PARK RAPIDS – It took some time for the Park Rapids volleyball team to click as a unit.

With the entire team taking on new roles, the Panthers opened the season with a 2-16 record. Park Rapids played its best volleyball down the stretch, finishing the regular season with a 4-5 mark for a 6-22 overall record.

“Overall, I felt the season was a success despite the win-loss record,” said Park Rapids head coach Alicia Dennis. “We faced a tough schedule in a strong conference, and given the circumstances, the team’s growth and effort were significant.”

Having to replace five starters from last season while having three regulars see varsity minutes for the first time resulted in six losses to open the season. After dropping a five-setter to Nevis (25-23, 25-23, 25-27, 22-25, 15-10), the Panthers were swept by Park Christian (25-13, 25-22, 25-9), Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (25-17, 25-18, 25-7), Wadena-Deer Creek (25-19, 25-10, 25-21) and Breckenridge (25-23, 25-14, 25-11).

After a loss to Lake Park-Audubon (25-16, 16-25, 3-1) to open the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Invitational, Park Rapids defeated Warroad (25-14, 25-21) before dropping matches to Blackduck (25-22, 25-21), Sacred Heart (25-13, 25-13) and Menahga (22-25, 25-20, 15-9) for a 1-4 record in the tournament.

Losses to Sebeka (25-19, 25-18, 22-25, 32-30) and Pelican Rapids (25-21, 24-26, 25-18, 25-18) followed before the Panthers swept Menahga (25-20, 25-19, 25-15). A five-match losing streak followed, beginning with losses to Frazee (25-23, 25-14, 25-15), Hawley (25-15, 25-18, 25-23) and Thief River Falls (19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-21).

At the Perham Invitational, the Panthers opened with losses to Henning (25-20, 26-24) and Kittson County Central (25-13, 25-12) before closing with wins over Staples-Motley (25-19, 17-25, 15-8) and Underwood (25-22, 25-11).

After another win over Staples-Motley (23-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13), the Panthers dropped matches to Perham (25-17, 25-19, 25-22) and Barnesville (25-18, 25-12, 25-22) before opening the Fergus Falls Blocktoberfest Invitational with a loss to Fergus Falls (25-13, 25-21). Park Rapids followed a win over Lake of the Woods (25-8, 25-11) with losses to Detroit Lakes (22-25, 25-16, 18-16) and Hillcrest Lutheran Academy (25-14, 25-19) to close out that tournament and the regular season.

Park Rapids tied Pelican Rapids and Staples-Motley for last place in the HOL standings at 1-7. Hawley won the conference title with an 8-0 record with D-G-F (7-1), Perham (6-2), Frazee (4-4), Barnesville (4-4) and Breckenridge (4-4) following. Hawley defeated W-DC for the section title and went on to repeat as the state Class AA champions.

Going 2-8 against Section 8AA teams gave Park Rapids the No. 11 seed for the section tournament. No. 6 Wadena-Deer Creek ended the Panthers season with a sweep (25-13, 25-9, 25-21) in the first round.

Vance Carlson / Enterprise

In 27 matches (stats from the Menahga match at the W-H-A Invitational were not available), the Panthers served 143 aces with 139 service errors and had 726 kills with 514 attack errors while making 183 errors on serve receive. The opposition had 818 kills with 403 hitting mistakes and 182 service aces with 127 service errors while making 143 errors on serve receive.

Leading the Panthers this season were seniors Maggie Huber, Macey Jalbert, Natalie Weiss and Allie Michaelson; juniors Anna Rickbeil and Adrienne Cook; sophomore Olivia Budzien; and freshmen Ryann Hagen and Mckenzie Brady-Baso.

Huber led the team with 315 set assists and was third with 228 digs and 20 blocks. Huber put 294 of 301 serves in play with 22 aces and had 133 kills in 27 matches.

Jalbert posted a team high in kills with 180, tied for second with 32 ace serves, and was second with 232 digs and 160 set assists while adding 22 blocks. Jalbert put 206 of 231 serves in play in 27 matches.

Michaelson was the team leader with 26 blocks while finishing second with 155 kills. Michaelson put 72 of 80 serves in play with 10 aces and had 79 digs in 27 matches.

In 27 matches, Weiss contributed 58 kills, 17 ace serves and 124 digs while putting 170 of 180 serves in play.

Rickbeil, who was the starting libero last season, shared the team lead with 82 ace serves while putting 184 of 209 serves in play. Rickbeil also had 53 kills and 169 digs in 27 matches.

Cook also played in all 27 matches and went 196 for 203 in serves with 18 aces while chipping in 85 kills and 145 digs.

Contributed / Caulfield Studio

Hagen led the Panthers with 239 digs and put 161 of 186 serves in play in 27 matches. Brady-Baso was second with 23 blocks and had 32 kills and 26 digs in 25 matches. Budzien pounded down 21 kills and had 21 blocks in 22 matches.

Sophomores Maddison Shepherd (three matches); freshmen Ella Carroll (four matches), Kenzie Strasburg (seven matches) and Clara Kimball (seven matches); and eighth grader Harper Fogarty (one match) also saw some varsity time.

Huber was named to the all-conference team while Jalbert received all-conference honorable mention honors. Huber, Jalbert and Michaelson received all-state academic honors as the team received an all-state Gold Award. Team awards went to Huber (Panther of the Year), Jalbert (Iron Heart Award), Weiss (Paragon Award), Cook (Most Valuable Teammate), Michaelson (Cornerstone Award) and Hagen (Rising Star Award).

The Panthers will look to replace the four seniors in hopes of improving in the conference and section standings next season.

“With nearly every player stepping into a new role or varsity position for the first time, the improvement from the start of the season to the end was clear,” said Dennis. “The season was also defined by a group of seniors who understood the expectations, showed up ready to work, held themselves accountable, and helped spark a meaningful culture shift. I am grateful for their leadership and the foundation they helped build. This is a young team with talent and grit, and many players are beginning to realize they want more and are motivated for next season.”

The Moore League made itself at home at the LBCC Sand Courts, with three of the league’s teams competing for a CIF-SS title last May.

First up, it was Long Beach Poly taking on Canyon for the Division 3 title, and the Jackrabbits trailed 2-1, putting their backs against the wall in the remaining two matches. After getting the match tied, it all came down to Simone Millsap and Alyssa Luna’s result on Court 4.

The Jackrabbit duo survived multiple match points with everyone looking on and surrounding their court, eventually pulling out a 17-15 win to claim the gold plaque.

“When you have your people cheering you on it is easy to feel motivated and secure,” said Luna.

In the next match, Wilson and Millikan rematched for the third time for the Division 2 title, with the Bruins battling their way to a 3-2 victory and a CIF crown.

After the teams split the first two results, Wilson won on Court 1 thanks to Moore League pairs champions Simrin Adams and Sadie Calderone, who rebounded after losing their opening set.

The match was decided on Court 4, where the Wilson duo of Iyla Alvarado and Jane Morrison won their third set, 15-11, to improve to 14-0 on the season and start the Bruins’ championship celebration.

“It was just, who has the better mentality?” Alvarado said. “Whoever has the better mentality is gonna win, so it was all about keeping our head up.”

The last time two Moore League schools faced off for a CIF title was back on Feb. 29, 2008, when Long Beach Poly’s girls’ basketball team defeated Millikan at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach.

Former Wisconsin volleyball outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres announced her commitment to Creighton University on Sunday.

The news arrives over a week after Shadd-Ceres announced her decision to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 19. She becomes the third former Badger to announce her commitment elsewhere, joining setter Addy Horner (TCU) and libero/defensive specialist Maile Chan (FSU).

Shadd-Ceres showcased her skill set during Wisconsin’s recent run to the Final Four, with three kills in the team’s regional triumph over Texas and another kill in its Final Four loss to Kentucky. In total, she tallied 12 kills in 16 appearances.

Chan, who committed to FSU on Sunday, appeared in 16 matches during the 2025 slate. Her opportunities were limited, considering her position behind star Charlie Fuerbringer on the depth chart. Horner, meanwhile, notched 19 kills in 71 sets as a freshman.

The University of Virginia’s College at Wise located in the beautiful mountains of southwestern Virginia is seeking applicants for a Head Volleyball Coach.

Head Coaches oversee all aspects of a sports program and assume primary responsibility for all activities of a team. They are responsible for the same duties as Assistant Coaches, however, they operate with additional authority, independence, or level of complexity. Head Coaches ensure the sports program strategy and objectives are in alignment with the mission and goals of the Department of Athletics and University. They adhere to the rules and regulations outlined by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the South Atlantic Conference (SAC).

Construct a strategic recruiting plan that targets student athletes who are academically eligible and athletically competitive.

Hire, train, and supervise a small or large staff team.

Define team and player goals and implement plans to achieve them.

Monitor expenses, analyze cost projections and trends, identify resource allocation, and maintain a balanced and accurate budget.

Maintain detailed and current knowledge on all NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference (SAC), and College/University rules and regulations related to the sports program, ensuring all those associated with the program remain compliant.

In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

UVA Wise is an equal opportunity employer committed to excellence, affordable access, and unwavering support of a collaborative and diverse community.  Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Employee fulfills duties as a “responsible employee” under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  A Responsible employee includes any employee:  who has the authority to take action to redress sexual violence; who has been given the duty of reporting incidents of sexual violence or any other misconduct by students to the Title IX Coordinator or other appropriate school designee; or whom a student could reasonably believe has this authority or duty.

UVA Wise is committed to helping the campus community provide for their own safety and security.  The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report containing information on campus security and personal safety, including alerts, fire safety, crime prevention tips, and crime statistics is available at www.uvawise.edu/ASR.  A copy is available upon request by calling 276-328-0190 or 276-376-3451.

About University of Virginia’s College at Wise

A member of the prestigious Council for Public Liberal Arts Colleges, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise is an inspiring place to teach, lead, learn and call home. With a student faculty ratio of 13:1 and approximately 2,000 students, UVA Wise is committed to excellence in teaching, personalized attention, and individual growth, as well as to the advancement of our region through economic development.

The only division of the University of Virginia located outside of Charlottesville, UVA Wise has a beautiful campus that is nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia. Here, students learn from faculty who are encouraged to engage in scholarship and service that complements their teaching, and our environment is ideal for the task. In addition to Appalachian arts and culture, on-campus wetlands and impressive geography, and a region full of opportunities for study and outdoor adventure, there are many opportunities to build partnerships with organizations, agencies, and businesses in the area and beyond. Professional staff and a dedicated senior leadership team are driven by the vital mission of ensuring access and affordability to this robust, quality hig…her education. The College’s student population is largely first-generation, often rural students, for whom we offer access and affordability along with challenging academic work in the liberal arts tradition. The result is well-rounded graduates who earn fulfilling work at leading organizations and pursue graduate study at prestigious universities.

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