Sioux Valley seniors Rachel Miller and Nikole Ziegler are the Co-Register Volleyball Players of the Year.

The setter-outside hitter duo helped lead the Cossacks to a 25-6 season and a sixth-place finish in the Class A State Tournament.

“It was fun; definitely one of the fastest (seasons) – they always tell you that, but it definitely was one of the fastest,” said Ziegler, a second-team All-State selection. “We really came together this year; last year was like the first year we all played together – all of us girls – so this year there was more chemistry, more bonding, so it just made everything that much more fun. We played a lot better this year, definitely.”

Miller was an All-State honorable mention for the second time.

“It kind of exceeded expectations – a lot of the achievements that we made, like winning (a tournament) at the Pentagon. That was a big one we accomplished that I didn’t expect,” Miller added about the season.

Miller tallied a single-season Cossack record 1,069 set assists, adding 61 kills, 40 service aces, 183 digs and 24 blocks.

“She is such a smart player and can see the defense before she chooses who to set,” said coach Jill Vincent. “She will be the first to tell you that the pass has to be there first, but what she could do with the ball after that was sometimes amazing. The hitters knew they could fully commit to her and she would get them the ball where they needed it.

“Rachel really has been the coach on the court for us and players respect and play for her. She made setting look easy.”

Miller also broke the school’s career record for set assists with 2,346. She also tallied 234 kills, 107 aces, 68 blocks and 667 digs.

“She’s always pushing us to be our best,” Ziegler noted. “She’s a smart player and she knows what to do with the ball.”

Ziegler had a big year as she racked up a school-record 461 kills. 

“I think she’s amazing,” Miller said. “I know she’s really great to set to because she can hang in the air forever so your set can kind of be all over the place and she can still cram it down.”

Ziegler also tallied 57 aces, nine blocks and 418 digs.

“She can do everything from digging a hard attack to serve-receiving a tough jump serve, as well as kill the ball through a hole in the block,” said Vincent. “She was our team leader in kills, digs and receptions; and we were very successful because of what she did for us on the court.

“Nikole can jump out of the gym and that really helps dictate where she will hit the ball. She was so quick to the ball and could transition from defense to offense so fast that she often would catch the other team off guard.

“Throughout her career, she became more and more powerful with her swing and smarter with her placement. Her kills grew each season as she developed the love for the game. She would sacrifice herself for her team and would do anything she could to dig a ball.

“This season, she became more of an offensive leader for our team and would get very timely kills or sideouts in many situations.”

Ziegler had 905 kills in her career. She also notched 94 aces, 26 kills and 737 digs.

Miller and Ziegler both started on three state tournament teams.

“That is pretty awesome,” said Ziegler.

Added Miller, “Sioux Valley, the whole program, has a lot of tradition with it. I remember in middle school watching the team play and a lot of the stuff is kind of the same team aspects that we do now.”

Ziegler agreed, “We always looked up to them and then it was finally us, and I think we fulfilled (the tradition).”

In addition to their on-court successes, the Co-Players of the Year both earned a spot on the Academic All-State team.

Miller will attend Arizona State to major in biomedical engineering. Ziegler said she’ll likely go to South Dakota State and is undecided on her major.