BISMARCK (NewsDakota)- Someday soon, the Valley City Hi-Liners will look back with fond memories of the 2025 volleyball season, and rightfully so, but on Saturday, the final smiles belonged to May-Port CG.

The Patriots ended a 23-year title drought with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 16-25, 25-19) win over Valley City to win the Class A State Championship in the first year of three-class volleyball on Saturday night inside the Bismarck Event Center.

The first set saw junior Paetyn Strand immediately make an impact by getting two kills and a block on the first three points of the match.  From there, the Patriots (32-7-1) steadily controlled the set in taking their seventh consecutive set to begin the weekend.  An eighth would soon follow as Strand was joined in fantastic hitting by Abby Sand and Kiaza Carlson as May-Port CG took a two sets to none lead.

But Valley City (22-10) responded in the third set as Kadie Kocka registered seven of her match-high 24 kills in a set that was never close as the Hi-Liners stayed alive.  But in the fourth, an immediate 6-1 run for the eventual champs set the tone and Valley City could not come closer than three points at any stage of the set as May-Port CG celebrated their first title since the winter season in 2002.

Kocka, Brynn Leuck and Kinlee Sufficool were named to the all-tournament team for Valley City.