The Chester Flyers are gunning for a three-peat in Class B volleyball. 

The Flyers have captured the past two state championships, and can be the first team to three-peat since Warner in 2012-14. 

Chester was the No. 1 team in the preseason poll, and garnered all nine first-place votes for a total of 45 points. Warner, which finished as state runner-up the past two seasons, is No. 2 in the preseason rankings and rival Northwestern is No. 3. Hitchcock-Tulare and Burke are No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. 

Storylines to watch

Will history repeat itself?: Class B powers Warner, Northwestern and Chester have ruled Class B volleyball for nearly two decades. The three powerhouses have combined to win every Class B state championship since 2011. The Flyers, Monarchs and Wildcats are No. 1-3, respectively, in the preseason poll and will again be among the top contenders. 

Who else will emerge?: The top of Class B is set, but who else will emerge from the pack? Burke and Hitchcock-Tulare finished third and fourth, respectively, last season at state. The Cougars and Patriots round out the top-five poll, but what other teams will emerge as the season unfolds? 

Warner-Northwestern rivalry match on Sept. 11: Warner and Northwestern — separated by 15 miles — is South Dakota’s most revered Class B volleyball rivalry. The Monarchs and Wildcats will match up on Sept. 11 in their latest chapter in the rivalry. 

Players to watch

Note: These players were all-staters last season. 

Lily Van Hal, Chester: A 5-foot-8 senior setter/right-side hitter, Van Hal was a first-team all-state selection in 2024. She tallied 357 kills, 668 assists, 100 aces, 30 blocks and 308 digs for the state champs. She logged a .421 hitting percentage. 

Ashley Haven, Northwestern: A 6-foot senior middle hitter, Haven was a first-team all-state selection last season, tallying 453 kills. 

Jacy Wolf, Chester: A 5-foot-6 junior outside hitter/setter, Wolf was a first-team all-stater in 2024. She posted 341 kills, 34 aces, 292 assists and 368 digs. 

Taylor Hoxeng, Gayville-Volin: A 5-foot-5 junior libero, Hoxeng totaled 606 digs and 63 aces during a first-team all-state campaign in 2024. 

Brynlee Landis, Colman-Egan: A 5-foot-8 senior outside hitter, Landis was a second-team all-stater in 2024. She posted 399 kills, 36 aces, 32 blocks and 352 digs. 

Kendal Uttecht, Wolsey-Wessington: A 5-foot-7 senior setter, Uttecht was a second-team all-stater in 2024. 

Lila Johnson, Northwestern: A 5-foot-8 junior setter, Johnson transferred from Hitchcock-Tulare to Northwestern, bolstering the Wildcats’ roster. Last season, she totaled 599 assists, 80 aces, 227 digs and 122 kills as an all-state honorable mention selection. 

Marley Guthmiller, Ipswich: A 5-foot-8 senior outside hitter, Guthmiller was an all-state honorable mention selection in 2024. She finished with 345 kills, 286 digs and 50 aces.