When the Freeman High School girls volleyball team stepped foot on the Class B volleyball court at the Sanford Premier Center late Thursday morning, they did so as the No. 8 seed. A little more than 48 hours later, early Saturday afternoon, the Flyers walked off the same court in the same arena in the same position — eighth.

Twenty-five: That’s the number of kills posted by Northwestern standout Ella Haven. Four: That’s the number of aces the senior had.

In February of 1998, when South Dakota high school volleyball was still played in the winter and sets were played to 15 in a best-of-three format, No. 8-seed Freeman High School knocked off No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian in the opening round of the Class B state tournament. 

Parents, family and fans are invited to pep rally/sendoff for the state-bound Freeman Public volleyball team at 9:30 a.m. at the high school gym Wednesday, Nov. 16. The Flyers will then leave for Sioux Falls from the school’s parking lot at 9:45 a.m., via an escort from the Freeman Volunteer Fire Department.

Click here for a look at what was a thrilling night for the Freeman volleyball team. 

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER It was the summer of 1976 — Ron Baker’s first year playing amateur baseball in Freeman. The Scotland native had spent the previous seven seasons playing for his hometown team and helped lead the Highlanders to a Class B state championship the summer before.

For Freeman High School seniors Kate Miller and Erin Uecker, their high school volleyball careers aren’t over quite yet. No, they’ve got a trip to Sioux Falls to make first.

Ron Baker and the late Warren Scherschlight, both of whom have ties to Freeman baseball, will be inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Hall of Fame during a banquet scheduled for Saturday night, Nov. 5 at Beseda Hall in Tabor. A social hour starts at 5:30 p.m. and a roast beef dinner and induction ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling 605-661-4889.

The Freeman High School girls are going to their fifth SoDak 16 in a row. Playing in the third and final round of the Region 4B Volleyball Tournament, the top-seed Flyers bumped, set and killed their way past the competition, ousting fourth-seed Scotland 25-12, 25-20, 25-19 at home.

Flyers advance; Wolves eliminated Freeman Public, the top seed in Region 4B, played like it en route to a relatively easy three-set win over No. 8 Irene-Wakonda in Freeman Tuesday night, Nov. 1. The Flyers took down the upset-minded Eagles 25-19, 25-11, 25-12 behind 15 Kate Miller kills, 34 Cami Fransen set assists, 15 Ashlin Jacobsen digs, a pair of Erin Uecker blocks and four aces from Emily Mendel and Zenovia Butler. The Flyers will host No. 4 Scotland Thursday night, Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m.