There will be a new face on the bench for the Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots’ volleyball team this season. It’s a new face, but a familiar name.
That name is Dylan Gehrke. Gehrke is no stranger to the H-BC school district.
Gehrke graduated from H-BC High School in 2014. He recently graduated from Dakota State University in December of 2019. He’s been the boys’ freshman basketball coach for three years and is now entering a new chapter in his H-BC novel.
This year will mark his first season of coaching girls’ volleyball at HBC.
“It was a pretty awesome feeling when I got the job,” Gehrke said. “I’ve been a part of the H-BC community for a long time. I coach boys’ basketball and I’m involved in the flag football league in the community.”
It’s his first year coaching volleyball, and he’s excited to learn more about the game. Gehrke said that his sister Megan Gehrke has been helping him learn the ropes.
“My sister Megan has helped me and the other coaches out. She played volleyball and it’s been great learning from her and the girls on the team.”
The Patriots will have plenty of experience returning from last year’s team. A large group of seniors will help lead the Patriots under the guidance of Gehrke.
‘We will have ten seniors on this year’s team,” Gehrke said. “Three or four of them saw some quality varsity time last season. They bring a lot from a leadership standpoint. Just the way they practice and go about their business. They bring a lot of intensity to practice. It’s going to be great for the younger girls to see them at practice.”
The Patriots have a handful of girls that stand 6’1” or taller. Gehrke said the team’s length and athleticism will be their calling cards this season.
“We have some girls that are 6’1”,” Gehrke said. “We have a lot of length and quickness. Our mentality is we don’t want the ball to hit the floor without somebody diving for it. We want to be a scrappy team.”
With 10 seniors on the roster, Gehrke expects his team to have a deep rotation this season.
“We have a lot of girls that could see playing time,” Gehrke said. “We will be cycling girls in and out. It may be one of those things where if you are playing well that night you are going to see plenty of playing time.”
This season is going to be uncharted territory for the H-BC volleyball team. Gehrke said the fact that they’ll be able to play already makes this season a successful one for his program. Gehrke told his team that they are going to build memories that will last a lifetime this season.
“Finally being able to start to play,” Gehrke said. “The games are going to look weird. We won’t be able to huddle. I think just being together is going to make this year a successful one. The bus rides will be special. Just having those memories. I told the girls that this is something that you’ll never forget.”