SIOUX FALLS — While two championship streaks survived, one fell at the 2024 South Dakota high school volleyball tournaments at the Premier Center.
Harrisburg completed a three-peat atop Class AA, and Chester went back-to-back in Class B. Meanwhile, a historic run of dominance came to an end in Class A, where Sioux Falls Christian fell in the semifinals to end a streak of seven straight titles. The Chargers were upended in five sets by Dakota Valley, which fell to Dell Rapids in the championship match.
Here’s a closer look at each class:
Tigers’ reign renewed
Not only did Harrisburg become the first program in the history of Class AA, which dates back to 1992, to win three consecutive championships, but the Tigers extended their win streak to 78-straight matches in the process.
En route to a 31-0 record this season, the Tigers lost just seven total sets, with two coming in the state tournament — one in the semifinals against O’Gorman and the other in the title match against Sioux Falls Washington.
Harrisburg’s dominant run spans two full perfect seasons in 2023 and 2024, plus the final 16 matches of 2022. Since the Tigers’ last loss on Oct. 4, 2022, to Western Christian (Iowa), they’ve dropped 27 total sets. MaxPreps, a national high school sports website, had Harrisburg ranked No. 16 in the country in its Nov. 20 poll.
But what’s perhaps the most alarming part for the rest of Class AA is that the Tigers, who have won five state titles since 2016 under longtime coach Ronette Costain, might not be done.
From this year’s championship team, Harrisburg graduates just two players, though Maggie Meister (South Dakota State) and Karalynn Leach (Augustana) will continue their volleyball careers at the collegiate level.
Sensational outside hitter Gabi Zachariasen, a top-100 recruit from the class of 2026 and University of South Dakota commit, will be back, as will Josalyn Samuels, a 6-foot setter who was just a freshman but starred for the Tigers this season. That’s not even to mention emerging talents such as Kennedy Kokenge and Kya Keegan, who had solid showings in supporting roles at the state tournament.
Flying high
Repeating in Class B volleyball is an exclusive club, one of which Chester is now a member.
Since Northwestern won its first of what is now 12 state titles in 1999, only the Wildcats (multiple times), Harding County (winter and fall 2002), Warner (multiple times) and Chester have claimed consecutive championships. Overall, it was the third title for the Flyers since 2015.
To claim the 2024 championship, Chester dispatched of Castlewood and Burke before outlasting Warner in five sets for the title (a rerun of the 2023 final). As the Flyers have amassed a 65-4 record over the past two seasons (one loss to Class A Dakota Valley, the other three against out-of-state opposition), the 2022 title match against Warner is the last time Chester lost to a South Dakota Class B opponent.
In a similar fashion to Harrisburg, the Flyers are well-set for the future, too, with just two seniors on the 2024 roster.
The dynamite duo of Jacy Wolf and Lily Van Hal, who take turns attacking as well as setting, are a sophomore and junior, respectively. Other regular presences at the net, such as Emmerson Eppard, Emilie Bleeker and Katelyn Schut, along with libero Gracie Huntimer, are all juniors as well. Elise Van Hal is just a seventh-grader but was contributing in big moments for the state champions.
Salute to the streak and a new champion
No program, regardless of class, can match what Sioux Falls Christian put on the volleyball court with seven-straight championships from 2017 to 2023. The next-longest spree is four in a row.
Going back even further, the Chargers won a remarkable 12 titles in 14 years. And perhaps a year from now, the Chargers put together another run and re-establish themselves as the team to beat in Class A.
But this season belonged to Dell Rapids, a first-time champion. After Dakota Valley knocked out SFC in a five-set semifinal, the Quarriers jumped ahead early and took down the Panthers (the only program other than SFC to win a title since 2010) in a four-set final.
Though the No. 3 seed in the bracket, Dell Rapids had a case to be the top team in the class all season long. Ranked No. 1 in the South Dakota Prep Media poll for five weeks this season, the Quarriers were clearly in the upper echelon of Class A and proved it by winning nine of 10 sets at the state tournament. Dell Rapids did not lose a best-of-five match this season, finishing with a 32-3 record.
Not to be outdone by the other two state champions from a talent perspective, the Quarriers boasted a loaded roster in 2024.
Setter Sophi Randall is a Univeristy of Illinois commit, while fellow seniors Lauryn Kloth (Dakota State) and Clara Justice (Carroll University (Wis.)) will also continue their volleyball careers at the next level. Elsewhere on the court, standout hitter Madelynn Henry, who had 24 kills in the championship match, is just a sophomore, as is libero Alaina Wolff, so the cupboard is far from bare as the Quarriers look to retool for 2025.
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