Bobcat volleyball feels positive despite dropping first two matches

BROOKINGS – The Brookings volleyball team began its season this week and the Bobcats suffered two close losses. However, for a younger team, it was a good sign for the Bobcats that they were really competitive in their first two matches.

Both matches this week were in Brookings. The Bobcats lost its season opener in four sets to Yankton on Tuesday. They lost the first set to the Gazelles 26-24 and dropped set two 25-23. The ‘Cats kept the match alive with a 25-22 win in set three, but then lost set four 25-22.

Brookings head coach Erinn Thomas said she felt like her team was right there in the first match of the season.

“It was a fun season opener,” Thomas said. “We had a great crowd. Played really well at times. We just struggled with some errors serving and attacking and that just caught up to us in a few sets.”

Brookings hit the floor again on Thursday and took Hamlin to five sets but ultimately lost to the Chargers. Hamlin is receiving votes in the media poll in Class A. The Chargers won the first set 25-20 and the Bobcats bounced back with a 25-21 win in set two. Hamlin would then win set three 25-21 but Brookings forced a fifth set with a 25-22 win in set four. The Chargers then took the match with a 15-10 win in set five.

Brookings has shown its youth in the first two matches of the season and it’s not surprising considering the Bobcats only have two seniors on the team. Thomas said having a younger team has been fun so far because they bring a lot of energy.

“They’re a younger group. We only have two seniors on the team, so lots of the younger girls are getting playing time, and the group has meshed together really well. They have lots of energy and are competitive. They’re really fun to have in the gym and coach, so I’m feeling positive,” Thomas said.

The Bobcats are coming off a season where they went 11-22. Brookings lost five seniors from last year's team, including Macy Even who was the leader of the team in 2025. The ‘Cats return four players from last year’s team that saw playing time.

Those four returners include junior middle hitter Avery Dentlinger, senior outside hitter Mia Mahlke, junior outside hitter Taylee Connot and sophomore libero Cora Eidem. Thomas noted those four players are going to be the ones she leans on this year.

She added that she thinks her team is going to be tough defensively and their passing looked good in the first week of the season.

“I think we’re going to have a pretty scrappy defense. We’ve had really good floor defense. Our passing out of serve receive has been good and has improved from years past. I think those two areas are what is standing out for me right now,” Thomas said.

The Bobcats will hit the road on Saturday and play in a tournament in Huron. There they will face some stiff competition as their opening match is against Northwestern who is ranked third in Class B. Brookings will then take on Groton Area before facing Chester who is the top-ranked team in Class B. The Bobcats will close out the tournament with a matchup against Douglas.

Thomas said she likes playing against teams from lower classes because it gives the Bobcats a different look and prepares them for the rest of the season.

“This weekend we’ll play Chester and Northwestern and then we’ll also play Dell Rapids [later],” Thomas said. “So those are some great matchups because we get a wide variety of skill and we have to adapt to what that looks like.

“... The Huron Tournament is nice to have in the beginning part of the season. We’re still working through lineups and rotations and what groups are performing the best together, so it’s a really great way to kind of work out some of those early questions right away.”

Last season, the Bobcats finished in 14th place in the 19-team Class AA. Finishing in the top 16, Brookings qualified for the SoDak 16, but the Bobcats were swept by three-seeded O’Gorman and their season came to an end.

Thomas said she wants her team to take it match by match, but the team’s goal is to get back to the SoDak 16 and have a chance to clinch a spot in the Class AA State Tournament.

“You know, each match and each week in practice, we write our previous stats up on the board, like passing stats for example,” Thomas said. “Our goal is to just get one percent better each day. So, they’re responding really well to that and it’s been fun to see them challenge themselves in the first few days of practice. 

“They want to improve their score each day, but then we also talk a lot about the postseason for AA volleyball. Our goal is always to host a SoDak 16 matchup and that would be our long term goal this season.”

Brookings will have a pair of road games next week, playing at Watertown on Sept. 3 and at Brandon Valley on Sept. 5. The Bobcats then play at Harrisburg on Sept. 8 and then will play in a tournament in Rapid City on Sept. 11 and 12. Brookings next home game is on Sept. 17 when the Bobcats host Dell Rapids at 6:30 p.m.