A trio of former Aberdeen Central volleyball teammates are in the midst of wrapping up breakout seasons at the collegiate level this year.

Hannah Keil, Grace Myrhe and Brooklyn Kusler are all 2021 graduates of Aberdeen Central, but went in separate directions to continue their volleyball careers. Keil landed at Concordia-Moorhead and Myhre joined her in the NCAA Div. III’s Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at St. Scholastica, while Kusler ended up at Southwest Minnesota State in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

And all three are coming into their own as college juniors.

Keil helped lead the Cobbers to the quarterfinals of the MIAC tournament and put up career-best numbers in nearly every statistical category. She registered 231 kills, 273 digs and 22 assists in 29 matches.

Those numbers put Keil just outside the top 25 in the conference in kills per set (2.14) and just outside the top 30 in digs per set (2.53).

Meanwhile, on the eastern front of the conference, Myhre has seen her role increase every season since joining the Saints. After playing in just nine matches as a sophomore, Myhre took over starting setter duties this season and racked up just shy of 500 assists on the year.

She finished eighth overall in the MIAC in assists per set and second in aces.

After starting five of 12 matches as a sophomore, Kusler also saw her role increase with the Mustangs, moving into a full-time starting role this season. In 26 starts – to date; the Mustangs earned a berth in the Central Region tournament – Kusler has racked up 199 kills, 67 digs, 47 blocks, 34 aces and 11 assists, all career bests.

SMSU coach Tyler Boddy said Kusler’s increased role and production are directly tied to her flexibility on the court.

“She trained on the outside,” Boddy said. “She did that for us last year, and she played right side as a freshman, so she has some flexibility on the court which is super helpful. She is athletic and likes to block, so she gets put in a lot of situations to help us there.”

Kusler’s season will continue this week when the Mustangs take on Nebraska-Kearney in the opening round of the Central Region tournament in St. Paul, Minn.