By Rich Winter

When the Class B state volleyball tournament begins on Thursday every team in the field, regardless of seed, should be on high alert.

Four teams enter the tournament with 30 wins or more, and the quality of this field could make this one of the more intriguing B tournaments in years.

Melissa Johnson, coach of the top seeded Platte-Geddes team talked about the talented field at this year's state tournament.

“Burke, who we play in the first round is always a great team,” Johnson said. “We lost to Arlington in the Pentagon tournament, Colman-Egan took us to three sets and you have some great teams in Warner, Aberdeen Christian and Faulkton Area.”

The Black Panthers enter the tournament with a 32-4 record and Johnson feels like the girls realized they could hang with anyone at the Bon Homme tournament.

“We did well in bracket play but then lost to Parkston,” she said.

Next up was Northwestern and Johnson told the girls she believed in them.

“I just told them we have to do our best and we have to play hard,” she said. “We got that win, then beat Parker and Wagner to claim the tournament title.” 

Class B state tournament pairings

12:00 p.m. Platte-Geddes, 32-4 vs. Burke, 29-8

1:45 p.m. Chester Area, 26-5 vs. Colman-Egan, 25-7

6:00 p.m. Warner, 30-5 vs. Aberdeen Christian, 23-3

7:45 p.m. Arlington, 30-5 vs. Faulkton Area, 26-6

Team by team capsules:

Aberdeen Christian:

Kills: Mary Fites, 288, Hannah Miller, 237, Mallory Miller 195

Assists: Kaylee Block, 642

Blocks: Mallory Miller, 71

Digs: Joy Rohrbach, 459

Aces: Fites, 52, Block, 46

Arlington:

Kills: Hadley Carlson 637, Erin Haufschild 201

Assists: Grace Parry, 1009

Blocks: Carlson, 11

Digs: Carlson 466, Morgan Larsen, 238, Harley Johnson, 231

Aces: Addalyn Steffensen 80

Burke:

Kills: Adisyn Indahl, 547

Assists: Ava Sargent, 394, Elly Witt 374

Blocks: Paige Bull, 101

Digs: Indahl, 564, Elle Johnson, 469

Aces: Indahl, 61, Witt, 36

Billie Joe Indahl's Burke Cougars upset Wolsey-Wessington to make the Class B state tournament

Chester:

Kills: Jayda Kenyon, 233, Breckyn Ewoldt, 230

Assists: Lily VanHal, 526, Carly Becker, 354

Blocks: Addison Bates, 63, Kenyon 28

Digs: Emery Larson, 609

Aces: VanHal, 56

Colman-Egan:

Kills: Mackenzie Hemmer, 358, Hailey Larson, 337

Assists: Ava Mousel, 502, Lanie Mousel, 321

Blocks: Hemmer, 70

Digs: Hemmer, 440, Larson, 389

Aces: Kandace Landis, 28

Faulkton Area:

Assists: Camryn Deiter, 558, Gabby Kast, 373

Aces: Isabel Aesoph, 54, Addison Melius, 47, Shanya Heitmann, 41

Platte-Geddes:

Kills: Karly VanDerWerff, 433, Cadence Van Zee, 345, Regan Hoffman, 249

Assists: Avery DeVries, 1002

Blocks: 59, DeVries, 33

Digs: 468, Hoffman, 440

Aces: Van Zee, 79, DeVries 69

Warner:

Kills: Kyra Marcuson, 326, Jennifer Aman, 300

Assists: Ava Nilsson, 300

Blocks: Nillson, 38

Digs: Courtney Bjorgaard, 407, Marcuson, 241, Nilsson, 225

Aces: Nilsson, 63, Kamryn Anderson, 59