By Rich Winter 

605 Sports

SIOUX FALLS — With a first-year coach and a roster composed of mainly freshmen and sophomores, the Sioux Falls Lutheran volleyball team is exceeding expectations.

The 12-2 Eagles have generated a buzz in Class B volleyball but freshman Tatum Beckman said the team is about where she thought they would be.

“Coming into the season our expectations were pretty high,” Beckman said. “We have some new girls and we had some really good early season practices and we have girls on the roster that are super passionate about volleyball.” 

Tatum’s mother, Stacey, is in her first year of coaching at the high school. She knew the team finished with a 21-8 record in 2022 but didn’t know much about the incoming players, their skill level and their dedication to the sport

“It was cool to find out that four of the varsity players have been playing club volleyball,” Stacey Beckman said. “You don’t often see that at a smaller Class B school.” 

Tatum Beckman said club volleyball and playing volleyball in the summer has helped the team.

“I think the work you put in the offseason is really what separates you from everyone else,” she said. “I think that there are a lot of people that are good but don’t have the same type of discipline that it takes to be great.”

Prior to the start of the season Coach Beckman also learned that freshman setter Sophie Stubkjaer had been playing varsity since her seventh-grade year and that three of the returning players had played together extensively. 

The Eagles added transfer Madilyn Dinges, a 6-foot middle-hitter who previously played at West Central. 

Not knowing quite what to expect out of her team, Sioux Falls Lutheran picked up three wins at their season-opening effort at the Irene-Wakonda tournament on Aug. 26. Their only loss was to Class A No. 5 Madison by set scores of (25-22, 16-25 and 25-27).

“Even though we lost that match to Madison, that showed what we are capable of,” Tatum Beckman said. “We know we can play at a high level and I think we’ll surprise some teams in the postseason

Just one other loss on the season came against 21-2 Wolsey-Wessington on the Warbirds home court (24-26, 23-25) on Sept. 9.

The schedule does stiffen down the stretch including a trip to Miller to play in the Rustler Volleyball tournament on Oct. 14. Sioux Falls Lutheran is currently the No. 3 seed in Region 3B behind Class B No. 2 and 17-4 Colman-Egan. 

“Every day we are sitting here and watching the region standings,” Coach Beckman said. “It is unfortunate that this region is so tough but it speaks well of the volleyball being played.”

Despite their youth the Eagles feel like they’ve grown from their experiences this season 

“We will have to face those situations in the playoffs,” Coach Beckman said. “We are going to start playing some harder teams so we’ve gotta come out and finish.” 

Entering Thursday’s match against Viborg-Hurley, Beckman was leading the team in kills (175) with Madilyn Dinges close behind with (74). Stubkjaer leads the team in assists (190) and digs (207). Sophomore Kiersten Bjordahl is the team leader in blocks (31).

Coach Beckham says one of the real team strengths of the team is serving. The Eagles serve over 85-percent as a team and have put down 138 aces.

“We have a bunch of girls that serve really well,” Coach Beckham said. “We serve at other teams and get them out of their system and let them make mistakes.”

Four years ago it was a challenge for Sioux Falls Lutheran to fill a season schedule. Coach Beckham said the recent success has people from all over the state checking on availability for next year’s schedule.

Volleyball was the first sport to be introduced when the doors opened at Sioux Falls Lutheran four years ago. The current group of players want to be that team that qualifies for a state tournament then helps hoist a banner into the gym. 

“We don’t have any banners but that has lit a fire under us to be the team that does that first,” Tatum Beckham said.