The Class B state tournament is Nov. 17-19 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. 

The eight-team event will feature a mixed bag of tourney regulars and new qualifiers to the fold. Tourney regulars Warner, Northwestern, Chester Area and Burke are in the event. Wolsey-Wessington is making its first-ever trip, while Castlewood and Freeman are playing in their first tournament since the late 1990s. Colman-Egan is back for the third consecutive season.

Below are capsules on all eight teams in the field. 

No. 1 Warner (34-2)

Coach: Kari Jung

Tournament history: Fourteenth appearance and eight state championships, including last season’s Class B title.

Key players: Lauren Marcuson (306 kills, 246 digs, 8 aces, 5 blocks), Kyra Marcuson (298 kills, 212 digs, 37 aces, 8 blocks), Kyleigh Schopp (279 kills, 56 blocks), Kamryn Anderson (184 kills, 63 aces, 24 blocks), Kendyl Anderson (111 kills, 20 blocks), Ava Nilsson (1,031 assists, 216 digs, 84 kills, 59 aces), Courtney Bjorgaard (350 digs, 39 aces). 

Notes: The Monarchs will play Freeman at 11:30 a.m. in their first-round match. … Warner’s two losses were against Class B No. 2 seed Burke and Class AA No. 2 seed Sioux Falls O’Gorman. … Warner defeated Class B state tournament qualifiers Northwestern and Wolsey-Wessington, while it also beat Class A state tourney participants Wagner, Miller and Elkton-Lake Benton during the season. … Nilsson, a junior setter, has 3,958 career assists. She also has 1,074 digs, 349 kills and 231 aces in her career. 

No. 2 Burke (31-4)

Coach: Billie Jo Indahl

Tournament history: Fifth appearance and second straight berth. 

Key players: Adisyn Indahl (468 kills, 441 digs, 52 aces, 19 blocks), Kailee Frank (326 kills, 324 digs, 72 aces, 7 blocks), Paige Bull (172 kills, 82 blocks, 38 digs, 33 blocks), Emmie Hausmann (152 kills, 79 digs, 20 blocks), Elly Witt (498 assists, 188 digs, 46 aces), Ava Sargent (360 assists, 170 digs, 32 aces), Elle Johnson (603 digs, 37 aces), Savannah Geaghan (47 digs, 19 aces), Piper Hanson (44 digs, 42 kills, 12 blocks). 

Notes: The Cougars will play Castlewood at 5 p.m. in their first-round match. … Indahl, a senior outside hitter, has 1,363 digs and 1,303 kills in her career. … Adisyn Indahl is the daughter of Burke coach Billie Jo Indahl. … Three of Burke’s losses were against Class A state tourney participants: Elkton-Lake Benton, Platte-Geddes and Wagner. Burke avenged its defeat against Wagner with a 3-2 win two days after losing in the SESD tournament. … Burke handed Class B No. 1 Warner one of its two losses this season. 

No. 3 Chester Area (26-5)

Coach: Jean O’Hara

Tournament history: Sixteenth appearance, including one state championship in 2015 and three runner-up finishes in 2013, ‘14, and ‘16.

Key players: Lily VanHal (524 assists, 333 kills, 242 digs, 77 aces), Jacy Wolf (453 assists, 266 digs, 233 kills, 32 aces), Serena Larson (203 kills, 9 blocks), Emmerson Eppard (173 kills, 29 aces, 25 blocks), Addison Bates (95 kills, 32 blocks), Emery Larson (489 digs, 17 aces), Katelynn Huntimer (294 digs), Kaylor Geraets (267 digs).

Notes: The Flyers will play Colman-Egan at 6:45 p.m. in their first-round match. … Chester Area defeated Colman-Egan in straight sets on Oct. 3 in Chester. … Chester Area’s losses were to Sioux Falls Lincoln, Huron, Elkton-Lake Benton, Dakota Valley, and Sioux Falls O’Gorman, all state tournament participants. … Chester Area defeated Class B state tournament qualifiers Northwestern and Colman-Egan. … Last appearance was in 2021, finishing as consolation champions.

No. 4 Northwestern (27-8)

Coach: Nora Groft

Tournament history: 22nd state tournament appearance, including 12 state championships and six runner-up finishes.

Key players: Ella Haven (586 kills, 289 digs, 54 aces, 53 blocks), Ashley Haven (260 kills, 254 digs, 70 aces, 33 blocks), Brooklinn Halvorson (864 assists, 208 digs, 111 kills, 60 aces), Payton Grandpre (255 digs, 34 aces), Adriana Ratigan (80 kills, 43 blocks), Ella Boekelheide (220 digs), Tara Blachford (47 aces).

Notes: The Wildcats will play Wolsey-Wessington at 1:15 p.m. in their first-round match. … Northwestern defeated Wolsey-Wessington in five sets on Aug. 25 in Mellette. … The Wildcats losses have come against Class B tourney qualifiers Warner (twice) and Chester Area, Class A tourney qualifiers Wagner, Miller, and Elk Point-Jefferson, Class AA tourney qualifier Huron, and Western Christian, Iowa. … Northwestern is currently on a 14 match winning streak. … The Wildcats last state tournament appearance was in 2020, finishing as state champions.

No. 5 Wolsey-Wessington (28-4)

Coach: Lindy Uttecht

Tournament history: First state tournament appearance in school history.

Key players: Mya Boomsma (380 kills, 375 digs, 50 aces), Mallory Miller (262 kills, 61 blocks), Leah Williams (220 kills, 269 digs, 61 aces), Kailynn Dorris (92 kills, 50 blocks), Lainey Uttecht (447 digs, 45 aces), Taylor Horn (704 assists, 188 digs), Emree White (81 kills, 57 aces, 32 blocks), Payton Kemnitz (104 assists).

Notes: The Warbirds play Northwestern at 1:15 p.m. in their first-round match. … Wolsey-Wessington’s four losses were against state tournament participants: Northwestern, Warner and Miller (twice). … Miller, a 6-foot-4 middle/outside hitter, is a college basketball prospect and has a scholarship offer from Division I BYU. … 26 of the Warbirds 28 wins have come in straight sets.

No. 6 Colman-Egan (23-9)

Coach: Abigail Dockter

Tournament history: Colman-Egan made its first trip to state in 2020 and is making its third consecutive appearance this season. The Hawks were last season’s Class B runner-ups. 

Key players: Daniela Lee (239 kills, 55 blocks, 26 aces), Kadance Landis (235 kills, 24 blocks, 18 aces), Berkley Groos, 156 kills, 5 blocks, 19 aces), Brynlee Landis (155 kills, 31 blocks, 16 aces), Lanie Mousel (44 kills, 16 blocks, 18 aces), Ava Mousel (nine kills, 23 aces), Abby Rhode (131 kills, 32 blocks)

Notes: The Hawks will play Chester Area at 6:45 p.m. in their first-round match. … Colman-Egan dropped a 3-0 decision against Chester Area earlier this season. … Colman-Egan lost a match to state tournament qualifier Castlewood but also beat the Warriors twice during the regular season. … The Hawks lost to Class A state qualifier Elkton-Lake Benton three times during the regular season. 

No. 7 Castlewood (22-7)

Coach: Breanna DeKam

Tournament history: One previous appearance, a fourth-place finish, in 1997.

Key players: Mackenzie Everson (300 kills, 407 digs, 35 aces, 21 blocks), Gracie Haug (670 assists, 380 digs, 30 aces), Madeline Horn (233 kills, 140 digs, 39 aces), Emerson Carter (149 kills, 101 digs, 19 aces, 60 blocks), Presley Knecht (118 kills, 140 digs, 24 aces), Kailyn Larson (222 digs, 19 aces), Cassidy Kirwan (40 kills, 40 assists, 67 digs). 

Notes: The Warriors will play Burke at 5:00 p.m. in their first-round match. … Castlewood has a win over Class B state tournament qualifier Colman-Egan, but have also lost to the Hawks twice during the regular season. … The Warriors dropped a 3-1 decision against Class A tourney participant Elkton-Lake Benton on Aug. 30, but defeated the Elks later in the season. … The win over the Elks was the beginning of their current 10 match winning streak.

No. 8 Freeman (22-9)

Coach: Kendra Petersen

Tournament history: One previous appearance, a fourth-place finish, in 1998.

Key players: Kate Miller (348 kills, 47 blocks, 26 aces), Erin Uecker (212 kills, 82 blocks, 22 aces), Ashlin Jacobsen (191 kills, 11 blocks, 22 aces), Cami Fransen (472 assists, 18 kills, 42 aces), Emily Mendel (27 kills, 25 aces), Ava Anderson (157 assists, 14 aces), Zoenovia Butler (100 kills, 3 blocks, 23 aces)

Notes: The Flyers will play Warner at 11:30 a.m. in their first-found match. … Of their nine losses, four came to Class A schools, Sioux Valley, Canton, Bon Homme and Class A state tournament participant Platte-Geddes. … The Flyers are riding a six match winning streak heading into the state tournament including a straight set win over Jones County in the SoDak 16. 

Freeman's Ashlin Jacobsen (3) defends the net against Jones County on Nov. 8 in Chamberlain. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)