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3 Division Volleyball Guidelines
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Three Division Volleyball Guidelines

Presented by the

North Dakota High School Activities Association

Board of Directors

Beginning with the 2025–26

NDHSAA Volleyball Season

December 2024

     Final revision 12/5/2024

General Information

The NDHSAA Board of Directors approved a third division of volleyball on September 5, 2023.  The following document includes a current draft of the guidelines the NDHSAA Board of Directors used to implement the third division for volleyball beginning with the 2025-26 NDHSAA volleyball season.

There are several key points in this draft to be aware of, which are explained in more detail below:

History of Volleyball

Volleyball was first sanctioned by the NDHSAA in 1983-84. The NDHSAA split volleyball into two divisions in 1988-89.

Coop Deadline

The deadline to apply for a volleyball coop for the 2025-26 season was November 23, 2024.

Divisions vs. Classes

Previous NDHSAA Boards have classified any sport or activity not split into Class A and B in accordance with Article II, Section I as  “divisions”.  This included football from 1997 through the 2020 season, and again beginning with the 2023 season.  Softball was classified in divisions from 2012-2017 when Bishop Ryan was approved to participate in Division A despite having an enrollment of less than 200 (see Article II, Section I).  Boys and girls basketball were classified as divisions beginning with the 2023-24 school year.

Division AA Regions

Two regions are assigned in the AA Division.

The season event limitation for Division AA schools are as follows:

Division A Regions

Four regions are assigned in the A Division.

The season event limitation for Division A schools are as follows:

Division B Districts

Eight districts and four regions are assigned in the B Division.

The season event limitations for each Division B team is as follows:

State Qualification

Division AA - the top four teams in each region tournament will advance to the state tournament.

Division A - the four region tournament champions will advance to the state tournament. Second and third place teams in each region tournament will advance to a state qualifier game on the Saturday following the region tournament.  State qualifier winners will advance to the state tournament.

Division B - Districts will advance four teams each to their respective region tournament. The four region tournament champions will advance to the state tournament. Second and third place teams in each region tournament will advance to a state qualifier game on the Saturday following the region tournament.  State qualifier winners will advance to the state tournament.

State Tournament Seeding

Division AA region tournament placing will determine state tournament seeding.  The coaches of Division A and B state qualifying teams will vote to seed the teams for their respective tournaments.  The seeds for teams 5-8 may be adjusted to avoid re-matches of region tournament matches. If two regions are utilized in Division A, region tournament placing will determine state seeding.

Division Enrollment Framework

The framework to place teams into divisions follows the same guidelines developed by the NDHSAA for the Three Division basketball plan.  The enrollment line between A and B was determined by cutting the traditional line of 325 in half.  The enrollment line between AA and A was determined by doubling 325.

Classification Committee

A classification committee was established by the NDHSAA Board of Directors in June 2024 and is outlined later in this document.

Tournament Performance Factor

A tournament performance factor will be calculated after each season.

  1. The tournament performance factor will be a three-year cumulative total of no less than six points per division, with accumulated points beginning with the 2022 season.
  2. Teams that have accumulated at least six tournament performance factor points will be promoted to the next highest division from the previous year.  No team will be moved more than one division per year.  Teams may appeal this move to the classification committee.
  3. Teams promoted to the next highest division due to accumulation of tournament performance points will remain in that division indefinitely unless an appeal is granted by the classification committee.
  4. When a new coop forms, the coop will receive a point total equal to the combined total of all schools in the coop.
  5. Calculating the tournament performance factor:
  1. Points will be cumulative for a three-year period. (The inaugural point total will be calculated beginning with the 2022-23 school year)
  2. The maximum points a team can earn in a season is four (4).
  3. Points will be awarded based on the following system:
  1. 1 point for advancing to the state quarterfinal
  2. 2 points for advancing to the state semifinal
  3. 3 points for advancing to the state championship
  4. 4 points for winning a state title

State Tournament Schedules

The NDHSAA State Volleyball Tournament will continue to be played on two courts at the main venue.  Championship matches will take place on the main court with hard start times of 2:30 pm CST, 5:00 pm CST, and 7:30 pm CST.  7th place matches will take place off-site on Saturday morning based on feedback from member schools.

Framework

The baseline for classification and regionalization of schools for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 volleyball seasons will mirror the 2024-25 basketball regions (prior to any petitions down, opt ups, or tournament performance applications).  The classification of teams with different coops in volleyball than basketball may be affected by enrollment. The following enrollments ranges will be utilized for classifications:

  1. Division AA – Enrollment of 650+
  2. Division A – Enrollment of 162.5 – 649 students
  3. Division B – Enrollment below 162.5 students
  4. Public and non-public schools located within a Division AA school district with 100-399 students shall be placed in Division A.  Public and non-public schools located within a Division AA school district with 400 or more students shall be placed in Division AA.
  5. Teams may choose to participate in a division higher than their enrollment places them for a minimum of two seasons.
  6. Following the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, teams will move divisions after their enrollment has been in a different division range for two consecutive years.  
  7. A Classification committee will be established in the Fall of 2024 to review any petitions from teams to move to a division lower than their enrollment places them, as well as success factor criteria, beginning with the 2025-26 season.  The following deadlines will be used:
  1. October 1, 2024 – Deadline for teams to request being moved down a division
  2. October 15, 2024 – Classification committee considers all petitions for teams who request to move down a division for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons
  3. November 23, 2024 – Tournament Performance Factor applied
  4. November 23, 2024 – Deadline for teams moved up based on performance factor to appeal the classification committee
  5. November 26, 2024 – Classification committee considers all appeals for teams moved up based on performance factor (virtually)
  6. December 3, 2024 – Deadline for teams to request being moved up a division for 2025-26 and 2026-27 volleyball seasons
  7. December 5, 2024 – 2025-26 and 2026-27 volleyball division placement finalized

Three Division Volleyball Draft

Postseason Format and Tournament Locations

Division AA

Division A

Division B

Division AA Regions

East Region

West Region

West Fargo Sheyenne

Minot

West Fargo

Bismarck Legacy

Fargo Davies

Bismarck Century

Grand Forks Central

Williston

Grand Forks Red River

Bismarck

Fargo North

Mandan

Fargo South

Dickinson

West Fargo Horace

Jamestown

Shanley*

Minot North

St. Mary’s*

*Petition Up

3 Division VB - AA Map

Division A Regions

Region 1

Region 2

Region 3

Region 4

Wahpeton

Devils Lake

Turtle Mountain

Watford City

Valley City

Grafton

Rugby

New Town

Central Cass

Thompson

Nedrose

Beulah

Kindred

Hillsboro/Central Valley

Stanley

Killdeer

Lisbon

Carrington

Des Lacs-Burlington

Hazen

Northern Cass

May-Port-CG/Finley-Sharon**

Bottineau

Shiloh Christian*

Oak Grove

Harvey/Wells Co**

South Prairie/Max

Dickinson Trinity*

* Located in AA School District

**Moved up from Division B based on 2023 & 2024 Fall Enrollments

3 Division Volleyball A Maps

Division B Regions

Region 1

Region 2

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

Wyndmere/Lidgerwood

Linton-HMB

Drayton/V-E

New Rockford-Sheyenne

Maple River

Ellendale

Cavalier

Benson County

Enderlin

Kidder County

Larimore

Nelson County

Hankinson

Napoleon/G-S

North Border

St. John

Richland

Strasburg/Zeeland

Hatton/Northwood

North Prairie

Oakes

South Border

Park River/F-L

Langdon-Munich

Tri-State

M-P-B

Midway/Minto

North Star

Barnes County North

LaMoure/L-M

Griggs-Midkota

Four Winds/Minnewaukan*

Sargent County

Edgeley/Kulm/M

Dunseith*

Region 3

Region 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 8

Divide County

Glenburn

Hettinger-Scranton

Mandaree

Parshall

Drake-Anamoose

New England

New Salem-Almont

Trinity Christian

Velva

Beach

Garrison

Trenton

Our Redeemers

Mott/Regent

Wilton/Wing

Alexander

Mohall-L-S

Grant County

Center-Stanton

Tioga

L&C-Berthold

Richardton-Taylor

Washburn

Ray

Westhope/Newburg

Glen Ullin-Hebron

Central McLean

Kenmare/Bowbells

TGU

Bowman County

White Shield

Powers Lake-Burke Co.

Bishop Ryan

Belfield

Flasher

North Shore-Plaza

Surrey

South Heart

Standing Rock*

    *Placed in division by classification committee

3 Division Volleyball B Maps