All but one of the districts is considered “nontraditional,” which means every match in those tournaments will be hosted by one of the teams involved in it. And it also means some nonhosts could get to host their championship matches on Thursday or Friday.

The one “traditional” district is being hosted by Big Bay de Noc and involves Munising and Superior Central in Division 4, so all matches will bring teams to Garden.

The action begins Monday, though, with six of the districts playing. The only one that won’t be playing that day is hosted by Rudyard in Division 4 and includes Newberry, and that’s because there’s only four teams so that a quarterfinal round won’t be needed.

Barely half the schools will have to play a quarterfinal match Monday. Marquette gets to play in its own gym for the Division 1 district hosted by Traverse City Central. The Redettes play the other Traverse City public school, TC West, in that match at 6 p.m.

Negaunee's Natalie Bell, front left, plays the ball off the net as teammate Mara Sorensen, partially hidden behind her, and several Marquette players look during the second set of their high school volleyball match played at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium on Sept. 7. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

Gwinn plays at Westwood at 6 p.m. Monday in a Division 3 district hosted by Hancock.

Three area teams will play in a pair of Division 4 districts on Monday.

Munising faces Mid Peninsula in Garden in the Big Bay de Noc district at 6:30 p.m., the second match of a doubleheader there.

L’Anse hosts Lake Linden-Hubbell and Baraga hosts Chassell in a district hosted by L’Anse, both those matches at 6 p.m.

Joining Newberry in getting off-days Monday will be Negaunee in the Division 2 district hosted by Houghton, Ishpeming in the Division 3 district hosted by Hancock, Manistique in the Division 3 district hosted by Gladstone, and Superior Central in the Division 4 district hosted by Big Bay.

All seven districts will play a pair of semifinal games on Wednesday, so that every team that survives a Monday match will be playing.

Then three of the districts play their championship matches on Thursday evening and the other four on Friday. It’s thought that some of the Thursday finals were scheduled to avoid any possible conflicts with Friday football playoff games.

District champions advance to the regionals to be held the following week. Regional semifinals are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9, and championships on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Though regional sites are occasionally changed, often due to the geography of the teams involved, Westwood High School is scheduled to host a Division 3 regional semifinal on Nov. 9. Some other U.P. sites outside the area will host other Division 3 and 4 regional matches.

The final three rounds of the MHSAA tournaments will be played the third week of November. Quarterfinals are set for Tuesday, Nov. 16, at a number of sites statewide that includes Munising High School in Division 4.

Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 18, and Friday, Nov. 19, and state finals on Saturday, Nov. 20, will all be played at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

For more information on this and other MHSAA tournaments, visit its website at www.mhsaa.com.

Here is the district schedule, listed by day and tourney. Some districts have Monday matches that won’t include any area teams:

————-

MONDAY

Division 1, hosted by Traverse City Central — TC West at Marquette, 6 p.m.; Gaylord at Petoskey, 6 p.m.

Division 2, hosted by Houghton — Escanaba at Houghton, 6 p.m.; Sault Ste. Marie at Kingsford, 7 p.m. EDT

Division 3, hosted by Hancock — Gwinn at Westwood, 6 p.m.; West Iron County at Calumet, 6 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Gladstone — Menominee at Bark River-Harris, 7 p.m. EDT

Division 4, all matches at Big Bay de Noc — Rapid River vs. Big Bay de Noc, 5 p.m.; Munising vs. Mid Peninsula, 6:30 p.m.

Division 4, hosted by L’Anse — Lake Linden-Hubbell at L’Anse, 6 p.m.; Chassell at Baraga, 6 p.m.

————-

WEDNESDAY

Division 1, hosted by Traverse City Central — Marquette-TC West winner at TC Central, 6 p.m.; Alpena at Petoskey-Gaylord winner, 6 p.m.

Division 2, hosted by Houghton — Sault Ste. Marie-Kingsford winner at Negaunee, 6 p.m.; Cheboygan at Escanaba-Houghton winner, 6 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Hancock — Gwinn-Westwood winner at Hancock, 6 p.m.; Ishpeming at Calumet-West Iron County winner, 6 or 7 p.m. EDT

Division 3, hosted by Gladstone — Gladstone at Manistique, 6 p.m.; Iron Mountain at Menominee-Bark River-Harris winner, 7 p.m. EDT (time tentative)

Division 4, all matches at Big Bay de Noc — Superior Central vs. Rapid River-Big Bay de Noc winner, 5 p.m.; Munising-Mid Peninsula winner vs. North Dickinson, 6:30 p.m.

Division 4, hosted by L’Anse — Jeffers at L’Anse-Lake Linden-Hubbell winner, 6 p.m.; Baraga-Chassell winner at Dollar Bay, 6 p.m.

Division 4, hosted by Rudyard — Engadine at Brimley, 6 p.m. (time tentative); Newberry at Rudyard, 7:30 p.m. (time tentative)

————-

THURSDAY

Division 2, hosted by Houghton — championship, at Negaunee, Kingsford or Sault Ste. Marie, 6 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Hancock — championship, at Gwinn, Westwood or Hancock, 6 p.m.

Division 4, hosted by L’Anse — championship, at Baraga, Dollar Bay or Chassell, 6 p.m.

————-

FRIDAY

Division 1, hosted by Traverse City Central — championship, at Marquette, TC Central or TC West, 6 p.m.

Division 3, hosted by Gladstone — championship, at Manistique or Gladstone, 7 p.m.

Division 4, at Big Bay de Noc — championship, 6 p.m.

Division 4, hosted by Rudyard — championship, at Engadine or Brimley, 6 p.m. (time tentative)

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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