CALEDONIA — The Caledonia High School girls basketball program enjoyed a very long run of success when coached by Scott Sorenson.
Before resigning at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Sorenson’s teams won 434 games, six MSHSL section championships and a Class AA state title in 2009. The Warriors were also state runner-up once and consolation champion once.
That’s a hard act to follow, but Josh Diersen determined that he was up for the challenge.
Diersen, who coached Caledonia’s boys basketball program to a 267-80 record from 2005-2017, is officially the choice to take over the girls team after Sorenson’s departure.
“I have volunteered the last three years, and my daughter has been around the program, and that’s been fun,” Diersen said. “I just want to keep it going the way it’s been going.”
Diersen began by trying to plan his team’s summer activities in a time that is much different than the last one he experienced as a coach.
Those workouts and camps are where Diersen will teach his preferred style of play.
“We want to play fast on both the defensive and offensive ends,” said Diersen, who graduated from Caledonia, helped the Warriors win a boys state championship as a guard in 1997 and coached them to three state tournaments. “We are going to build off the success that Scott’s teams had.”
One thing Diersen will have to do is prepare his few returning players for much bigger roles.
Jessica Stendel, who will be a 6-foot-2 post, and Ashlyn Reinhart, a 5-6 guard, averaged 7.7 and 5.8 points per game, respectively, last season and are the top returning scorers from a team that was 22-7 and advanced to the Section 1AA semifinals. If the Warriors are to embark on another winning season , those numbers will have to increase significantly.
“Ashlyn is back, and you can build off of having an experienced point guard,” Diersen said. “We might have to be a little more post-oriented with Jessica and run more through her, and that’s something I’m excited about.”
Bayla King, who will be a junior, is another player Diersen will lean on as pieces together the new balance of experience and youth.
