Blackjacks lean on experience as they look to improve

DAWSON -- Returning the bulk of their roster from last season, the Dawson-Boyd volleyball team looks to take steps in the right direction in 2026.

The Blackjacks went 2-22 last season, falling in the play-in round of the Section 3A tournament. Still, the team's abundance of returning experience gives it the opportunity to set the stepping stones to build for the future.

Middle blocker Rylan Plessner was the lone senior last year that the team lost to graduation, though they will also be missing defensive specialist Kylar Hjelmeland for the season due to a knee injury. The Blackjacks are a much more veteran team this time around, however, with four seniors on the roster.

Dawson-Boyd's experience playing with each other gives the team a strong sense of knowing what they like to run on the court and has led to good defensive communication, head coach Hailey Gritmacker said. Gritmacker added that the team brings a high-risk, high-reward mentality to the service stripe with aggressive serves, and that the team's consistent communication on defense is among its primary strengths.

Despite the loss of Plessner at middle blocker, the team has plenty of depth in the front row. Chief among the returners is senior outside hitter Kadyn Perkins, who was named to the Independent All-Area team as an honorable mention last season. Blackjacks lean on experience as they look to improve

Perkins was a big part of the team last year, and the Blackjacks plan on relying on her once again to step up again with a role in both the front and back row, Gritmacker said. Lilly Lee and Stella Roth will also be key contributors in the front row, with Lee bringing a high vertical to the front row and Roth capitalizing on her tall stature at 5-foot-11.

Setting up the middle blockers and hitters, Emma Stotesbery will be taking on a big role at setter for the Blackjacks. As an eighth grader, Stotesbery came up to varsity halfway through the season and played three rotations. This time around, she's set to play the full six.

The Blackjacks also return experience in the defensive back row, namely Kate Gruwell and Hattie Kemen. The two split the libero role last season, putting up similar stats, and Gruwell will enter the season as the primary libero this season. Claire Stratmoen is also back as a defensive specialist.

For this year's squad, the focus is just to keep putting their noses to the grindstone and get better every day, Gritmacker said. While wins have been hard to come by in the ultra-competitive Camden Conference, the group is looking to come in and play hard against the strong competition it faces while still having fun.

The Blackjacks open the season with three straight road games, kicked off by a 3-0 loss to Montevideo on Thursday. They'll host Renville County West for their home opener on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7:15 p.m.