Harrisburg Girls Volleyball, a young, athletic team, has started their season strong, playing various schools including Yankton, Brandon Valley, Tea, Huron, Dakota Valley, O’Gorman, and more. They are standing and competing with a reasonable record of eight wins and four losses. With the high level of competition that the high school AA season and bracket creates, the volleyball team is expected to face some challenges. Ronette Costain, who is the head volleyball coach, states, “We are young, so this team has great potential. Nonetheless, the players have to learn to accept their roles and positions as well as compete daily for the better of the team!” Some players believe that the main challenge of this season is a change in what and who the team consists of; however, other players believe that opposing high school teams are just as strong and talented when it comes to competing. Because having a relatively young team can be a challenge, the opportunity for new ideas and goals becomes greater. Some goals that Costain has for her team and this season are to see the girls compete as well as possible and to come together as a team. Abby Meister, a senior captain on the team, explained that her aspirations for this season are as follows: “My goal this year is to win a state championship! I think this team has so much potential, and we are going to grow throughout the season. Once all the pieces are together, we can accomplish anything.” At the Huron game on Thursday, September 16th, Abby broke the previous 2003 school record of 38 digs in a match with her 40 digs that night.
Although it is just the first half of the season, excitement and energy are rising at all levels throughout the team. When interviewed, Chelsea Wessel, a sophomore volleyball player, explains that not only is she most looking forward to getting to play and spend time with some of her closest friends, but also, she is excited to see her team succeed. Meister answered that she is incredibly excited to play with her younger sister, a freshman on the JV and Varsity, as she has dreamed of it for years. Having played volleyball since elementary, both players find that the Harrisburg Girls’ Volleyball team gives them the opportunity to continue their volleyball journeys and promotes the love of the game. Coach Costain shared this advice to young players: “Work hard for what you want. If it doesn’t come right away, you have a choice... make excuses and blame others or get back to work and earn it!” Training with confidence and resilience, the volleyball team still has a lot of challenging schools to face for the rest of the season; nevertheless, they have been preparing every day and are expecting to go far. Check the HHS website for match dates and times.