The Dell Rapids Quarrier volleyball team returned home from the 2025 South Dakota State A Tournament in Rapid City with a second place finish. The Quarriers earned wins in the first two rounds on Thursday, November 20th and Friday, November 21st, but lost a tough match in the championship on Saturday, November 22nd.
Dell Rapids 3, Rapid City Christian 0 (25-20, 25-19, 26-24)
The #2 seeded Quarriers opened the state tournament against #7 Rapid City Christian. Dell Rapids opened the match with a slim 4-2 lead. The Comets went on a 4-0 run to take a 6-4 advantage and then extended it to 11-5. Dell Rapids rallied to tie the score 12-12 and then went ahead 18-15. The Comets got within a point, 19-18, but Dell Rapids pulled away 23-19 before winning the first set 25-20.
The second set started with a 5-3 Dell Rapids lead. Rapid City Christian tied the score 7-7, and the two teams were tied again 12-12. Dell Rapids was able to get a 17-14 lead and continued to lead by three at 20-17. The Quarriers were able to take the second set 25-19.
Dell Rapids grabbed the momentum early in the third set with a 5-1 run to start. They were able to push the lead to 13-8. The Quarriers stayed in front at 16-13, 18-15, and 22-20. The Comets were able to tie the score 23-23. Rapid City Christian would then go in front 24-23, but Dell Rapids rallied for three straight points to win the set, and match, 26-24.
Madelynn Henry had 21 kills, 10 digs, and three ace serves. Sylea Sykes had six kills, nine digs, and two blocks. Peyton Hohn added five kills and a block. Elin Schoenhard and Tenley Anderson each had four kills. Anderson also had 32 set assists and seven digs. Alaina Wolff had eight digs, and Karlie Ingalls had three kills and two ace serves.
Dell Rapids 3, Sioux Falls Christian 1 (25-14, 24-26, 25-22, 25-19)
The Quarriers met a familiar foe in the semifinals on Friday, the #3 seeded Sioux Falls Christian Chargers. Dell Rapids took a 4-3 lead to start the first set. They extended the lead to 8-4. The Chargers got the lead down to one point, 12-11. The Quarriers then went on a 4-0 run to extend the lead to 16-11. The run continued as Dell Rapids finished the set on a 9-3 spurt for the win. The Chargers started the second set with a 6-3 lead. Dell Rapids counted with a 5-1 run to go in front 8-7. Sioux Falls Christian was able to retake the lead 16-14. They continued to lead by two at 22-20. Dell Rapids tied the score 23-23. The two teams traded points and were tied again 24-24. The Chargers finished the second set with two straight points for a 26-24 victory.
Sioux Falls Christian took an early 4-2 lead in the third set. Dell Rapids went on a 3-0 run to go in front 5-4. The Chargers went back in front 11-10 and added another point to the lead at 16-14. They stayed in front 18-16, but Dell Rapids then went on a 4-1 run to go back in front 20-19. Sioux Falls Christian scored the next three points for a 22-20 lead. The Quarriers tied the score 22-22 and then continued their run with three straight points for a 25-22 win. The fourth set started with a 2-2 tie. Dell Rapids grabbed a 6-4 advantage and was able to extend it to 12-5. The Chargers went on a run and cut the lead down to one, 14-13. Dell Rapids was able to rally and push their lead to 19-14. That run kept them in front the rest of the match as they took a 25-19 win to advance to the championship match.
Henry had 29 kills, 15 digs, and six ace serves. Sykes added 11 kills and 10 digs. Hohn finished with eight kills, four blocks, and two digs. Schoenhard had four kills, four digs, and two blocks. Anderson tallied 41 set assists and 11 digs. Wolff had 14 digs and seven set assists.
Dakota Valley 3, Dell Rapids 1 (24-26, 24-26, 26-24, 22-25)
The championship match on Saturday was a rematch between the Dakota Valley Panthers and the Quarriers. The first set started close. The two teams went back and forth to a 7-7 tie. Dell Rapids then went on a 5-0 run to take a 12-7 lead. They were able to push the lead to 21-14. The Quarriers looked to be headed towards an opening set win leading 24-17, but the Panthers rallied to tie the score 24-24 and then got the next two points for a 9-0 run and a 26-24 come-from-behind win. Dakota Valley carried the momentum into the start of the second set with a 4-1 run. Dell Rapids was able to regroup and rally to tie the set 10-10. The Quarriers then took the lead 15-13 and continued to lead 18-16. The Panthers would go on a 3-0 run for a 19-18 lead. The score would be tied 22-22 and 23-23. The Quarriers scored the next point for a 24-23 lead, but the Panthers ended the set with three straight points to steal another 26-24 win.
The Panthers jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead to start the third set. Dell Rapids was able to chip away at the lead and get the set tied 14-14. Dakota Valley would go back in front 18-17. The teams played close to a 22-22 tie. The Panthers scored the next two points to be at match point, 24-22. The Quarriers were able to rally tie the set 24-24 and then score the next two points for a 26-24 win and force a fourth set. The fourth set started with a 2-2 tie. Dakota Valley went in front 6-3, but the Quarriers went on a 4-0 run for a 7-6 lead. Dell Rapids was still leading 10-9 and then extended the lead to 13-11. The Panthers went on a 6-2 run to go back in front 17-15. They pushed the lead to 21-17. Dell Rapids was able to get within a point twice at 22-21 and 23-22, but the Panthers scored the final two points to win the championship 25-22.
Henry had 22 kills, eight digs, four blocks, and five ace serves. Sykes had 12 kills, eight digs, and two ace serves. Ingalls added five kills, three digs, three ace serves, and two blocks. Schoenhard had three kills, three blocks, and four digs. Anderson had 40 set assists, 14 digs, and two blocks. Wolff ended with 11 digs and three set assists.
Henry and Anderson were named to the All-Tournament Team.
