The South Dakota State Jackrabbit volleyball team looks a little different compared to last year’s squad, but still seeks to make waves in the Summit League.
While the coaching staff remained intact, the team needed to replace six roster spots, as players graduated, used up their last year of eligibility, or entered the transfer portal. They have reloaded and added six new freshmen and a transfer.
“Seven out of our fifteen (players) are new,” head coach Dan Georgalas said. “You could look at us and maybe think we are inexperienced, but the caliber of recruits that we’re attracting tells a different story.”
While there is a huge turnover on the roster, the incoming freshman class is one of the most decorated recruiting classes in recent years at South Dakota State. Seven state championships across volleyball and track, one USA Volleyball National Championship and MVP Honor, one AAU National Championship, and an AAU All-American all coming from this class.
The six freshmen that will be joining the team this fall are Rylee Martin (#5), Mckenna Moehrle (#6), Stella Winterfield (#7), Sylvie Zgonc (#10), Joslyn Richardson (#17), and Brogan Beck (#20). They will also add Sydni Schetnan (#11), a redshirt sophomore transfer from Louisville.
Coach Georgalas returns for his fourth year at South Dakota State and has led the team to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time at the division-one level. In 2021, the team finished with a 19-12 record, while going 10-8 in the Summit League, and last year finishing with an 18-15 record, going 11-7 in the Summit League. Coach Georgalas hopes to showcase a different looking Jackrabbit team than in years past.
“This is the biggest team we’ve had,” Georgalas said. “We’ve always kind of been a bit of a smaller team who got a lot out of its front row players with athleticism, you’re going to see a much more physical and bigger presence in the front row for us.”
While the Jackrabbits lost a lot of veteran leadership from last season, one name stands out as the lone returning senior for her fifth season with the Jacks. Akeela Jefferson, a 5’10” outside hitter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who suffered a season-ending injury early in the 2022 season, is back for her fifth year. Having been with the team since 2019, Jefferson will provide the veteran leadership this season, as the Jackrabbits have a much younger team than the 2022 campaign.
Due to the renovations of Frost Arena, the Jackrabbits will have to wait to play their home-opener as they will spend over a month on the road, where they will play four non-conference tournaments and two Summit League matches.
The Jackrabbits will start their season playing at the Rumble in the Rockies Tournament hosted by the University of Wyoming. They will play two matches on Friday, August 25, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. against Green Bay and Winthrop. They will then play on Saturday, August 26, at 7 p.m. against Wyoming.
The Jackrabbit’s home-opener is on Thursday, September 28, at 7 p.m. against Denver.
