Photo by Jake McNeill The 2024 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton volleyball team includes (front row, left to right) Brezlyn Buchert, Makenna Hesse, Taya Christensen, Laken Baartman, Avery Schreurs, Brianna Pattison, (back row) Sara Thooft, Ava Guida, Ava Karbo, Adalia Matzner, Dilyn Werkman, Brynn Borresen, Dru Ellefson and Paisley Thooft. The team is coached by head coach Daynica Brown with assistant coaches Neil Witte and Ashlei Hoffmann.

TYLER — Coming off a historic run in which it claimed its first section and state championships, the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton volleyball team is filled with fresh faces looking to carve out their own identity in Knights lore.

“Having that experience of being there at the state tournament and being able to overcome obstacles that haven’t been overcome in the past allows these younger players that are going to come in to want it more,” RTR head coach Daynica Brown said. “They want to make a name for themselves, for the team, for RTR and just keep the RTR program being very, very strong. They have big goals and big dreams this year so they’re going after it and they’re battling.”

Last season, the Knights put together a 30-6 final record behind a deep lineup headlined by an all-star cast of seniors. Gabi Borresen, who will be playing volleyball for Dakota State University this year, was the Independent’s Player of the Year after putting together a versatile stat line of 1,026 assists, 306 digs and 75 kills on the season. She also finished her prep career with 2,184 assists for the Knights. 

In the front row, Abby Carr finished her career with 1,375 kills, 125 blocks and 632 digs for the Knights, including a team-leading 491 kills last season and 353 digs.

Ally Nelson logged 308 kills and a team-leading 85 blocks as an opposite side hitter last year. Camry Swanson also recorded 146  kills and 69 blocks for the Knights while Tatum Hess rotated between front and back row, logging 133 kills and 349 digs to rank third on the team.

Graduating five seniors with numbers like that can often take a toll on a program. Elite setters and spectacular hitters don’t just grow on trees. Still, Brown believes that this team has what it takes to reload and get right back to competing at the highest level.

“The names will change, but these girls play at a very high caliber. They’re not going to let [the level of play] down,” Brown said. “They’re pushing boundaries, they’re playing aggressively, they’re doing things at a higher level than last year’s team, so they’re ready.

“They weren’t the names in the paper last year, but a lot played and got experience throughout the year. And they were constantly practicing against that number one team in the state. So practicing against them [the starters], they played the best team in the state over 50 times, like every day… they’re excited and I expect it to be a great season for them.”

Brown isn’t alone in believing that this new group will find a way to win. The Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association tabbed the Knights fourth in the Class A preseason poll. They trail only No. 1 Mabel-Canton and No. 2 Mayer Lutheran, the latter of which they defeated 3-1 in last year’s state title match, and No. 3 Minneota, which they defeated in five sets to claim their first-ever section championship last season.

If that wasn’t enough local competition for the Knights, they also have No. 5 Canby and No. 9 Wabasso to compete with in Section 3A. They’ll also face other tough area teams such as last year’s other 3A South finalist, Heron Lake-Okabena-Fulda. Even with a young roster, however, the Knights aren’t backing down.

“They’re not scared,” Brown said of her observations of her team in their offseason scrimmages against quality competition both locally and as far away as Nebraska. “Normally when you have new people coming in, they’re nervous because they haven’t had that experience. But they’re playing like they have had that experience… It was nice to see them come in and just go after it and play very, very well. I expect big things. ”

While last year’s team was loaded with veteran hitters, this year’s experience comes in the back row. Avery Schreurs returns as the team’s libero, coming off a Class A All-Tournament selection after logging 68 digs in seven sets at the state tournament. Schreurs was also a Red Rock Conference First-Team selection last year, one of only three juniors to make the team.

“I think with all the younger players now and the five seniors leaving last year, there’s definitely a bigger role that I have to play, but all these girls have stepped up this year as well,” Schreurs said. “We’re working a lot in practice and trying to make the hitters realize that it doesn’t only have to be the defense, it has to be putting up a block and getting your hits down so not only the defense has to do it for the team. We’ve been to a lot of scrimmages this offseason and it’s been going really well, so I think that our team will come together just like we did last year.”

Laken Baartman also joins her as a defensive specialist after stepping up with 22 digs in the team’s final two state tournament games as a reserve. Baartman got a late start to the offseason after helping lead the RTR softball team to its first state tournament appearance with a state-leading 15 home runs on the season. Baartman said she took a couple of weeks off after the state tournament but, with her passion for volleyball matching that of her passion for softball, she got back to the gym quickly to get ready for the season.

“It was a great experience to have [going to RTR’s first state appearance in volleyball and softball], I’d say it definitely gives everyone confidence going into state tournaments,” Baartman said. “It’s a really cool experience and everyone wants to do it, so I feel like it boosts our spirits up to do that too.”

Dilyn Werkman leads the front row as the only primary starter from the state tournament returning up at the net. She leads returners with 101 kills and 43 blocks on the season. Brezlyn Buchert also played in every set of the state tournament while Sara Thooft and Adalia Matzner each also got playing time last year.

“There’s a lot of talent so they’re fighting and they’re pushing each other,” Brown said. “They may not, with the seniors out, have the consistency as much as the others, but they’re strong, aggressive, they go after it and there are lots of choices with them all. So with that, I feel that when you have a lot of athletes, they’re just going to push each other to be better.”

Brown said that she feels that this group has gotten more competitive with another year of experience under their belt at the varsity level. She added that their development will make it hard for her as a coach to figure out where players fit in the rotation, but that she feels good about the team’s depth of hitters and middle blockers. 

“We have a lot of right-side hitters that can fill those shoes,” Brown said. “They could have filled them last year, it’s just that they were seniors and did well, so you go with those who have done it in the past.”

In particular, Brown referenced Thooft stepping into the section championship game against Minneota and putting up four blocks and four kills when it mattered most.

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton will kick off its title defense with a non-conference game in Cottonwood against Lakeview at 7:15 p.m. They’ll host Minneota for their home opener on Aug. 27 and take on Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda for their Red Rock Conference opener on Sept. 10.