MHSA approves host sites for state volleyball

It won’t be just the Class A football teams that put in the miles; volleyball squads are in for the long haul as well.

Sidney was approved as the host site for the State A volleyball tournament, according to an announcement from the Montana HIgh School Association on Wednesday.

Sidney, which sits just west of the North Dakota border, is 543 miles from Columbia Falls, which boasts an unbeaten team. That’s heading into the Western A Divisional, a higher-seed-hosts tourney that began in earnest with some play-in matches on Wednesday.

There was talk of Lewistown, a more centrally-located Class A town, would host the tournament– but was turned down for the Eastern Divisional, according to montanasports.com’s Richie Melby.

The top four teams out of the Eastern and Western divisions qualifies for State, Nov. 12-14.

The State B tournament is set for Shelby and the State C will be in Malta.

In years past Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman had housed all four classifications for all-class state tournament.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the change in postseason format. In October the MHSA approved an updated spectator policy for postseason events:

Up to six tickets per uniformed volleyball player; up to four for each alternate player or manager; up to two for each member of the coaching staff; and up to two for each cheerleader with a limit of a dozen cheerleaders.

Western A Divisional

Single-elimination

4 teams qualify for State A

Wednesday

Play-ins

Ronan 3, Libby 0, loser out

Whitefish (3), bye

Hamilton 3, Dillon 2, loser out

Butte Central 3, Stevensville 1, loser out

Thursday

Whitefish at Frenchtown

Highest remaining Southwest team at Polson

Lowest remaining Southwest team at Columbia Falls

Lowest remaining Northwest team at Corvallis