Sioux Valley put three players on the 2017 All-Register Volleyball Team, including Co-Players of the Year Rachel Miller and Nikole Ziegler.

They were joined by Cossack teammate and fellow senior Lynsey Stevens.

Brookings, Deubrook Area and Arlington each had two selections, and Elkton-Lake Benton one to round out the 10-player team.

The Dolphins and Cardinals shared the Dakota Valley Conference regular-season title. Deubrook won the DVC Tournament.

The Lake Central Conference-champion Cossacks went 25-6 and advanced to their third consecutive Class A State Tournament, placing sixth.

They breezed past Hamlin 25-19, 25-13, 25-15 in the Region 2A semifinals after receiving a first-round bye and then defeated Pine Ridge 25-9, 25-13, 25-18 in the Sweet 16 in Chamberlain.

Sioux Valley dropped a 25-17, 16-25, 24-26, 25-23, 15-12 heartbreaker to third-seeded Belle Fourche to open the state tourney. It toppled Parker 25-22, 20-25, 23-25, 25-15, 15-10 in a consolation semifinal and fell 27-25, 25-17, 15-25, 25-22 to McCook Central/Montrose in the fifth-place match.

Miller and Ziegler are both on the All-Register team for the second time – the former is also a two-time Class A All-State honorable mention, while the latter earned Class A All-State second-team honors this year and was on the all-tournament team at state.

Bobcat senior Grace Eggebrecht and junior Michaela Jewett made the squad. Jewett was also honored in 2016.

Brookings ended up with a 5-16 record, falling 25-12, 25-22, 25-27, 25-15 to state-champion Harrisburg in the Sweet 16.

For the Dolphins, senior Cortney Bauman and junior Shaylee DeBeer were honored.

Bauman earned all-tournament recognition and DeBeer landed on the Class B All-State team.

Deubrook posted a 26-9 record.

The Dolphins beat Lake Preston 25-10, 25-18, 25-10 in the second round of Region 3B play and then topped Hitchcock-Tulare 25-21, 25-12, 26-24 in the semifinals. They defeated sixth-seeded Kadoka Area 25-16, 25-21, 26-24 in the Sweet 16 in Chamberlain to move into the state tourney.

Deubrook was swept by Chester Area and Burke/South Central, before taking down the Faith Longhorns 25-22, 25-14, 21-25, 25-16 in the seventh-place match.

The Dolphins were making their second state tournament appearance all-time.

The Cardinals’ Angela Fuhr, a senior, and Jeryn Christensen, a junior, were also on the All-Register team.

Arlington ended up 22-10.

The Cardinals also swept their way through Region 3B. They beat Castlewood 25-16, 25-15, 25-15 and Wolsey-Wessington 25-10, 25-10, 25-23. Arlington was on the verge of a Sweet 16 triumph, but was upended 21-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-12, 15-11 by eighth-seeded Burke/South Central in Mitchell.

Elkton-Lake Benton freshman Hannah Krog rounded out the All-Register squad.

The Lady Elks posted a 23-10 record. They beat Colman-Egan 22-25, 13-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-10 to open Region 4B play but were swept 25-18, 25-16, 25-13 by Chester Area in the semifinals.

The 2017 All-Register team features 10 players from five schools. There are six seniors, five juniors and a freshman.

No nominations were received from Lake Preston or Estelline.

Cortney Bauman – OH

Deubrook Area

5-6, Sr.

Bauman was a key part of the Dolphins’ success in 2017.

“Cortney was an outstanding senior leader for us this year,” said Deubrook coach Rachelle DeBeer. “She is an aggressive player both offensively and defensively. She led our team in digs. She also earned the attention of other coaches at the state B volleyball tourney where she had 69 digs in 10 sets, and was named to the Class B all-tourney team.

“Cortney also dual participated in volleyball and cross country this fall, and she ran in the state Class B cross country meet where the Deubrook Dolphins finished third as a team.”

She totaled 181 kills, 51 service aces, 19 blocks and 507 digs.

She was on the All-DVC squad

Jeryn Christensen – L

Arlington

5-3, Jr.

Christensen had a big year defensively and is on pace to top the 2,000-dig mark for her career.

“Jeryn is a talented libero who chases down every ball that comes to the back row,” said Arlington coach Anita Boeck. “If she can’t get to the pass, she stays involved in the play by encouraging her teammates and talking through every point. Whether she is serve-receiving or digging a spike, her setter can count on a good pass that can result in an attack.

“At the service line, Jeryn has Arlington’s highest percentage and she has accumulated a number of aces, as well. This results in her being both an offensive and defensive force on our team.

“Her desire to improve is evident in her performance and I have no doubt she will continue to put in the time and effort necessary to compete at a high level.”

Christensen was named to the Class B All-State second team and has twice been selected as an All-DVC performer.

She finished with 752 digs (23.5 per match/7.92 per set), and was 362-of-372 serving (97.3 percent) with 38 aces.

The junior has 1,467 digs in her career and is serving at a 97.2-percent clip.

Shaylee DeBeer – MH/S

Deubrook Area

5-9, Jr.

DeBeer did it all for Deubrook.

She finished with 246 kills, 66 service aces, 83 blocks, 479 set assists and 332 digs.

“Shaylee had a unique role on our team this year,” said Coach DeBeer. “She was a setter and middle hitter, which is a unique combination.  Shaylee led our team in blocks and was second on our team in digs. She works very hard to run down balls and keep us in system as much as she can. She does a great job of distributing the ball to our hitters.

“Shaylee also dual participated in volleyball and cross country this fall, and she ran in the state class B cross country meet where the Deubrook Dolphins finished third as a team.” 

DeBeer was honored on the Class B All-State second team in addition to being an All-DVC selection.

Grace Eggebrecht – OH

Brookings

5-10, Sr.

Eggebrecht was a force for the Bobcats, racking up 245 kills and 39 blocks.

“Grace is a truly competitive athlete who wants to help her team in any way she can,” said BHS coach Jodi Melius. “She led us in kills this year as an outside hitter after playing middle through her junior year. Learning a new position gave Grace a new challenge this year and she stepped up and had a very successful season.”

Eggebrecht, a South Dakota commit for track and field, finished her high school volleyball career with 339 kills, 97 blocks and 115 digs. She was selected to play in the all-star game by the South Dakota Volleyball Coaches Association.

Angela Fuhr – MH

Arlington

5-6, Sr.

Fuhr closed out her career with a solid season, tallying 307 kills, 354 digs and 14 blocks.

“Angela stepped up as a senior and worked as hard as an athlete possibly could,” said Boeck. “Whenever she was out on the floor – whether in practice or in a match – this young lady gave it her all.

“After overcoming a medical setback that affected her a few years ago, Angela doubled down, came roaring back and was able to play six positions for the Cardinals in her final season. She got a lot of sets when she was in the front row and she passed a lot of balls when she was in the back. No matter where she was playing, her teammates believed in her ability, in her drive and in her will to win.

“Angela’s ability to set a high bar for herself and others helped up play at our best this year and the girls will really miss her leadership next fall.”

She finished with 619 career digs.

Fuhr made the All-DVC team.

Michaela Jewett – S

Brookings

6-0. Jr.

The junior repeated on the All-Register team after posting a solid all-around season.

Jewett had 740 set assists and 290 digs to go with 84 kills and 40 blocks.

“She is a standout setter in Class AA,” said Melius. “Her competitive yet encouraging personality pushes her teammates to their best. She has become a great decisionmaker on the court, but her instincts and 6-0 structure also make her an offensive weapon.

“In addition, this year she developed outstanding defensive skills, which allowed her to lead our team with 290 digs.”

Jewett has 1,306 career set assists – 12 off the school record – with a year to go.

She earned All-Eastern South Dakota Conference recognition.

Hannah Krog – MH

Elkton-Lake Benton

5-10, Fr.

Krog has already built up a solid resume, and has three years of high school volleyball remaining.

She totaled 383 kills, 32 1/2 blocks (30 solo), 27 service aces and 117 digs as a freshman.

“As an eighth-grader she was an outside hitter, transitioning to a middle hitter this season,” said ELB coach Melissa Erickson. “She has learned how to quickly make herself available to our offense and has improved in her foot speed to put up a block.

“At the end of September, she transitioned to become a six-rotation player. Hannah led our team to a 23-10 record and was a leader on the court with her play.

“She has demonstrated that she is an impact player on our team and changes the outcome of matches with her skill set.”

Krog made the All-DVC squad.

For her career, she has 470 kills, 47 1/2 blocks (39 solo), 52 service aces and 202 digs.

Rachel Miller – S

Sioux Valley

5-7, Sr.

Miller broke numerous setting records for the Cossacks and was named Co-Player of the Year while earning All-Register honors for the second time.

She was a three-time All-LCC and All-Big East Conference pick in addition to her All-State honors.

Lynsey Stevens – MH

Sioux Valley

5-10, Sr.

Stevens was a high-quality player on a solid team.

She had 377 kills, 56 service aces, 32 blocks and 290 digs as a senior.

“Lynsey was a force for us in the middle for the past two seasons,” said SV coach Jill Vincent. “This year, she was playing a little outside hitter, as well; and that allowed us to use her powerful swing on the outside and her ability to get to the ball quickly on defense.

“Lynsey and (setter) Rachel (Miller) could read each other so well that all Lynsey had to do sometimes was get a good jump at the net and Rachel would set the ball to her hand.

“This year, Lynsey also developed a passing game for us and I am really proud of what she was able to serve-receive as well as digging the ball.

“Lynsey is a natural athlete who could elevate and hit the ball with power. She was always willing to try new things and was very coachable.”

Stevens notched 632 kills, 128 aces, 74 1/2 blocks (29 solo) and 390 digs in her two-plus-year varsity career.

She was an All-LCC and All-BCC performer.

Nikole Ziegler – OH

Sioux Valley

5-7, Sr.

Ziegler had another standout year and was honored as Co-Player of the Year

The two-time All-Register selection picked up All-State honors and was twice named to the All-LCC and All-BEC squads.