CLARK — In 2000 and ‘01, Andrea Begeman and Shannon Huber led Clark to the Class A state volleyball tournament. 

Fast forward to 2025, the lifelong friends are volleyball moms as Clark/Willow Lake is making its first-ever state volleyball tournament as a co-op. 

Begeman’s daughter, Shelby, is a freshman middle hitter and Huber’s daughter, Grady, is a sophomore defensive specialist. CWL freshman Payten Bokinskie’s mother, Melody, was also on the Clark state tournament team and Melody’s father, Dan Duenwald, coached the Comets to the 2001 state volleyball tournament. 

Begeman and Huber were instrumental in Clark’s only two state volleyball appearances in 2000 and ‘01, and will now share the same experience with their daughters. 

“As much fun as we had as student-athletes ourselves, I think we have been able to look at it through a whole different limelight,” said Huber, whose maiden name is Schlagel. “For our kids to experience it I feel like it’s kept us both humble for what we were able to experience when we were that age.”

Begeman and Huber’s relationship has ranged from high school teammates, coaches, teachers and now sports mothers. Begeman is the head girls basketball coach at Clark/Willow Lake, and Huber was previously her assistant coach.

They’re also both teachers at Clark, with Huber teaching middle school English and Begeman teaching high school English. 

“Living our families lives together here in Clark is fun,” said Begeman, whose maiden name is Seefeldt. “It just kind of came full circle and it’s good to have a lifelong friendship like that, where you can live your lives together and know that someone has your back.”

They had each other’s backs as student-athletes. They were on Clark’s back-to-back Class A girls basketball tournament teams in 1998 and ‘99. The Comets were runner-ups in 1998, and finished third in 1999. 

In 2000, they guided the Comets to a third-place finish at the state volleyball tournament in Rapid City. It was Clark’s first-ever state volleyball appearance, and it was memorable for another reason. 

Rapid City was blanketed with snow, delaying several teams from getting there on time. The Comets were forced to stay in Kadoka overnight, ate at a local restaurant and they bussed tables.

“We were trying to let the storm pass,” said Huber, who played college basketball at South Dakota State University. “So we just offered to bus tables while they were there. They had people eating and we offered to pick up dishes. We just helped clean up the restaurant. We had to keep ourselves busy for a little while. It was a fun, core memory.”

In 2001, the Comets made another memory closer to home. The Comets finished as Class A runner-ups at the state tournament in Watertown, a 35-mile trip from Clark. 

The Comets lost to Hot Springs in the state championship match. Clark’s only four losses at the 2000 and ‘01 state tournaments were against the Bison. 

“Back then it was a double elimination,” said Begeman, who played college basketball at Augustana University. “You could actually work your way back to the championship, and we lost to Hot Springs four times. We were a good team. They were just better than us both years.”

The volleyball scene was much different, too. Volleyball was played in the winter, and rally scoring wasn’t in effect yet.

Begeman and Huber both acknowledge how volleyball has rapidly grown through the years, and it’s rewarding to see their daughters a part of it.

As for being moms watching from the stands, it’s much different without having any control on the outcome.

“When you are a player you get to control what’s going on and when you are a coach you can prepare them the best, and you kind of lost that control when they got out on the court,” Begeman said. “As a parent you are nervous, but you can’t control much. It’s nerve racking to be a parent in the stands. I get it now.”

Huber said she doesn’t quite as nervous watching from the stands, but “I just get so much joy watching these girls enjoy their time out there. You take every point as if you were out on the court with them. It makes you miss it. I know Andrea and I reminisce a lot about our time.”

The Cyclones will play conference foe Hamlin at 12:45 p.m. MT Thursday in the opening round of the Class A state volleyball tournament.