Third Place Game: #2 Valley City def. #5 Northern Cass (25-13, 25-18, 25-22)

The Valley City Hi-Liners came out firing in the third-place match, overpowering Northern Cass with a balanced offensive onslaught to take the opening set in dominant fashion. Kadie Kocka, Dacota Potratz, Skye Nielson, and Katie Burchill all contributed to the early barrage of kills, helping Valley City cruise to a 25-13 first-set win.

Set two proved more competitive, as Valley City held a slim 18-16 advantage late in the frame. But Kocka took control down the stretch, fueling a 6-0 run that pushed the Hi-Liners to set point before closing out a 25-18 victory.

The Jaguars looked poised to go quietly in the third after falling behind 18-9, but they rallied with a spirited push to tie the set at 22-22, threatening to extend their season by forcing a fourth. However, a timely tip-shot kill by Nora Pederson swung momentum back to Valley City, and Northern Cass never regained the serve as the Hi-Liners secured the match with a 25-22 finish.

With the win, Valley City advances to face Carrington in the Class A State Qualifier at the University of Jamestown on Saturday, November 15th at 3:00 PM.

Championship: #3 Central Cass def. #1 Oak Grove (26-24, 20-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-10)

The Central Cass Squirrels stunned the Region 1A bracket by knocking off top-seeded Oak Grove in a dramatic five-set championship match, earning a spot in the Class A State Tournament.

Central Cass set the tone early by surviving a pair of Oak Grove set points before rattling off a 3-0 run to steal the opening frame 26-24. The powerful tandem of Aspyn Prien and Isabelle Thompson once again carried the offensive load for the Squirrels, matching the firepower of Oak Grove standout Alayna Foster-Devold.

The Grovers struck back in the next two sets behind Foster-Devold’s dominant play at the net, as she finished the night with 22 kills, helping Oak Grove claim 25-20 and 25-22 wins to take a 2–1 match lead.

But with their backs against the wall in set four, the Squirrels surged. Once Foster-Devold rotated to the back row and then the bench as part of Oak Grove’s normal substitution pattern, the Grovers struggled to generate consistent offense. Central Cass capitalized, applying relentless defensive pressure and pulling away for a 25-18 win to force a decisive fifth set.

In the final frame, the teams traded blows early, splitting the first 20 points evenly at 10-10. But Central Cass slammed the door with a decisive 5-0 run, powered by the finishing ability of Thompson and Prien and the steady serving of Kirra Gunufson. The run sealed the Squirrels’ victory and punched their ticket to the State Tournament in Bismarck, while Oak Grove falls into the State Play-In round, where they’ll face the Thompson Tommies.