WEST FARGO – The West Fargo Sheyenne volleyball team has come through the early stages of the season well, putting together a 13-match winning streak to start the season just a year removed from their second consecutive North Dakota Class A state title.

The streak came to an end when the top-seeded Mustangs fell to No. 2 Fargo Shanley in four sets on September 26, putting the Mustangs in the loss column for the first time since October 2023.

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But Sheyenne took the loss and started a new winning streak, defeating Wahpeton in three sets in a two-point match in the Eastern Dakota Conference on October 1.

The Mustangs are 8-1 in the EDC and 14-1 overall heading into a home match against third-place Fargo Davies (6-2 EDC, 8-6) at 7:00 PM on Thursday, October 3.

The Mustangs remain positive after the miscue as conference play heats up.

“We realized we could learn a lot from that game,” senior outside hitter Alexa Killoran said. “We brought a lot of different things that we want to put into practice and work on so we can come back in our next game.”

The Mustangs still remain an incredibly tough opponent to play against. In all seven wins in the EDC match, Sheyenne won in a three-set sweep or a four-set match.

Kicking off the season on a strong streak made the two-time defending champions even more the team to beat.

Senior middle hitter Mya Bloedow said the loss to Shanley will allow the team to reset and focus on improving the second half of the conference schedule.

“We don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves, so we just focus on the little things.” said Bloedow.

The Mustangs return 10 players from last season. Bloedow, along with All-State selection Killoran, Abby Smith and Addy Boyeff, make up the group of four seniors on the Mustangs.

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With a sizable junior class and underclassmen rounding out the rest of the roster, the captains have taken it upon themselves to work with the younger players

“Being super loud and reaching out to them to see if they have any questions,” Killoran said. “(We made) an extra effort to introduce them to the team and make them feel comfortable.”

Freshman libero Baylor Dinger and sophomore designated setter McKayla Amundson are two underclassmen who have really found their feet with the Mustangs.

Dinger leads the team with 229 digs. Amundson helps set up offensive attacks with 236 assists on the season. Bloedow was a dual-threat leader with 37 blocks and 42 ace serves.

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Killoran leads the team offensively with 125 kills. Peyton Saxlund has 116 kills and Cora Metcalf has 110 kills.

“Our players go the extra mile,” Mustangs head coach Leah Newton said. “We just have so many players who can contribute.”

Newton said the team has come together quickly, which has been integral to the Mustangs’ success.

Sheyenne is proud of the chemistry between everyone on the roster.

“We’ve been playing together for a while,” Bloedow said. “We are best friends on and off the field… and we communicate very well.”

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There is still more work to be done as the season continues into the final months.

“We want to learn from our mistakes… and play our best volleyball,” Killoran said.

“We have to keep working hard,” Newton added. “We have to keep playing and take care of our side of the net.”

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After graduating from North Dakota State University, Haugland joined the Forum in January 2023. Readers can reach him at 701-241-5508 or by emailing [email protected]