FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes. Its ironic that the East Region Program had the wrong coach listed for Valley City, thus the wrong coach was announced before the game and the wrong coach was quoted in a story. That coach was the coach when Valley City went to state the last time in 2017. The real head coach Mattie Cruff, was an assistant on that team.

Saturday, Valley City rallied from down two sets to one to take the last two and win the state qualifying game 3-2 over West Fargo. The Hi-Liners won 15-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-20, 15-12 to advance to the state tournament next week in Fargo.

The first set was all West Fargo as the Packers jumped out to a 12-5 start on the way to a 25-15 win.

In set two, senior Macy Olstad had seven kills and an ace leading the Hi-Liners to a 25-23 win. Valley City used a 6-1 run to end the set, including the last four points.

In the third set, the Packers used a 6-0run to open up a 8-3 lead.Valley City would get to within 9-7, but the Packers pulled away for the 25-18 win.

With their backs up against the wall, the Hi-Liners able to dig deep and come back in the fourth set. Jumping out to a 12-5 start. But West Fargo went on a 7-0 run to tie the set at 15. The two would tie again at 16. But the Hi-Liners would end the set on a 9-4 run, including the last two for the 25-20 win.

That momentum would carry over to the fifth and deciding set. A side out on a attack error gave the Hi-Liners the 5-4 lead in the fifth set on the way to a 15-12 win.

Macy Olstad paced the Hi-Liners with 17 kills, Cali Halgrimson had 15, Lindsey Noeske and Peyton Pederson had six each and Jayden Dieterle added four. Dylann Diegel had a team high 19 assists and Natalie Lemnus added 17 assists.

Erin Binstock lead the Packers with 15 kills. Nadia Chwialkowski, Halle Erickson, McKenna Becher and Maddie McKinnon all had eight kills for West Fargo.

With the win, the Hi-Liners improve to 17-11 overall and will be the 4th seed from the East. West Fargo ends the season 23-11.

In the other state qualifying match, Fargo Shanley advanced with a straight set win over Grand Forks Red River. Fargo Davies won the East Region with a 3-0 win over West Fargo Sheyenne.

The opening round of the state tournament will be played Thursday, Nov. 21. Davies will enter the tournament as the No. 1 East seed and will play West fourth-seeded Mandan at 1 p.m. at the Fargodome, where all the state tournament matches will be played.

The second-seeded Mustangs face No. 3 West seed Bismarck High at 7 p.m. Third-seeded Shanley will play No. 2 West seed Jamestown at 3 p.m. No. 4 Valley City faces West No. 1 Bismarck Century at 5 p.m.