REDFIELD – Morgan Schultz might never have played a lick of volleyball in the state of South Dakota, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t returned to her roots.
Born in Aberdeen, raised in the Kansas City metro area and a former member of the Kansas University volleyball program that hosted – and played in – the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament her senior season, Schultz returned to Northeast South Dakota in 2018 with her husband for non-volleyball related opportunities.
Volleyball, however, still found her, and Schultz, who once again calls rural South Dakota home, is in her first season at the helm of the Redfield volleyball program.
“I guess I hadn’t really thought about (coachIng) too much,” Schultz said of her plans following her Jayhawk playing career. “I absolutely fell in love with club volleyball in Kansas City, and I started coaching some teams down there. … I loved it and I had some successful teams and had a blast.”
Fast forward a handful of years, and Schultz and her husband found themselves in South Dakota pursuing a livestock operations opportunity near Mina.
Naturally, Schultz gravitated toward the NESD volleyball scene, coaching club teams at Matchbox. When the couple moved back to the Redfield area in 2019 to assist Schultz’ grandparents on the farm, Schultz eventually landed with the Pheasants as an assistant in 2025 before taking over the program this season.
“As things fall into my lap in the coaching realm, I’m like, sure,” Schultz said. “I’ve just kind of accepted them.”
And while one could say that coaching pursued Schultz more than she pursued it, there’s no mistaking her passion for it.
“It’s funny that I’m in this position,” she said. “Now, I feel more passionately about it, obviously. But I’ve always thought it was fun. I love the game and I’m really passionate about volleyball.”
Schultz took over a Pheasants program that won just six matches last season. The Pheasants have already surpassed that mark this season with still a handful of matches to go in the regular season.
“It’s been good,” Schultz said. “I’ve been enjoying it. Obviously, like any coach, there’s your ups and your downs. You have days when you feel like you’re doing all the right things and days when you question, “Am I doing the right things?’ ”
Schultz noted that both the players and the game itself have adapted over the 10 years or so that she has been coaching.
“The girls are different, the game is different,” she said. There’s just a lot of changes.”
Having played and found success at some of the highest levels, Schultz said there’s a level of excitement around the game of volleyball now that hasn’t always existed, but understands the need to temper her own inner competitiveness at times.
Schultz recalled a recent conversation with her assistant coach, former Southwest Minnesota State volleyball player Jessica Levtzow and Redfield wrestling coach, former South Dakota State, Northern State and Webster standout Kelby Hawkins.
“We have to remember that we come from very intense backgrounds, and we are very competitive people,” she said. “And I’ll just speak for myself here, I’m a pretty competitive person. I’m a quiet competitive, so sometimes it might not seem like I am, but I am a very, quietly competitive person. I’m very intense when it comes to the game of volleyball, and passionate about it. I have to remember to tone it down a little bit. Some of these girls are just getting into volleyball and some are just learning to love it and some are trying to remember why they love it.”
Still, having the likes of Sioux Falls native Bergen Reilly playing at Nebraska can do wonders for how even smaller school players view the game.
“It’s powerful, because these girls can learn a lot by just watching, and they can be excited about it,” Schultz said. “They can ask questions, and can see how intense those girls are, and I think it’s nothing but great.”
While Schultz has only held the reins of the Pheasant program for less than a season, she is encouraged about the direction the program is headed.
“I’ve been pleased,” she said. “I think we’ve made a lot of improvements.”
And while there are more improvements to make, the pieces are there and the stage is set to make those.
“When they believe in themselves and have more confidence in the team as a whole, and just get used to winning, then it will stick,” Schultz said.
Redfield is set to host three straight matches to close out the regular season starting Friday when Groton rolls into town. Wolsey-Wessington will arrive the following Monday (Oct. 27), followed by Tiospa Zina on that Tuesday (Oct. 28).
