PRAIRIE CITY – The Crane Mustangs will enter the 1A state tournament as the High Desert League champions after claiming the title on Saturday, Oct. 23 during a full day of volleyball action in Prairie City. Crane downed Jordan Valley in the final match of the day for the title.
Jordan Valley will enter the state tournament as the second seed and after a third-place contest, host Prairie City/Burnt River will be on the road as the third entry in the state tournament representing the High Desert League.
The win avenged the lone league loss for Crane to Jordan Valley, a 2-3 decision on Oct. 20, just three days prior to the tournament win. On Sept. 30, Crane took a 3-1 win over Jordan Valley.
Photo Gallery – High Desert Volleyball District Tournament – John Braese
Crane ends the season 17-10 overall and Jordan Valley will step into state play with a 12-5 overall record. Crane is currently ranked ninth in the state polls while Jordan Valley holds down the 11th-place ranking.
The mild upset of the day was the host Prairie City/Burnt River team. After falling to Adrian both in league play and in previous tournament play during the season, the Panthers came up with a four-set victory to return to the state tournament. The Panthers previously made an appearance in 2019. Prairie City/Burnt River finish the regular season with a 7-10 overall record.
Game One
Prairie City/Burnt River 25 25 25
Game Two
Adrian 25 25 25
Harper 7 13 10
Consolation Game
Harper 12 19
Semi-final Game
Crane 23 25 25 25
Prairie City/Burnt River 25 15 15 14
Semi-final Game
Jordan Valley 25 23 21 25 15
Adrian 20 25 25 15 13
Third Place Game
Prairie City/Burnt River 20 25 27 25
Adrian 25 23 25 23
Championship Game
Crane 15 25 25 25
Jordan Valley 25 19 9 18