High School Volleyball: They're back! Area teams start play Oct. 8

The first serve of the Willmar volleyball season will be in the friendly confines of the Big Red Gym.

On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Cardinals kick off the 2020 season against Central Lakes Conference foe St. Cloud Apollo. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.

After starting official practices on Monday, Oct. 8 is the first day of competition of the 11-week season. Teams can play up to 14 matches, and a two-week postseason is slated to begin on the week of Nov. 30.

On Sept. 21, the Minnesota State High School League’s board of directors voted to reinstate volleyball and football back to the fall after originally moving to the spring back in August amid concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Willmar volleyball team will look to improve on its 18-10 mark from 2019, including an 8-3 showing in the CLC.

Elsewhere in the area:

• Fresh off an appearance in last year’s Class A state tournament, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa opens this season on Oct. 8 on the road against the newest member of the Central Minnesota Conference, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. It will also be the debut of new head coach Alanna Hunter, who replaces Steve Waddell after he accepted the head volleyball coach position at Lake Region State College in Devils Lake, North Dakota.

• A section finalist in 2019, the Minnewaska Lakers will play host to Melrose on Oct. 8. After going 13-10 in the regular season and getting the No. 6 seed in the Section 3AA-North tournament, Minnewaska became the sub-section champion after sweeps over Eden Valley-Watkins, Redwood Valley and New London-Spicer.

• The top seed in Section 3AA-North a year ago, NLS will look for another strong season, beginning on Oct. 8 at Litchfield. Ranked eighth in Class AA in the final state poll in 2019, the Wildcats finished with a 27-3 record.

Here’s a look at the area volleyball schedules (Home games in BOLD):

Oct. 8 vs. St. Cloud Apollo

Oct. 12 vs. Sartell

Oct. 13 at St. Cloud Tech

Oct. 20 at Moorhead

Oct. 22 vs. Bemidji

Oct. 27 vs. Alexandria

Oct. 29 at Brainerd

Nov. 2 vs. Fergus Falls

Nov. 5 at Sartell

Nov. 10 vs. Rocori

Nov. 12 at Sauk Rapids

Nov. 17 vs. St. Cloud Tech

Nov. 19 at St. Cloud Apollo

Nov. 24 at Bemidji

Oct. 8 vs. BBE

Oct. 10 at Maple Lake

Oct. 13 vs. Holdingford

Oct. 20 vs. Paynesville

Oct. 22 at Eden Valley-Watkins

Oct. 27 vs. Royalton

Oct. 29 at Kimball

Nov. 2 at BBE

Nov. 5 vs. Maple Lake

Nov. 10 at Holdingford

Nov. 12 at Paynesville

Nov. 16 vs. Eden Valley-Watkins

Nov. 19 at Royalton

Nov. 24 vs. Kimball

Oct. 8 at ACGC

Oct. 10 at Kimball

Oct. 13 vs. Paynesville

Oct. 20 at Eden Valley-Watkins

Oct. 22 vs. Holdingford

Oct. 27 at Maple Lake

Oct. 29 vs. Royalton

Nov. 2 vs. ACGC

Nov. 5 vs. Kimball

Nov. 10 at Paynesville

Nov. 12 vs. Eden Valley-Watkins

Nov. 16 at Holdingford

Nov. 19 vs. Maple Lake

Nov. 24 at Royalton

Oct. 8 at Montevideo

Oct. 13 vs. Minnewaska

Oct. 20 vs. Morris/CA

Oct. 22 vs. Sauk Centre

Oct. 27 at BOLD

Oct. 29 at Melrose

Nov. 2 vs. Montevideo

Nov. 5 at Minnewaska

Nov. 10 at Osakis

Nov. 12 at Morris/CA

Nov. 16 at Sauk Centre

Nov. 19 vs. BOLD

Nov. 23 vs. West Central Area

Nov. 24 vs. Melrose

Oct. 13 vs. Morris/CA

Oct. 15 at Montevideo

Oct. 20 vs. Minnewaska

Oct. 22 at Melrose

Oct. 27 vs. Benson

Oct. 29 at Sauk Centre

Nov. 5 at Morris/CA

Nov. 10 vs. Montevideo

Nov. 12 at Minnewaska

Nov. 16 vs. Melrose

Nov. 19 at Benson

Nov. 24 vs. Sauk Centre

Oct. 8 at YME

Oct. 13 vs. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Oct. 15 at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Oct. 20 vs. Minneota

Oct. 22 at Lakeview

Oct. 27 vs. Canby

Oct. 29 at MACCRAY

Nov. 2 vs. RCW

Nov. 5 vs. Dawson-Boyd

Nov. 10 at LQPV

Nov. 12 at KMS

Nov. 17 at RCW

Nov. 19 vs. MACCRAY

Oct. 8 at Canby

Oct. 13 vs. YME

Oct. 15 at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Oct. 20 vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Oct. 22 at Minneota

Oct. 27 vs. Lakeview

Oct. 29 vs. LQPV

Nov. 2 vs. Canby

Nov. 5 at CMCS

Nov. 10 vs. RCW

Nov. 13 at MACCRAY

Nov. 16 at KMS

Nov. 19 at LQPV

Oct. 8 at Lakeview

Oct. 13 vs. Canby

Oct. 15 at YME

Oct. 20 vs. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Oct. 22 at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Oct. 27 vs. Minneota

Oct. 29 at RCW

Nov. 2 at MACCRAY

Nov. 5 at LQPV

Nov. 10 vs. MACCRAY

Nov. 12 vs. CMCS

Nov. 17 vs. Dawson-Boyd

Nov. 19 vs. RCW

Oct. 8 at Minneota

Oct. 13 vs. Lakeview

Oct. 15 at Canby

Oct. 20 vs. YME

Oct. 22 at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Oct. 27 vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Oct. 29 at Dawson-Boyd

Nov. 2 vs. Minneota

Nov. 5 \u0009 vs. KMS

Nov. 10 vs. CMCS

Nov. 13 at RCW

Nov. 16 at MACCRAY

Nov. 19 vs. Dawson-Boyd

Oct. 8 vs. New London-Spicer

Oct. 13 vs. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted

Oct. 15 at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted

Oct. 20 at Rockford

Oct. 22 vs. Rockford

Oct. 27 vs. Dassel-Cokato

Oct. 29 at Dassel-Cokato

Nov. 2 at Annandale

Nov. 5 vs. Annandale

Nov. 10 at Glencoe-Silver Lake

Nov. 12 vs. Glencoe-Silver Lake

Nov. 17 vs. Watertown-Mayer

Nov. 19 at Watertown-Mayer

Nov. 24 at New London-Spicer

Oct. 8 at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Oct. 13 vs. Minneota

Oct. 15 at Lakeview

Oct. 20 vs. Canby

Oct. 22 at YME

Oct. 27 vs. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Oct. 29 vs. CMCS

Nov. 2 vs. KMS

Nov. 5 vs. RCW

Nov. 10 at KMS

Nov. 13 vs. Dawson-Boyd

Nov. 16 vs. LQPV

Nov. 19 at CMCS

Nov. 23 at RCW

Oct. 8 vs. Melrose

Oct. 13 at Benson

Oct. 15 vs. Sauk Centre

Oct. 20 at BOLD

Oct. 27 vs. Morris/CA

Oct. 29 at Montevideo

Nov. 2 at Melrose

Nov. 5 vs. Benson

Nov. 10 at Sauk Centre

Nov. 12 vs. BOLD

Nov. 16 vs. Osakis

Nov. 19 at Morris/CA

Nov. 23 at Pequot Lakes

Nov. 24 vs. Montevideo

Oct. 8 vs. Benson

Oct. 13 at Sauk Centre

Oct. 15 vs. BOLD

Oct. 20 at Melrose

Oct. 22 at Morris/CA

Oct. 29 vs. Minnewaska

Nov. 2 at Benson

Nov. 5 vs. Sauk Centre

Nov. 10 at BOLD

Nov. 12 vs. Melrose

Nov. 16 vs. Morris/CA

Nov. 19 vs. Redwood Valley

Nov. 24 at Minnewaska

Oct. 8 at Litchfield

Oct. 12 at Rockford

Oct. 14 vs. Rockford

Oct. 20 at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted

Oct. 22 vs. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted

Oct. 27 vs. Watertown-Mayer

Oct. 29 at Watertown-Mayer

Nov. 2 at Glencoe-Silver Lake

Nov. 5 vs. Glencoe-Silver Lake

Nov. 10 vs. Annandale

Nov. 13 at Annandale

Nov. 16 at Dassel-Cokato

Nov. 19 vs. Dassel-Cokato

Nov. 24 vs. Litchfield

Oct. 8 vs. Kimball

Oct. 10 vs. Royalton

Oct. 13 at BBE

Oct. 20 at ACGC

Oct. 22 at Maple Lake

Oct. 27 vs. Eden Valley-Watkins

Oct. 29 at Holdingford

Nov. 2 at Kimball

Nov. 5 at Royalton

Nov. 10 vs. BBE

Nov. 12 vs. ACGC

Nov. 16 vs. Maple Lake

Nov. 19 at Eden Valley-Watkins

Nov. 24 vs. Holdingford

Oct. 10 at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Oct. 12 at Minneota

Oct. 13 vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Oct. 20 vs. Lakeview

Oct. 22 at Canby

Oct. 27 vs. YME

Oct. 29 vs. KMS

Nov. 2 at CMCS

Nov. 5 at MACCRAY

Nov. 10 at Dawson-Boyd

Nov. 13 vs. LQPV

Nov. 17 vs. CMCS

Nov. 19 at KMS

Oct. 8 vs. CMCS

Oct. 13 at Dawson-Boyd

Oct. 15 vs. KMS

Oct. 20 at LQPV

Oct. 22 vs. MACCRAY

Oct. 27 at RCW

Oct. 29 vs. Minneota

Nov. 2 at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Nov. 5 at Tracy-Milroy-Balaton

Nov. 10 at Lakeview

Nov. 13 vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

Nov. 16 vs. Canby

Nov. 19 vs. Tracy-Milroy-Balaton