Meat Loaf once sang that two out of three ain't bad, a sentiment that all four local Class A high school volleyball teams could relate to on Friday.

Mandan, St. Mary's, Bismarck and Century each won two of their three matches on the opening day of the BHS-CHSInvitational.

Three teams - Dickinson, West Fargo and Grand Forks Red River - survived the first day unscathed. Both the Packers and Roughriders wrapped up the day by rallying to beat previously unbeaten teams - West Fargo downing BHS and Red River beating CHS. The West held a 16-11 edge overall.

After falling to last year's state runner-up West Fargo, the Braves came back with victories over Valley City and Wahpeton.

"We're just happy to come out today with a 2-1 record," Mandan coach Jackie Wandy said. "We knew this year was going to be a year we had to build and grow as the season goes. This was a good start for us."

Brittaney Zander had 12 kills and 13 digs for Mandan. Brittni Winkler had 11 kills and Breanna Levi 10.

Brittaney Zander played well for us. We knew she would be a leader. So she did well.

"We had our moments. We did some really good things."

St.Mary's was the most surprising local team to emerge with a winning record. After dropping three straight to Red River, the Saints rebounded with victories over Grand Forks Central and Fargo Shanley.

Janci Eisenbarth led the way for the Saints, recording 11 kills, 12 digs and three aces. Hana Mattern had eight kills and Laura Maddock tallied seven kills.

Bismarck, which had the toughest first-day schedule of any West Region team, beat Devils Lake and last year's state champion, Fargo South.

The Demons were in the driver's seat against West Fargo, taking the first game 25-22 and leading for much of the second. But the Packers suddenly seized control, ripping off 11 straight points to close out Game 2 (25-15), then rolling to a 15-4 victory in the third game.

"I think we're a pretty good passing team, but they made us look not so good," BHS coach Lisa Krom said. "And we couldn't stop their outside attack."

But even though the Demons didn't end their day on a high note, Krom liked what she saw in the first two matches.

Annie Assel had 16 kills and Twila Moser 13. Kaitlyn Sturlaugson had 52 digs.

"When I see us on the up, that's where you see the potential of where you're hoping we can be,"Krom said.

Century had a similar day, winning its first seven games - three straight against Fargo Shanley and Fargo North, then the first against Red River. But the Patriots couldn't hold off the Roughriders.

"I think we got caught in a complacent mode,"CHS coach Jeni Walsh said. "We played nine games in a row (without a break), and it's early season, and we made some mental mistakes. That's going to happen. That's the kind of stuff that by the end of the season you shore up."

But Century had more pluses than minuses. The Patriots had nice balance on their attack, getting 26 kills from Madi Buck, 24 from Carli Peterson and 23 from Tricia Sorensen.

"We came out of the gates real fast. We have a tall team, we have an athletic team and we have an experienced team.

"All in all, it was a good day."

The tournament continues today at Bismarck and Century HighSchools.

Friday's cumulative statistics

BISMARCK - Kills: Annie Assel 16, Twila Moser 13, Liz Assel 10, Kristen Hill 9. Blocks: Moser 4, Hill 3, L. Assel 3. Assists: KaSara Rudolph 49. Digs: Kaitlyn Sturlaugson 52, Rudolph 33, A. Assel 30. Aces: L. Assel 6, Sturlaugson 6, Moser 3.

CENTURY - Kills:Madi Buck 26, Carli Peterson 24, Tricia Sorensen 23. Assists:Hailee Walsh 83, Tricia Sorensen 6. Digs:Erika Jossart 36, Peterson 27, Buck 26, Walsh 24. Aces:Jossart 8, Buck 4, Walsh 4.

DEVILSLAKE - Kills: Mackenzie Wade 11, Ashley Sebelius 9. Assists: Kasi Eisenzimmer 24. Digs: Kayla Badinski 20, Alica Grenning 15, Steph Mertens 15. Aces: Wade 3, Mertens 2.

DICKINSON - Kills:Jess Herauf 27, Rebecca Johnson 18, Brigette Uttech 14. Blocks: Herauf 2, Saraya Wlk 2. Assists: Kara Froelich 37, Heather Barber 28. Digs: Justine Braunagle 39, Herauf 32, Rebecca Johnson 16. Aces: Herauf 8, Johnson 5.

FARGONORTH - Kills:Kelsey Larson 22, Angie Waller 21, Molly Goughnar 9, Kayla Berg 7. Assists: Kristen Cochran 58. Digs:Larson 18, Megan Schefter 15, Cochran 15, Waller 14. Aces:Cochran 4, Hope Marty 3, Schefter 2, Larson 2.

FARGOSHANLEY - Kills: Sammi Post 23, Jill Prososki 9, Hannah Sitzmann 6. Assists: Molly Jackson 123. Digs: Madalyn Laske 20, Jackson 15, Sitzmann 7. Aces: Naomi Beauclair 5, Laske 3.

FARGOSOUTH - Kills: Katie Lee 18, Sirri Burke 15, Abby Carlson 12. Blocks: Kate Goff 4, Rachel Dyle 4. Assists: Caitlyn Haring 37, Jill Bethke 17. Digs: Katie Lee 12.

GRANDFORKSCENTRAL - Kills: Lacey Peterson 19, Megan Hammer 14. Assists: Jessica Lembke 26. Digs: Joey Hansen 25. Aces: Hammer 7, Hansen 3.

GRANDFORKSREDRIVER - Kills: Megan Storstad 20, Jordyn Steffen 16, Emily Evers 14, Holly Asche 13. Assists:Rachel Black 35, Megan Stoley 26. Digs: Storstad 27, Steffen 15, Brooke Larson 12, Alexa Bateman 11. Aces: Black 5, Stoley 4, Storstad 3, Steffen 2.

JAMESTOWN - Kills: Amber Ramlo 19, Kara Nygaard 12, Morgan Dale 11. Assists: Kelsi Manley 32, Sam Weng 23. Digs: Kara Wahl 37, Nygaard 22, Louise Bohanny 20. Aces: Manley 3, Nygaard 2, Dale 2.

MANDAN - Kills:Brittaney Zander 12, Brittni Winkler 11, Breanna Levi 10, Ali Collins 8. Blocks: Winkler 4, Zander 2, Collins 2. Assists: Shelby Heck 18, Sam Leingang 14. Digs: KayCee Gustafson 38, Zander 13, Tessa Leno 11. Aces: Gustafson 9, Zander 5, Leno 4.

MINOT - Kills: Jessica Hanson 15, Teresa Vetter 11, Whitney Mayer 6. Blocks: Hanson 8, Vetter 2. Assists: McKenna Larson 22, Katelyn Larson 9. Digs: Erin Kongelf 18, Shelby Walsh 18, M. Larson 6. Aces: Walsh 6, M. Larson 3, K. Larson 5, Kongelf 4.

ST.MARY'S - Kills: Janci Eisenbarth 11, Hana Mattern 8, Laura Maddock 7. Assists:Ellen Mueller 36, Samantha Harris 8. Digs:Janci Eisenbarth 12, Tayn Bohan 5. Aces:Eisenbarth 3.

TURTLEMOUNTAIN - Kills:Jezarae Larocque 5, Julia Davis 3, Mariah Marcellais 3. Assists: Karrie Paige 8, Marie Bercier 4. Digs: Johnilyn Baker 6. Aces: Paige 4, Julia Davis 4, Bercier 3, Larocque 3.

VALLEYCITY - Kills: Mattie Cruff 14, Katie Paulson 10, Maria Prosby 9, Katie Jorissen 8. Blocks: Kassi Hosely 2, Cruff 1, Mindy Lyter 1. Assists: Stephanie Braunagel 36. Digs: Jorissen 21, Paulson 15. Aces: Jorissen 3, Braunagel 3, Mataya Olson 3, Prosby 3.

WAHPETON - Kills: Courtney Cook 16, Katelyn Kleven 11, Danielle Torrance 11. Blocks: Kleven 3. Assists: Taylor Albrecht 34. Digs: Cook 25, Emily Krack 18, Cameron Schroeder 7, Albrecht 15. Aces: Albrecht 9, Kleven 5, Cameron Schroeder 3, Krack 2.

WESTFARGO - Kills: Jessie Gust 24, Aryelle Jones 22, Blake Selisker 18. Blocks: Gust 3, Sarah Denne 3, Jenna Kolb 2. Assists: Gust 37, Jill Gustafson 17. Digs: Blake Selisker 30, Jess Woodbury 26, Jenna Kolb 16, Gust 16. Aces: Gust 5, Aryelle Jones 5, Kolb 4.

WILLISTON - Kills: Ashley Slade 19, Megan Torgerson 14, Kayla Kain 14. Assists: Lindy Bjella 50. Digs: Katelyn Christenson 32, Kain 25, Glade 22. Aces: Bjella 6, Slade 3.