JAMESTOWN, N.D. — The Valley City Hi-Liners upset No. 2 Carrington (25–21, 25–18, 12–25, 25–20) on Saturday in the State Qualifier to punch their ticket to the Class A State Volleyball Tournament in Bismarck.
The opening set saw Valley City build early momentum behind senior Kadie Kocka, who established immediate dominance at the net. Defensively, Kinlee Sufficool and Brynn Lueck anchored the back row, while Katie Burchill and Dacota Potratz patrolled the front, denying Carrington any chance to string together a significant run. Morgan Larson served the Hi-Liners to set point, and the defense forced a four-hit violation to close out the 25–21 win.
The defensive intensity only increased in set two as Valley City repeatedly stonewalled the Cardinals at the net. Late in the frame, Potratz took over, recording several key blocks and kills, while Skye Nielson delivered the final blow to secure a 25–18 victory—putting the Hi-Liners one set away from a trip to state.
But momentum flipped sharply in the third set. A combination of strong serving from Carrington and a flurry of Valley City miscues allowed the Cardinals to run away with the frame. Kodi Thiel was the catalyst behind Carrington’s surge, using deep, aggressive serves to keep the Hi-Liners off balance and out of system. When the dust settled, Carrington had cruised to a 25–12 win.
The fourth set proved to be a tightly contested battle, with neither side leading by more than three points through the early stages. Valley City finally created separation late, sparked by Layni Bakalar at the service line and a well-rounded front-row attack from Nielson, Potratz, Burchill, and Nora Pederson, stretching the advantage to 21–15. But Carrington had one last push in them, as Thiel once again served her team back into contention, trimming the lead to just one.
A timely kill returned the serve to Valley City, and Nielson ultimately ended it—driving home a kill from the outside to clinch the 25–20 win and send the Hi-Liners to the state tournament.
Class A State Tournament – Bismarck Event Center
Opening Day: Thursday, November 20
Game 1: No. 2 May-Port CG vs. No. 7 Des Lacs-Burlington — 9:00 AM
Game 2: No. 3 Central Cass vs. No. 6 Dickinson Trinity — 1:00 PM
Game 3: No. 1 South Prairie-Max vs. No. 8 Hazen — 3:00 PM
Game 4: No. 4 Valley City vs. No. 5 Thompson — 7:00 PM
All Valley City State Tournament games will air on 1490 AM / 96.3 FM KOVC and NewsDakota.com.