MINOT - Williston went 0-3 at the state Class A volleyball tournament last season. Finishing eighth again was not a pill the Coyotes wanted to swallow.

They averted that fate Saturday, downing St. Mary's 3-0 to claim seventh place at the Minot State Dome.

"Even though it's seventh, we're definitely proud," Williston senior Brittany Nice said. "It's an improvement from last year."

Nice said the Coyotes were ready to play Saturday, losses to Grand Forks Red River and Fargo North notwithstanding.

"We came together today and wanted to end up with a win," she said.

Nice, Megan Torgerson and Rachel Hennessy, all seniors, paced Williston. Torgerson racked up 15 kills and four blocks, Nice had 12 kills and two blocks and Hennessy dealt 27 assists and had eight kills.

St. Mary's, playing in its first state tournament since 1998, got seven kills from Morgan Tescher and six kills, two blocks and six digs from Laura Maddock. Ellen Mueller had 17 assists and seven digs. All are seniors.

Williston finished the year 3-1 against St. Mary's, winning the last three.

St. Mary's 19 24 21

Williston 25 26 25

St. Mary's: Kills - Morgan Tescher 7, Laura Maddock 6, Taryn Bohan 5, Hana Mattern 3. Blocks - Bohan 2, Tescher 2, Maddock 2. Assists - Ellen Mueller 17. Digs - McKenzie Becker 9, Mueller 7, Matttern 7, Bohan 6, Maddock 6, Janci Eisenbarth 5. Aces - Mueller 2.

Williston: Kills - Megan Torgerson 15, Brittany Nice 12, Rachel Hennessy 8, Jackie Lee 5. Blocks - Torgerson 4, Hennessy 2, Nice 2. Assists - Hennessy 27, Lindy Bjella 8. Digs - Katelyn Christensen 19, Kayla Kain 14, Bjella 13, Hennessy 9, Ashley Slade 8. Aces - Torgerson 2.

Records: St. Mary's 14-21, Williston 22-13.

West Fargo 3, Grand Forks Red River 1

West Fargo's second game was a clinker, but the Packers took care of business in the other three games to thump Red River in the third-place match.

Aryelle Jones and Jenna Kolb were West Fargo's big hitters with 15 and 10 kills, respectively. Jessica Gust set things up, posting 33 assists.

Megan Storstad racked up eight kills, five blocks and 17 digs for Red River.

West Fargo 26 14 25 25

Red River 24 25 16 22

West Fargo: Kills - Aryelle Jones 15, Jenna Kolb 10, Sarah Denne 8, Jessica Gust 6, Alyssa Hummel 5. Blocks - Hummel 3. Assists - Gust 33, Kolb 5, Jill Gustafson 3, Blake Selisker 3. Digs - Selisker 12, Courtney Voeller 10, Jessica Woodbury 9, Gust 6, Kolb 6, Jones 6. Aces - Woodbury 4, Kolb 2.

Red River: Kills - Megan Storstad 8, Holly Asche 5, Jordyn Steffen 4, Emily Asche 4. Blocks - Storstad 5, H. Asche 4, Emily Evers 3, E. Asche 3, Steffen 2. Assists - Storstad 12, Rachel Black 9. Digs - Storstad 17, Brooke Larson 10, Rachel Black 9. Aces - Larson 3, Black 3, Storstad 3.

Records: WF 34-4, GFRR 27-8.

Fargo South 3, Fargo North 2

Fargo South completed a 4-0 season sweep of archrival Fargo North to take home fifth place.

North's Kelsey Larson concluded a brilliant tournament with 23 kills, three blocks, 20 digs and two aces.

Four hitters - Siri Burck, Katie Lee, Abby Carlson and Caitlyn Haring - contributed double figure kills to the South attack. Lee had seven of the Bruins' 22 aces.

Fargo South 20 25 23 25 17

Fargo North 25 23 25 21 15

Fargo South: Kills - Siri Burck 11, Katie Lee 11, Abby Carlson 11, Caitlyn Haring 10, Raquel Wellentin 5. Blocks - Burck 3, Carlson 2, Kate Goff 2. Assists - Haring 24, Abby Delling 16. Digs - Lee 19, Carlson 15, Haring 14, Delling 10, Alley Fisher 9. Aces - Lee 7, Burck 6, Haring 5.

Fargo North: Kills - Kelsey Larson 23, Angela Waller 13, Kayla Berg 12. Blocks - Larson 3, Waller 3, Molly Goughnour 3. Assists - Kristin Cochran 50. Digs - Larson 20, Hope Marty 14, Waller 13, Cochran 11, Berg 11, Michelle Dehne 11. Aces - Waller 3, Larson 2, Berg 2.

Records: FS 23-15, FN 23-18.