By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The Marquette Senior High School volleyball team won seven of its first eight sets to reach the championship match of its own Marquette Invitational on Saturday.

In the end, though, Kingsford was too much for the host team as the Flivvers prevailed in two sets, 25-12, 25-12. Kingsford was ranked No. 1 last week and is No. 2 this week in Divisions 1-3 of the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association weekly poll.

“All in all it was a really good day,” MSHS head coach Ann Crandell-Williams said in an email detailing the results. “I have really become impressed with this team’s tournament play, as they settle in mentally and physically and just play their game, which is where they do best. I continue to be really impressed with their aggressive serving, and their offensive game has continued to improve.

“It’s hard to believe we are entering the second half of the season. We are looking forward to some bigger breaks between matches so that we can get some rest and continue to work on our game.”

Marquette, which is now 16-10-2 this season, split with Ishpeming, ranked No. 5 in U.P. Division 4 last week, 26-27, 25-13, before sweeping Superior Central, 25-17, 25-16, and Indian River Inland Lakes 27-25, 25-15.

MSHS won its pool to advance to the quarterfinals, where Marquette won a tight match with Escanaba, 26-24, 25-23, before receiving a bye in the semifinals and meeting Kingsford in the finals.

Jessica Gooch and Ava Maki led MSHS in its 10 sets of play Saturday, making 29 kills as Gooch had just four attack errors for a sterling .417 hitting percentage.

Teammate Olivia Mackie had 26 kills, while Roegen Hruska had 13.

Gooch also had six blocks and Lexi Lhuillier two. Maki made 11 service aces, while Hruska, Cece Fuller and Jaylee Dellies each had five. And Hruska had 29 assists, Alyson McCarthy 24 and Kendall Chipelewski 16, while Dellies made 44 digs, Hruska 33, McCarthy 29 and Maki 24.

Following Tuesday’s match against Gwinn, MSHS is off until next week when Marquette travels to Gladstone on Tuesday night.

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