4+ hour, 10+ min ago (1432+ words) BISMARCK " The first year of North Dakota sanctioning three classifications of volleyball is officially in the books after the state tournament concluded last weekend in Bismarck. So how did it go? "I think we were pretty excited for the first year," said Kevin Morast, assistant director for the North Dakota High School Activities Association who oversees volleyball. "We had basketball as the trial to be able to look at it and say, "OK, let's try to fix what we had wrong with basketball.' The NDHSAA board approved a three-class volleyball plan in September 2023 and finalized the move last year. The approved plan mimics the move to three-class basketball, which enters its third season in 2025-26. Sixty percent of support from the NDHSAA's member schools was required to move forward with a three-class volleyball plan.The association first sanctioned the sport in…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (1480+ words) BISMARCK " Fargo North's seven seniors walked to the middle of the Civic Memorial Auditorium court together. They accepted the state championship trophy together. They held it high above their heads together." It was a poignant end to a perfect season." North beat Grand Forks Red River 15-5, 15-8, 9-15, 15-4 Saturday to win the North Dakota Class A high school volleyball title, the school's fifth state championship. Those were the first few words inked in the Sunday, Feb. 20, 2000 edition of The Forum sports section the morning after the Fargo North volleyball team capped one of the most dominant volleyball seasons in state history. The team finished the 1999-00 campaign with nary a blemish, compiling a 35-0 record and dropping just two sets all season long. "It was such a fun experience with these girls," said Sara (Larson) Halverson, who played middle for North and was named…...

5+ day, 15+ hour ago (304+ words) FARGO " Mason West will be returning to Fargo to play with the Force of the USHL this season, Fargo coach Brett Skinner said Monday. "He's coming," Skinner said. "We don't know the date. He's all set as far as everything goes." West is an exceptional two-sport athlete who on Friday led Edina to the Minnesota Class 6A high school football championship against Moorhead. The 6-foot-6, 218-pound West was drafted in the first round last summer by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL Entry Draft. West played 10 games with the Force last spring after Moorhead beat Edina 4-3 in the state high school semifinals, a game in which West had a natural hat trick in the first period. After putting up 49 points with the Hornets last season, West had a goal and eight assists with Fargo. Since then, West has become a national…...

1+ week, 6+ hour ago (438+ words) BISMARCK " Junior Peyton Saxlund looked halfway confused as she spun around the hardwood Saturday night. It took a moment for Saxlund to realize that her kill had solidified a West Fargo Sheyenne volleyball state championship. "I didn't even realize it was game point," Saxlund said. When reality sunk in, Saxlund hustled over to an already forming tsunami of Mustangs. Sheyenne defeated Fargo Davies 3-2 in the North Dakota Division AA volleyball state tournament championship late Saturday at Bismarck Event Center. The win marked the third state title for the Mustangs " and Saxlund. Saxlund was a member of Sheyenne's first state title team in 2022 as an eighth grader. The third time around felt just as good. "I want to keep going," said Saxlund, who was named to the all-tournament team. "It's not over yet." Saxlund paced the Mustangs with 19 kills. She finished…...

1+ week, 12+ hour ago (284+ words) BISMARCK " For the third time in four years, the West Fargo Sheyenne volleyball team are state champions. The Mustangs survived an Eagles reverse sweep to earn a 3-2 (25-17, 25-20, 27-29, 22-25, 15-10) win in the North Dakota Division AA state championship match at the Bismarck Event Center Saturday. "This is a really special group of girls," Sheyenne head coach Leah Newton said in a postgame interview. "I'm proud of them. We've been battling and improving all year and we asked the girls to step up in all areas. And I'm just really proud of how balanced we are and how much everybody contributed." Sheyenne junior hitter Peyton Saxlund put down the final kill to give the Mustangs their third championship in program history. Sheyenne previously won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. "One of our challenges this year was to finish," Newton said. "We got a couple…...

1+ week, 13+ hour ago (680+ words) BISMARCK " In the fifth set of Saturday afternoon's North Dakota Division B state championship at the Bismarck Event Center, Hilary Haaven brought down a kill that set top-seeded Langdon Area-Munich's players and fans ablaze. The star freshman calmly trotted to her roaring teammates and offered encouragement, no clear emotion on her face. Never mind the fact that it was her third consecutive kill, and had forced second-seeded Medina-Pingree-Buchanan to take a timeout. Or that the Cardinals, once down 2-0, had stormed back with two straight set wins and were now in firm control of momentum in the fifth. Haaven has been there, done that. As has Langdon Area-Munich. The Cardinals closed out the fifth set to defeat the Thunder 3-2 (17-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-12), winning their second-straight state championship. "Reverse sweeps are always an awesome thing to watch, so it's exciting that it happened in the…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (594+ words) BISMARCK " An anxious energy filled the Bismarck Event Center on Friday night. The West Fargo Sheyenne faithful rose to its feet and the Mustangs student section fidgeted nervously. Bismarck Century served. The ball was dug up and sent over to Mustangs outside hitter Olivia Bratton near the left antenna. Bratton's swing trickled over the net. A quick look to the official was followed by a swarm of Sheyenne bodies converging near the center of the court. The Mustangs knocked off West Region No. 1 Century 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-23) in the North Dakota Division 2A volleyball state tournament semifinals on Friday at Bismarck Event Center. "We came in believing in ourselves," said Mustangs middle blocker Reilly Bryant. "Us making it to the championship, and having our revenge game from last year's state championship, felt so good with the team." Century topped the Mustangs 3-1 in the state…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (154+ words) BISMARCK " No. 2 seed May-Port-CG rolled to a 25-20, 25-18, 25-18 victory against Central Cass on Friday in the North Dakota Division 1A volleyball state semifinals at the Bismarck Event Center. In the other 1A semifinal, Valley City scored a 25-15, 23-25, 25-8, 25-22 victory vs. No. 1 seed South Prairie-Max. In Division B, Medina-Pingree-Buchanan swept Minot Our Redeemer's by scores of 25-23, 25-22, 25-19 in the semifinals. No. 1 seed Langdon Area-Munich won 26-24, 16-25, 25-11, 21-25, 15-3 in the other B semifinal. West Fargo Sheyenne scored a 20-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-23 victory against Bismarck Century to make the Division 2A state title game. West Fargo vs. Fargo Davies are the other 2A semifinal. Below are scenes from Friday's state semifinals (check back at Inforum.com for updates):...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (242+ words) WEST FARGO " It's an athlete's dream to practice basketball and volleyball without the hassle of sharing an open gym. Not only did a West Fargo father make that dream a reality for his own children, but he also created a space for current and future Packer athletes. Four years ago, Casey Glandt and his friends turned a storage locker into the Packer Lab. "You go to the wellness or any other open gym, and, you know, you got balls knocking your ball out, and you got distractions, and people might be playing five-on-five. It's great to have a dedicated place for them to call their own too," Casey said. The enclosed space started with a basketball hoop but has since added a volleyball net as more Packer student-athletes joined. The walls are covered with West Fargo memorabilia. Donations included old…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (404+ words) NORTH DAKOTA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS ABORTION BAN BISMARCK " There was a brief pause as Medina-Pingree-Buchanan watched the ball sail towards the game operations tables. When the ball finally hit the floor, the Thunder exploded in celebration. The second-seeded Thunder swept No. 6 Minot Our Redeemer's 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-19) in the North Dakota Division B volleyball state tournament semifinals on Friday, Nov. 21, at Bismarck Event Center. MPB advanced to the Division B championship game for the first time in program history. "I'm really proud of every single person on my team," said Thunder outside hitter Brynn Sorenson. "It really shows our determination throughout the year." The Thunder play the winner of No. 1 Langdon Area-Munich and No. 4 Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Bismarck Event Center. "It's a dream come true," said MPB head coach Jacie Connell. "We worked so hard to get here." The Thunder took…...