Oakes grad Sadie Hansen is only getting better at Valley City State

Aug. 2—VALLEY CITY, N.D. — Back when Sadie Hansen was living in Oakes, North Dakota, her family would kick off every single week with a steak dinner.

Then, she moved away to college.

"Man, do I miss those nights," Hansen said with a sigh. "I mean people would tell me that I would miss home-cooked meals, but I didn't understand how much I'd miss them."

The soon-to-be junior at Valley City State University might not get steak every Sunday anymore but her life is still — pretty good.

"My life couldn't be better," Hansen said. "I'm healthy, pursuing an undergraduate (degree) in Elementary Education with a special education endorsement, and am blessed to be a multi-sport athlete. I thought I'd miss home more, but being so busy — Valley City felt like home right away."

Hansen is about to enter her third athletic season with the Vikings. The former Oakes standout has started for the VCSU women's volleyball team since her freshman season in 2021 and has competed in track and field in both her freshman and sophomore years.

During her six years spent as a Tornado, Hansen racked up 3,672 assists, 1,122 digs, 691 kills, 288 aces and 127 blocks. In her senior season, head coach Katelyn Hagen transitioned Hansen to the outside where she put up 215 kills.

Hansen was named the 2020 Class B Senior Athlete of the Year.

It was an impressive resume and easy to see why the Vikings jumped at the chance of signing Hansen, still, VCSU didn't hand her a starting position on a silver platter.

Hansen said she knew coming in as a freshman that she would have to work twice as hard to get on the court but added that she knew she wanted to play right out of the gate.

"Being a setter and playing as a freshman was hard and grueling at times, but I wouldn't change it for anything," Hansen said. "My mom and dad were always pushing me and showing me how hard work can be so rewarding. They always knew what I was capable of, but also kept me humble which is something I will always cherish."

By working and staying humble Hansen produced a freshman-year performance that blew most everyone away — probably including her parents.

As a freshman, Hansen appeared in all 31 matches the Vikings played. As the starting setter, she tallied 1,027 assists for an average of 8.42 per set. On the defensive side of things, she accounted for 346 digs.

Hansen was credited with 70 kills. She also racked up 20 aces from the service line and scored a whopping 102 of the Vikings' total points.

"College athletics have been so rewarding and exciting," Hansen said. "I think the competition of fighting for a spot on the court and against opponents is the best part."

"I didn't realize coming in how hard preseason would be and how long the days would be," she said. "Also, lifting weights two or three times a week was different for me, but it was fun getting into a different setting to get stronger. It's all worth it when it comes to game time."

Hansen's performance her freshman season set a standard for her second year as a Viking, but in typical Sadie fashion, she not only hit it, she bettered it.

The second-year starter played in 25 matches and notched 964 assists upping her assists per set average from 8.42 to 9.18. She became more aggressive at the net and notched 85 kills and was responsible for 10 of the Vikings' aces. As a defender, she was pretty solid making 329 digs.

"I couldn't have asked for a better team to be a part of — we all have such a positive chemistry between all of us.," Hansen said. "This has been the best decision I've made in my life, so far, coming here and being a part of VCSU. VCSU has the best supporters and people who will guide you along your journey, which makes me feel right at home."

Through her two full seasons playing volleyball and competing in track and field at VCSU, Hansen has stayed mostly healthy which she said has only helped to fuel her fire and shoot for an even better third go-around.

"The last two summers I've stayed in Valley to work out and train," Hansen said. "I'm very grateful for my previous and present strength and conditioning coaches who work with the athletes in the summer to be prepared for the season."

This summer Hansen has stayed busy by putting on her own setter camps which she said was an exciting opportunity and a great experience as it allowed her to coach and help others succeed as she has done.

It wouldn't be surprising if any of her campers make their way out to Valley to watch their setting coach compete come August.

"My high school coaches always said that nothing would come easy and that you have to put in the work every day to reach your potential," Hansen said. "All of my high school coaches have been some of my biggest supporters and still are today.

"I've got a lot of goals that I want to accomplish in the next two years and I'm very excited to see where my career will take me," she said.