Tea Area volleyball opens season with road loss to Harrisburg

The Tea Area High School volleyball team opened its 2026 season on the road Thursday, Aug. 27, facing a tough test against perennial Class AA power Harrisburg.

The Tigers, ranked among the top teams nationally and seeking another state championship, controlled the match from the opening serve, defeating the Titans 3-0.

Harrisburg took the first set 25-5 before winning the second set 25-9. The Tigers completed the sweep with a 25-13 victory in the third set.

Despite the difficult matchup, the season opener provided Tea Area with an opportunity to gain valuable experience against one of the state’s top programs. The Titans were led by head coach Cari Hanssen, with Polly Gill, Carson Quigley, Hunter Meet, and Abigail Marts serving as assistant coaches.

Tea Area’s starting lineup included Andrea Russell, Kendal Waltner, Remington Berchard, Avery Franzen, Miah Thorstenson, Chloe Christensen and libero Abby Boom.

Harrisburg’s Joselyn Samuels was recognized during the match for reaching a major career milestone, recording her 3,000th career assist.

Harrisburg was ranked No. 1 in the South Dakota media poll and was coming off an 87-match winning streak against in-state opponents.

The Titans hosted West Central on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Photos will be featured in next week’s Tea Weekly. 

Tea Area was scheduled to travel to Pierre on Sept. 3 for a 6:30 p.m. match-up and will be at Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Tuesday, Sept. 8. They will be home again on Sept. 10 when they take on O’Gorman.