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IRONWOOD -- Not much was different within the top-five rankings in this week's Upper Peninsula high school volleyball polls, though there was a significant change for one area team in the "others receiving votes" category.
Ishpeming, despite winning its only match last week in three sets at Westwood, failed to receive a vote this week after earning a single voting point the week before. The Hematites are 6-4-1 with the win vs. the Patriots breaking a three-match losing string that had included setbacks to Division 1-3 top-five squads Calumet and Houghton.
Four other area schools held their positions -- or changed almost imperceptibly -- in the top five of Divisions 1-3 and Division 4.
Negaunee (16-8) remained No. 3 in D 1-3 with a pair of three-set wins last week over Manistique and West Iron County.
Gwinn (13-11-3) held onto No. 5 by one voting point over Jeffers even after a pair of losses. That's because the Modeltowners took each of the polls' No. 1 teams, Calumet and Hancock, to four sets before falling.
In Division 4, Baraga (20-1) remained at No. 3 despite taking its first loss this season among a pair of matches. The Vikings lost in three sets at No. 1 Hancock before dispatching Dollar Bay in four sets.
Newberry (16-7-4) slipped just a shade from a tie for No. 4 to No. 5 despite winning its only match last week in three sets at home over Engadine.
Looking at the rest of each poll, Calumet (15-9-1) held on as a unanimous No. 1 with its win over Gwinn the Copper Kings' only match last week.
Kingsford (15-3) is just as unanimous at No. 2 after defeating Houghton in three sets in a regular dual, then splitting four matches at the downstate Cadillac Fall Tournament over the weekend. The Flivvers downed North Muskegon and Maple City Glen Lake while falling to host Cadillac and Holland West Ottawa.
Houghton (10-6) remained at No. 4 despite losing both its matches last week to the top two teams in Divisions 1-3, Calumet in four sets and Kingsford in three.
Jeffers (9-4) is still an "others" team after splitting three-set matches last week, downing Ewen-Trout Creek and losing to Lake Linden-Hubbell. The Jets' Monday four-set home win over L'Anse wouldn't have figured into this week's voting, though.
In Division 4, Hancock (23-2-1) was just as unanimous at No. 1 as Calumet was in Divisions 1-3, with the Bulldogs defeating Baraga in a regular dual, then sweeping all five of their "mini" best-of-3 matches at the Sentinel Invitational in Marquette on Saturday.
Hancock took care of Rudyard, Bark River-Harris, Calumet Copper Island Academy, Rudyard and host Marquette, needing three sets to down the Sentinels.
Forest Park (27-3-1) stayed at No. 2, winning its only match, a three-setter at Norway.
Lake Linden-Hubbell (12-3) held on to No. 4 with a single three-set victory at home over Jeffers.
Cedarville-De Tour (19-4-5) is on the "others" list for the second straight week, though no result was shown on the MHSAA website, www.mhsaa.com, for its only match last week at Brimley.
In matches in the next week involving area teams, on Thursday, Manistique is at Marquette, Hancock at Ishpeming, Negaunee at Jeffers, Westwood at Calumet, Munising at Superior Central, L'Anse at Dollar Bay, Baraga at LL-H, and Newberry at Rudyard.
For Saturday, Negaunee is at the Mount Pleasant Invitational, while Marquette travels to the Forest Park quadrangular.
On Monday, the annual WIN meet is scheduled with Westwood and Negaunee traveling to Ishpeming.
Next Tuesday, Marquette is at Gladstone, Superior Central hosts both Big Bay de Noc and Mid Peninsula, Gwinn is at Iron Mountain, Rapid River at Munising, Bessemer at L'Anse, Ironwood at Baraga, St. Ignace at Newberry, and Manistique at Menominee.
Story contents based on an email received from the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.