HURON, S.D. — The Spearfish Lady Spartans opened the 2026 volleyball season against some of South Dakota’s top competition Saturday at the Huron Invitational, dropping four matches but showing flashes of promise throughout the tournament.
Spearfish fell to Chester, Dell Rapids, Huron and Mitchell, finishing the day 0-4 while gaining valuable early-season experience against several state contenders.
The Spartans’ closest match came against host Huron, where Spearfish pushed both sets before falling 25-22 and 25-21. Julia Billington led the effort with eight kills and a .312 hitting percentage as the Spartans finished with 23 kills, 33 digs, 22 assists and three service aces.
Spearfish opened the tournament against defending powerhouse Chester, falling 25-16 and 25-12. The Flyers were led by Jacy Wolf, who recorded 10 kills and seven digs. Taylor Burry paced Spearfish with a .500 hitting percentage and three kills, while Addison Keller added four kills. Chester finished with a 26-12 advantage in kills and held a 43-28 edge in digs.
In the second match, Spearfish took on undefeated Dell Rapids and dropped a 25-15, 25-18 decision. Billington led the Spartans with five kills, while Burry added three kills and a .429 hitting percentage. Dell Rapids was powered by Madelynn Henry’s 11 kills and Alaina Wolff’s nine digs and two aces. The Quarriers finished with 26 kills compared to Spearfish’s 10.
The Spartans closed tournament play against Mitchell, falling 25-20 and 25-14. Despite the loss, Spearfish nearly matched the Kernels statistically with 18 kills to Mitchell’s 19. Billington again led the Spartans with eight kills, while Keller contributed four kills and posted a team-best .444 hitting percentage. Mitchell freshman Nia Talley was the difference-maker, finishing with nine kills, five aces, four digs and a block.
Billington emerged as Spearfish’s most consistent offensive threat throughout the tournament. She totaled 21 kills over the final three matches, including back-to-back eight-kill performances against Huron and Mitchell. Keller also contributed offensively with eight kills over the Chester and Mitchell matches, while Burry posted efficient hitting percentages in two contests.
As a team, Spearfish showed strong defensive effort, recording 28 digs against Chester, 27 against Dell Rapids, 33 against Huron and 26 against Mitchell. The Spartans also remained competitive at the net, totaling four blocks across the four matches.
Despite the 0-4 finish, Spearfish demonstrated improvement as the tournament progressed, playing its most competitive volleyball against Huron and staying close statistically against Mitchell. The Lady Spartans will look to build on those performances as they head to Hill City on Tuesday. That match will be broadcasted live on KDSJ 980 AM, 103.5 FM, kdsj980.com, and streaming on KDSJ-TV on YouTube, and KDSJ Radio’s Facebook Live.
