castlewood and Wolsey-Wessington in Class B are all in the receiving votes category.

The top-rated teams to start out the year are Harrisburg in Class AA, Sioux Falls Christian in Class A, and Chester Area in Class B. All are defending state champions.

Here is the South Dakota Media Preseason Volleyball Poll for the 2024 season. Teams are listed with first place votes in parentheses, 2023 record, points and 2023 ranking in the final poll.

CLASS AA

1. Harrisburg (12) 31-0 60 1

2. O’Gorman 18-12 44 5

3. S.F. Washington 28-4 32 2

4. Watertown 27-7 22 4

5. S.F. Jefferson 24-3 18 3

RECEIVING VOTES: Aberdeen Central (14-14) 2; S.F. Roosevelt (11-18) 1; Spearfish (16-17) 1.

CLASS A

1. S.F. Christian (9) 35-4 57 1

2. Dell Rapids (2) 28-7 48 2

3. R.C. Christian (1) 35-6 29 5

4. Miller 29-8 17 RV

5. Baltic 22-6 13 NR

RECEIVING VOTES: Dakota Valley (21-11) 10; Wagner (27-8) 2; Lennox (19-13) 2; Platte-Geddes (32-8) 1; Aberdeen Roncalli (20-6) 1.

CLASS B

1. Chester Area (10) 33-2 54 2

2. Warner (2) 39-1 50 1

3. Northwestern 27-8 21 3

4. Burke 34-5 18 4

5. Hitchcock-Tulare 24-8 16 NR

RECEIVING VOTES: Colman-Egan (30-6) 13; Faith (32-4) 4; Castlewood (22-10) 2; Wolsey-Wessington (30-6) 1; Gayville-Volin (21-14) 1.