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DELL RAPIDS, S.D. — Former Pipestone Area Schools head volleyball coach Carrie Smith continues coaching the sport she loves.
The Dell Rapids school board officially approved Smith as a high school assistant at its July meeting.
Smith also will serve the Dell Rapids district as an elementary school special education teacher. She receives a stipend for coaching volleyball.
“I wanted a change of pace,” said Smith, who had spent the previous decade plus working for the Brookings school district, in a Friday, Aug. 29, telephone conversation with the Pipestone County Star.
“I’m a small-town girl,” added Smith, who played for Ruthton before its merger with Russell-Tyler to form RTR. “It’s in my blood.”
So far this season, the Quarriers are 5-1 with victories over Elkton-Lake Benton, West Central (Hartford, S.D.) and three wins in the Huron Round Robin over Mitchell, Spearfish and Brandon Valley. Watertown delivered Dell Rapids its lone defeat (25-16, 24-26, 27-25).
Carrie Smith was the one time head volleyball coach for Pipestone Area Schools. The Dell Rapids (S.D.) school district recently hired Smith as assistant coach for the Quarriers. (Contributed photo)
Dell Rapids’ smaller school environment will mean a more manageable caseload for Smith.
Erica Fersdahl, who also has Pipestone area roots, serves as the Quarriers head coach. Chloe Peter also is an assistant on staff.
Smith works primarily with the front-row players. Fersdahl and Peter split their time with the setters, libero and other defensive specialists, Smith explained.
A former outside hitter and left-side specialist for both Ruthton and RTR, Smith said it’s only natural to coach the postitions she played.
“I love coaching the hitters,” Smith said. “It’s about footwork, and a choreographed dance. It’s the beauty of power.”
Hitters must have satisfactory body awareness, and get down their timing when working with setters and other players on the court.
Smith has two of the best hitters in the area to work with.
Senior 6-foot-1 middle hitter Peyton Hohn — one of three Quarrier captains — has announced her commitment to the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Just a junior, 6-foot Madelynn Henry already has pledged to play for the University of Oregon, which recently transitioned into the Big Ten Conference.
Dell Rapids has plenty of other talented hitters that have been part of recent success, including last year’s Class A state championship. The Quarriers downed Dakota Valley in four sets at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls on Nov. 23, 2024.
“I feel it’s a great honor to be part of the program,” Smith said. “Erica (Fersdahl) runs a tight ship. The girls are committed and focused, and have high goals. They want to repeat (as state champions).”
The matches don’t get any easier this week, at Elk Point-Jefferson (Sept. 2), Sioux Falls Christian (Thursday, Sept. 4) and Baltic (coached by former PAS athlete Kacie Weatherly on Monday, Sept. 8).
Dell Rapids players are quite committed to the sport; Smith explained many of them also compete for the Kairos program based in Sioux Falls.
Dell Rapids has consistently been one of the powerhouses in South Dakota scholastic volleyball. (Contributed graphic from the school district)
Smith made sure to mention she still holds the benchmark for kills in a match at RTR, with 35 of them versus Granite Falls in the 1980s.
She was a multiple-time all-section and all-area (Marshall Independent) player.
She graduated from RTR in 1989, and then competed for South Dakota State University for two seasons back when the Jackrabbits played in NCAA Division II’s Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
“I was always Darren’s little sister,” said Smith, who grew up in an athletic family with brothers Darren Baartman and Brian Baartman, of her time at SDSU.
After two years in Brookings, Smith transferred to Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall — playing basketball for one season. She graduated from SMSU in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education.
The Pipestone Area school district hired Smith in 1995, and she served as many coaching roles in volleyball through 2013. Todd Texley replaced her as head volleyball coach.
Additionally while at PAS, Smith was a health and physical education teacher, the school’s wellness coordinator and coached freshman girls basketball.
Smith had the opportunity to work with several former Arrows in Jamie Claussen (Boise State University), Erin Lorenzen (University of Minnesota), Shelly Hennager (Augustana) and Larissa Veldhuizen (Dordt).
Since the mid-2010s in Brookings, Smith transitioned into becoming a special education teacher and she coached at Mickelson Middle School. She is still a member of the City of Brookings disability awareness committee and a manager for Hillcrest Pool.
Smith is married to husband Ken Smith and the couple has three children (Darian, Quinn and Jett).