Volleyball fans and girls' tennis fans should be smiling in 2016 as there will be several good teams to hit the courts this fall.
The Madison volleyball team should be solid. They have a couple of juniors who have started since they were freshmen; they will be counted on to lead a team comprised of several juniors with some seniors in the lineup.
Madison should put together another winning season.
In the Class B ranks, there are three very solid teams in the area that should win more games than they lose. Chester, the defending State B champion, will need everyone to contribute for the Lady Flyers to stay on top in the Class B ranks.
The Oldham-Ramona-Rutland Lady Flyers could be the surprise of Class B this season. They have several seniors returning to the lineup. These seniors have been together for a long time and are ready to show the state how good they can be.
Howard had great success in track and field this spring, and that should carry over to the volleyball court this fall. They should have enough pieces of the puzzle to be very competitive all season long.
Colman-Egan will have some veteran players back on the court, but they will have an extremely tough schedule. They should be able to surprise a few teams along the way and make things interesting.
The only tennis team is the Madison Lady Bulldogs. They have two seniors with several young players looking for respect. The Lady Bulldogs should be able to be a top 10 team at the State Tennis Meet as they have enough players to turn the tables.
ABOUT LARRY LEEDS
Larry Leeds was born and raised in South Dakota, graduating from Colman High School in 1974. He continued his education at USD/Springfield and Dakota State University and received a bachelor's degree in physical education and history in 1979. He later obtained a journalism degree from South Dakota State University.
Before coming to Madison, Leeds worked at weekly papers in Flandreau, St. James, Minn., Redfield and Hayti (Hamlin County Publishing with Castlewood and Estelline).
He has a passion for all sports, especially high school sports and amateur baseball, because these teams are filled with players who want to be playing the game.
His favorite teams are the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Twins and Timberwolves, and New York Yankees.
Leeds is also a NASCAR fan whose favorite drivers are Dave Blaney and his son Ryan.
