Two teams that finished last year on a strong note are primed to make a postseason push again in 2018. Pine River-Backus (4-1) faces a Park Rapids team coming off a 2017 Class 2A, Section 8 final run.
No. 7-1A Pine River-Backus returns all its letterwinners from last season’s Class 1A, Section 5 championship team. Sophomore setter Rylie Hirschey and senior middle Alyssa Semmler were both all-conference in 2017.
Park Rapids (3-0) has a trio of all-Mid-State performers back from last season's 24-win campaign in Kamree Carlson, Kaisa Coborn and Rilee Michaelson.