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LQPV banks on its size and strength
LQPV sophomore Jalyn Lee, left, gets the ball away from D-B's Alyssa Swedzinski for a steal during a Section 3A-North quarterfinal game on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023 at Montevideo. Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
After going 25-4 last season, the Eagles will have a new lineup
BY MICHAEL LYNE | West Central Tribune
MADISON — The Lac qui Parle Valley girls basketball team lost much of its core from a 2022-23 season which saw the Eagles have a dominating season in the Camden Conference.
LQPV had an 18-0 conference record and was 25-4 overall. The Eagles lost to Minneota, which made it to the Class A state tournament, in the Section 3A-North championship.
But with the loss of four senior starters, three of which were All-Camden Conference picks and the other an honorable mention, LQPV enters the 202324 with plenty of new faces.
LQPV losses are highlighted by All-Area First Team pick Taylor Shelstad and All-Area second team pick Camryn Lee, both of which were Class A All-State Honorable Mentions. The Eagles also graduated Rylee Lund and Ayanna Gipson.
“As we start the year, we are a very inexperienced group,” said Eagles head coach Dylan Erickson, who enters his fourth season as LQPV’s head coach and has a 59-17 record. “Each girl will be in a new situation and new roles. It will take us some time to find a rhythm together with many new faces out for basketball and playing alongside each other.”
LQPV’s sole returning starter is senior guard Isabel Gerdes. An All-Camden Conference pick, she tore her ACL late last season and is still in the recovery process.
“We don’t have a timetable for her return, but we are hopeful that she can return at some point for her senior season,” Erickson said.
Jalyn Lee is a player to watch for the Eagles. She is a 6-foot junior guard/ forward who is LQPV’s only returning player with some varsity experience. She came off the bench in the sixth-player role.
“We have a lot of size and length as a team,” Erickson said. “I am looking forward to using that to help us find some early success this year.”
