All three South Dakota state volleyball champions from a year ago will be back to defend their titles when the three tournaments get underway in Rapid City on Thursday.
All three defending champs are also number one seeds. Warner brings a perfect 37-0 record into the Class B tourney, Sioux Falls Christian at 32-4 heads the Class A field, and Harrisburg is the other unbeaten team, posting a 28-0 mark in Class AA.
Warner is seeking to threepeat this year after downing Chester, who is the #2 seed, in last year’s title game and is chasing its ninth title in school history. Warner and Northwestern., both from Region 1B, have won 11 of the last 12 Class B championships, Warner taking six and Northwestern five.
Sioux Falls Christian is gunning for its seventh straight Class A crown and 11th title in the past 13 years, while Harrisburg defeated #2 seed Sioux Falls Jefferson in last year’s title game and is hoping for its third title in school history.
Unbeaten and #1 seed Warner (37-0) heads the Class B field and meets eight seed Gayville-Volin (21-11) at noon, fourth seed Burke (31-4) plays five seed Wolsey-Wessington (29-4) at 1:45 p.m., #2 Chester (30-2) vs. #7 Faulkton Area (24-9) at 6 p.m., and three seed Colman-Egan (28-5) takes on six seed Castlewood (221-8) at 7:45 p.m.
In the Class A tournament top-seeded Sioux Falls Christian (32-4) meets eight seed Lennox (19-10) at noon, and four seed Platte-Geddes takes on five seed Dell Rapids (26-6) at 1:45 p.m. In the evening session second seeded Rapid City Christian (33-5) tangles with seven seed Dakota Valley (19-10) at 6 p.m., and three seed Miller (28-6) vs. six seed Wagner (26-6) at 7:45 p.m.
Class AA matchups have #1 Harrisburg (28-0) against #8 Aberdeen Central (14-11) at noon, fourth seed Watertown (25-6) plays five seed Sioux Falls O’Gorman (17-10) at 1:45 p.m., two seed Sioux Falls Jefferson (22-2) meets 10 seed Brandon Valley (1513) at 6 p.m., and three seed Sioux Falls Washington (263) vs. six seed Sioux Falls Lincoln (14-10) at 7:45 p.m.
