Making sure to the top local players stay in Minot, Coach Courtney is pleased to announce that Zoe Zarr from Minot High School, Maya Vibeto from Our Redeemer’s, and Azjiah Trader from South Prairie all have signed to play for the Beavers starting in the fall of 2025.

Zarr and Vibeto join the Beavers as sophomores, transferring from Bismarck State College after playing their freshman season with the Mystics, and Trader as a true freshman.

“I’m very excited about signing this trio,” Minot State’s coach said. “Not only are they talented and competitive players, but they are local athletes who grew up in this community and can truly call the Dome ‘home court’. They’ll join Sydney Upton on the roster, who is a Bishop Ryan graduate: It’s awesome to have that kind of representation of Minot on our team. There will be a lot of hometown fans in the Dome next season supporting these ladies and Beaver volleyball.”

Along with being local stars, both Zarr and Vibeto bring collegiate volleyball experience with them to the MSU court as Zarr, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, is a 2024 Minot High graduate who played in 24 matches this past fall at Bismarck State College where she recorded 48 kills, 157 digs and six blocks.

Maya Vibeto

At Minot High, Zarr led the Majettes in kills per match, kill percentage, was second in digs per match, and third in blocks per match as she earned All-WDA honors, Academic All-Conference honors, the Offensive Leader award, and was a KMOT Player of the Week.

Playing club volleyball, she was selected for the North Country Region 20U team that qualified for the National Tournament and placed third and was named to the National All-Tournament Team.

“Zoe is such a well-rounded, coachable player,” Courtney said. “She is committed to getting better every day and wants to help her team succeed every rally. She’s a selfless competitor, genuinely positive personality, and natural leader. She’s the kind of player I want to coach and the kind of teammate I want in our locker room.”

Vibeto, also a 2024 graduate, was a teammate of Zarr with the Region XIII Champion Mystics. The 5-4 libero led BSC in digs with 597 in 29 matches while adding eight kills, 78 assists and 21 service aces. She set a school record averaging 5.74 digs per set and earned All-Mon-Dak, All-Region XIII, and NJCAA 2nd Team All-American honors as a freshman at Bismarck State.

At Our Redeemer’s, Vibeto was named 1st All-State, to the All-District and All-Region teams, was nominated for Senior Athlete of the Year, a member of the National Honors Society and the Class of 2024 Salutatorian.

“Maya is a high-level athlete and a high-quality leader,” Courtney said. “Her defensive reads and passing are so good, and I’ve heard great things about her as a teammate. Her accomplishments this past season at BSC speak for themselves. It’s an exciting day when you can add an All-American libero to your defense. I’m really looking forward to coaching her and watching her elevate our defense the next three years.”

Trader, a 5-9 middle blocker and right-side hitter from South Prairie-Max, is a 4-time All-District selection, a 3-time All-Region selection, and a two-time 1st Team All-State selection. Also a two-time KMOT Athlete of the Week, Trader was named State Senior Athlete of the Year, Region Senior Athlete of the Year, District Senior Athlete of the Year, and Team MVP for the District Champion and Class B state runner-up champion Royals.

Trader, as a junior, also was named to the North Country Region 20U volleyball team that qualified for nationals and finished third.

“Azjiah has incredible athleticism and is a top prospect coming out of this 2025 North Dakota high school class,” Minot State’s coach said. “She can play anywhere on the court and excel, offensively and defensively. Her vertical is insane, her fundamentals are so solid, and I’ve seen first-hand that she’s a great teammate. She had a historic senior volleyball season with South Prairie and is a highly decorated player. I believe she will transition to the collegiate game seamlessly and play a big role for us in the coming years.”