VALLEY CITY, N.D. — The semifinal round of the Region 1A Volleyball Tournament saw the top seed handle business and a major upset unfold, setting the stage for an exciting championship and state play-in showdown on Thursday night.
Semifinal #1: #1 Oak Grove def. #5 Northern Cass (25-16, 25-23, 25-16)
After nearly a week off, the Oak Grove Grovers showed no signs of rust as they came out firing against Northern Cass. All-State hopeful Alayna Foster-Devold got rolling early with a flurry of kills to help the Grovers seize control of the opening set.
However, Oak Grove’s best offensive rhythm came when Foster-Devold rotated off the court, as Rachel Christianson directed a massive Grover run that put the Jaguars away early in the first.
The second set proved to be a tighter contest, but stellar defensive play from libero Linden Broneske, combined with strong serving, helped Oak Grove withstand the Jaguars’ push to take a 2-0 lead.
In the third, the Grovers slammed the door shut. Northern Cass had no answer for Foster-Devold or the rest of Oak Grove’s front line, as the Grovers dominated at the net to close out a convincing straight-sets victory.
Semifinal #2: #3 Central Cass def. #2 Valley City (26-24, 11-25, 25-11, 23-25, 15-12)
In a roller-coaster match that kept both fan bases on edge, Central Cass pulled off a stunning upset over Valley City, avenging two earlier regular-season sweeps by the Hi-Liners.
Valley City struggled with unforced errors throughout the match, as nearly a third of Central Cass’s points came off aces or miscues, including net balls and service errors. Despite the rough patches, the Hi-Liners showed grit—rallying late in the fourth set to steal a 25-23 win and force a decisive fifth.
In the final frame, however, the Squirrels’ dynamic duo of Aspyn Prien and Isabelle Thompson proved to be too much, combining for multiple key kills down the stretch to lift Central Cass to a thrilling 15-12 fifth-set win and a trip to the Region 1A Championship.
Thursday, November 13 — Championship Night Schedule
Third Place Match (Winner Advances to State Play-In Round @ University of Jamestown)
#2 Valley City vs. #5 Northern Cass — 5:30 PM
Region 1A Championship (Winner Advances to State Tournament; Loser to State Play-In Round @ University of Jamestown)
#1 Oak Grove vs. #3 Central Cass — 20 minutes after Third Place Match
Both matches can be heard on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC, 106.1 FM Thunder Country, and online at NewsDakota.com.