ND state class A volleyball tournament: South defeats Dickinson

MINOT, N.D. — Fargo South High School’s volleyball team is still proving that anything is possible.

After an improbable comeback last week in the Eastern Dakota Conference tourney saved the season, five players recorded double-digit kills to help the Bruins to a 28-26, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20 victory against Dickinson in Thursday’s first round of the North Dakota Class A state tournament at the Minot State Dome.

“We know we can get through anything now after the huge upset against West Fargo (in the EDC tourney),” said Michelle Westby, whose team came back from a 22-13 deficit in the fourth set to claim a five-set win against the Packers. “We were able to pull through. We knew if we could get through that we could do anything right now. So, a couple points isn’t anything to get through.”

GFRR 3, Minot 0

The pressure is on for the Grand Forks Red River High School volleyball team. So far, it hasn’t been a problem.

Sophomore Hadley Steffen had 14 kills to lead the defending champion Roughriders to a 25-18, 25-21, 25-23 victory against Minot during Thursday’s first round of the North Dakota Class A state tournament at the Minot State Dome.

“We’ve got some pressure, but we can deal with it,” Steffen said. “It just makes us work harder.”

Red River set the tone by racing to an 11-5 lead in the first set. Minot appeared to be a step slow defending the Roughriders’ attack.

Steffen, senior standout Emily Asche and Annika Strand each played a role in keeping the Majettes on their heels throughout the match.

Bismarck 3, Fargo North 0

The Bismarck volleyball team focused on defense all week in practice. It showed Thursday against Fargo North.

The Demons shut down Fargo North with a solid block and standout back row play in a 25-18, 25-16, 26-24 victory in the first round of the North Dakota Class A state tournament at the Minot State Dome.

“We were just going in, self-disciplining ourselves on defense,” Bismarck senior outside hitter Anna Hruby said. “We were working hard for our defense tonight.”

Williston 3, Fargo Shanley 1

Williston senior Jaclyn Lee loves the fact that her volleyball team is considered scrappy.

It’s a term of endearment for a team that clawed its way to a No. 3 seed at the state tournament. And the Coyotes continued to earn their moniker on Thursday.

Lee finished with 16 kills as Williston scrapped to a 26-24, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23 win against Fargo Shanley during the first round of the North Dakota Class A state volleyball tournament at the Minot State Dome.

State Class A Volleyball Tournament

At Minot State Dome

First-round matches

Grand Forks Red River 3, Minot High 0

Minot 18 21 23

Red River 25 25 25

Minot — Kills: Holly Johnson 9, Jayd Eggert 6, Teresa Vetter 5, Alexandra Bolinske 3, Morgan Milbrath 2, Katelyn Larson 1; Assists: Larson 22; Aces: Johnson 2, Emily Bengson 2, Larson 1, Vetter 1; Blocks: Bolinske 5, Vetter 2, Eggert 1; Digs: Jamie Vander Vorste 17, Milbrath 12, Johnson 7, Larson 7, Eggert 6, Bengson 5, Vetter 5.

GFRR — Kills: Hadley Steffan 14, Emily Asche 13 Annika Strand 9, Kaitlyn Bollingberg 6, Kathrine Ronkowski 1; Assists: Amanda Christian 32, Bollingberg 5; Aces: Christian 3, Jasmine Robinson 2, Ronkowski 1, Heidi Asche , Strand 1; Blocks: Bollingberg 2, E. Asche 1, Strand 1, Shelby Bommersbach 1; Digs: Mikelle Fetsch 12, Robinson 7, Christian 6, H. Asche 6, Steffen 5.

Fargo South 3, Dickinson 1

Dickinson 26 20 25 20

South 28 25 22 25

Dickinson — Kills: Jessica Herauf 19, Madison Deibert 11, Tracy Nash 6, Leslie Beaudoin 5, Katie Fewson 4; Assists: Kara Froelich 41, Melissa Sipma 2, Hewson 1; Aces: Hewson 1; Blocks: Hewson 3, Beaudoin 2; Digs: Deibert 28, Herauf 28, Molly Miller 15, Froelich 14, Sipma 14.

South — Kills: Raquel Wellentin 13, Claire Bramel 11, Michelle Westby 10, Bridget Kruger 10, Meghan Roehrich 10, Addison Duval 2, Allison Fisher 1; Assists: Haley Boisjolie 26, Duval 19; Aces: Westby 5, Boisjolie 1, Duval 1, Kruger 1, Wellentin 1, Roehrich 1; Blocks: Wellentin 6, Bramel 5; Digs: Fisher 35, Kruger 33, Westby 19, Boisjolie 11, Wellentin 10.

Bismarck 3, Fargo North 0

Bismarck 25 25 26

Fargo North 18 16 24

Bismarck — Kills: Anna Hruby 14, Naomi Rust 10, Alek Haugen 4, Josette Glatt 4, Katie Weigel 4, Erin Haugen 2; Assists: E. Haugen 32, Hruby 2; Aces: Hruby 2, Kelsey Schafer 1, Weigel 1; Blocks: Hruby 2, Alek Haugen 1, Glatt 1, Rust 1, Weigel 1; Digs: Hruby 17, Schafer 15, Marissa Gieszler 11, A. Haugen 11, E. Haugen 7, Weigel 3, Rust 2.

Fargo North —Kills: Keli Johnson 12, Kira Larson 12, Mia Lopez 4, Maren McGurran 3, Destinee Thortensen 1; Assists: Danielle Brewer 17, Johnson 8, Kristina Rindy 1, Lopez 1; Aces: Rindy 1; Blocks: Larson 4, Johnson 2; Digs: Hope Marty 24, Johnson 15, Dordan Daly 11, Larson 10, McGurran 5, Lopez 5, Rindy 3, Thorstensen 3, Taylor Preston 3, McKenzie Cody 1, Brewer 1.

Williston 3, Fargo Shanley 1

Williston 26 22 26 25

Fargo Shanley 24 25 24 23

Williston — Kills: Jaclyn Lee 16, Danielle Clark 12, Brooke Vedaa 7, Meagan Wenstad 5, Jaden Lynch 5, Victoria Douglas 3; Assists: Lynch 35, Cassandra Thomas 1, Victoria Douglas 1; Aces: Wenstad 3, Alissa Groth 1, Thomas 1, Clarke 1, Vedaa 1, Lynch 1, Lee 1; Blocks: Lee 4, Lynch 2, Vedaa 2, Clarke 2; Digs: Wenstad 17, Clarke 16, Lee 15, Lynch 12, Thomas 11, Groth 8, Vedaa 3, Josten Bratcher 3, Douglas 1.

Fargo Shanley — Kills: Hillary Rotunda 22, Kaitlyn Carlson 19, Kelsey Kanwischer 7Rachel Weir 5, Bethany Sandy 4; Assists: Ashley Vetter 49, Carlson 2, Kanwischer 2, Weir 1, Sandy 1; Aces: Rotunda 2, Weir 2, Sandy 1, Vetter 1, Carlson 1; Blocks: Weir 3, Rotunda 2, Carlson 2; Digs: Kanwischer 19, Weir 17, Sandy 13, Carlson 9, Vetter 6, Rotunda 5, Abby Brenner 1.

Tags: class a, sports, volleyball