Negaunee’s Larissa Anderson sets the ball in a match against Gladstone on Tuesday at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee. (Journal photo by Amy Grigas)

MARQUETTE — Area high school volleyball teams have been playing since late August with this week in mind.

It’s district tournament time.

Eleven area teams will participate in six tournaments spread across five counties in three MHSAA divisions.

So there should be a match somewhere that will tickle your fancy.

Just over half — six — schools are in action tonight, with the rest playing their first matches Tuesday or Wednesday. Most, but not all, championship matches are set for Thursday, probably to avoid conflicting with high school football playoff games.

The big local volleyball tournament going on tonight will be a seven-team Division 3 tourney held at Westwood. It’s in a nontraditional format, reserved for fields that are far-flung geographically. This one qualifies with teams not only coming from Marquette County but as far east as Manistique and southwest as Norway.

Three matches each take place at 7 p.m. EST — Gwinn at Westwood, Manistique at Negaunee and Bark River-Harris at Norway.

Ishpeming got the district’s lone bye and plays at the Negaunee-Manistique winner on Wednesday evening, with tonight’s two other winners going to Gwinn or Westwood that same night.

Also tonight, L’Anse travels to Ironwood at 7 p.m. EST in a nontraditional Division 3 district hosted by the Red Devils, while Baraga actually gets to host a match at 7 p.m. against Jeffers in a Division 4 nontraditional district hosted by Chassell.

Marquette is in what actually looks like a traditional Division 1 district, but that means the Redettes will have to play all their matches in Petoskey starting Wednesday night.

Here is the schedule, with all matches included, even ones not involving area teams:

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TONIGHT

Division 1, at Petoskey: Traverse City Central vs. Alpena, 5:30 p.m.; Gaylord vs. Petoskey, 6:30 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Westwood: Gwinn at Westwood, 7 p.m.; Manistique at Negaunee, 7 p.m.; Bark River-Harris at Norway, 7 p.m. EST

Division 3, hosted by Ironwood: L’Anse at Ironwood, 7 p.m. EST; Hancock at West Iron County, 7 p.m. EST

Division 4, hosted by Chassell: Jeffers at Baraga, 7 p.m.

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TUESDAY

Division 4, at Newberry: Newberry vs. Rudyard, 5 p.m.; Brimley vs. Engadine, 6:30 p.m.

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WEDNESDAY

Division 1, at Petoskey: Traverse City West vs. Alpena-Traverse City Central winner, 5 p.m.; Marquette vs. Petoskey-Gaylord winner, 6:30 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Westwood: Ishpeming at Negaunee-Manistique winner, 7 p.m.; Norway-Bark River-Harris winner at Gwinn-Westwood winner, 7 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Ironwood: L’Anse-Ironwood winner at Iron Mountain, 7 p.m. EST; Calumet at Hancock-West Iron County winner, 7 p.m. EST

Division 4, at Superior Central: Munising vs. Rapid River, 6 p.m.; Mid Peninsula vs. Superior Central, 7:30 p.m.

Division 4, hosted by Chassell: Lake Linden-Hubbell at Baraga-Jeffers winner, 7 p.m.; Dollar Bay at Chassell, 7 p.m.

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THURSDAY

Division 1, at Petoskey: championship, Marquette-Petoskey-Gaylord winner vs. Alpena-Traverse City West-Traverse City Central winner, 6 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Westwood: championship, at Gwinn, Westwood, Norway or Bark River-Harris, 7 p.m. EST

Division 3, hosted by Ironwood: championship, at L’Anse, Ironwood or Iron Mountain, 7 p.m. EST

Division 4, at Superior Central: championship, Munising-Rapid River winner vs. Superior Central-Mid Peninsula winner, 7 p.m.

Division 4, at Newberry: championship, Newberry-Rudyard winner vs. Brimley-Engadine winner, 7 p.m.

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FRIDAY

Division 4, at Chassell: championship, Baraga-Jeffers-Lake Linden-Hubbell winner vs. Chassell-Dollar Bay winner, 7 p.m.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.