The final hurdle has arrived for volleyball teams on their road to next week’s state tournament at The Monument in Rapid City.
For the winners of Tuesday’s Class A and Class B SoDak 16 matches, a trip to the big show awaits. For the others, it will be time to put the uniforms away and start thinking about basketball.
Here is a capsule look at each SoDak 16 match involving regional teams:
CLASS A
13 Aberdeen Roncalli (18-11) vs. 4 Clark-Willow Lake (24-1), 7 p.m., Watertown
While these two teams are in different regions, they do play a similar schedule since both are members of the Northeast Conference. Clark-Willow Lake swept Roncalli late in the season.
The Cyclones also beat Groton, which Roncalli lost to. Both CWL and the Cavaliers lost to Hamlin.
Roncalli dropped a set in its region semifinal match, but stormed back to win the final three.
11 West Central (22-8) vs. 6 Hamlin (20-4), 7 p.m., Madison
On paper this could be an interesting matchup.
The two teams faced two common foes and had the same result. Both defeated Flandreau and both lost to Dell Rapids.
Hamlin lost its first two matches to start the second then won 20 of its last 22 matches entering this contest. The Chargers will be looking for a return trip to the state tournament, where they finished fourth last season.
10 Rapid City Christian (28-11) vs. 7 Groton (25-5), 5:30 p.m., Fort Pierre
Teams from opposite ends of the state will meet in the middle of the state for this one.
Groton’s only trip to the state tournament took place in 2019. Rapid City Christian has been at state three times since 2018, and finished runner-up in 2023.
The teams played one common opponent. Both defeated Mobridge-Pollock.
9 St. Thomas More (28-9) vs. 8 Miller (23-7), 7 p.m., Murdo
While these two teams have not played yet this season, they do share a few things in common. Both defeated Dupree and Hot Springs, and both enter this contest having won 10 straight matches.
Miller has played in six of the last eight state tournaments, including the last three. St. Thomas More hasn’t been to the state tourney since 2011. STM does own wins over solid Class AA foes Mitchell and Spearfish.
CLASS B
15 Castlewood (20-10) vs. 2 Northwestern (34-2), 7 p.m., Redfield
Northwestern will be favored in this matchup between teams which have had plenty of recent volleyball success.
Northwestern, which has not lost to a Class B team this season, has played in 22 state tournaments, most recently in 2022. Castlewood has competed in the last three state tournaments.
The Wildcats defeated Castlewood in a tournament during the season. They also defeated Groton, which the Warriors lost to.
14 Colman-Egan (22-6) vs. 3 Warner (30-6), 7 p.m., Huron
This is an intriguing matchup between two programs that have a solid volleyball pedigree.
Both came out of strong regions that included some of the state’s best teams.
Warner has played in the past five state championship matches, winning two of them, including one over Colman-Egan in 2021.
Colman-Egan has played in the last five state tournaments, so the Hawks are no strangers to the big stage.
13 Ipswich (23-6) vs. 4 Parkston (29-6), 5:30 p.m., Huron
Things could get interesting here before this one is settled.
Parkston has been to just one state tournament since 2007. Ipswich’s only trip took place in 2000.
Both teams lost to Warner and Miller.
Parkston played a schedule full of Class A teams and has some quality wins including Mount Vernon-Plankinton, Wagner, Winner, Platte-Geddes as well as Class B power Burke.
Ipswich started out the season 8-1, and has played some of the state’s best Class B foes this season.
11 Herreid-Selby (25-6) vs. 6 Burke (29-6), 7 p.m., Fort Pierre
Burke has lost to only to a pair of Class B teams this season, twice to Gayville-Volin.
Both Burke and Herreid-Selby Area lost to Warner this fall.
Burke has played in the last four state tournaments, finishing third the past two seasons. The Wolverines were last in the state tourney in 2017 after falling just short in the SoDak 16 in recent years.
10 Wolsey-Wessington (26-5) vs. 7 Harding County (27-3), 6 p.m., Timber Lake
Harding County has been to numerous state tournaments, although the last one was in 2017. Wolsey-Wessington has been in two of the last three state tourneys, finishing third two years ago.
The Ranchers have won 14 of their 15 last matches.
Wolsey-Wessington has won 11 of its last 12 matches.
Both teams own a win over Highmore-Harrold this season.
