HOUGHTON — After two tough losses on the road over the past week, the Houghton Gremlins found victory at home Tuesday night as the defeated the Iron Mountain Mountaineers 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-18, 25-15).

Houghton head coach John Christianson said he liked the team effort his girl displayed on offense.

“Our offense tonight was very well diversified,” he said. “What made that possible was did a good job of passing balls and digging balls which gave our setter (Micaela Geborkoff) options to go in a number of directions.”

Geborkoff had 32 assists. She was setting the ball to senior hitters Rachael Hall who had 13 kills Daityn Markham who had 10, Jillian Cyrus who put down eight and junior Maryellen Trewhella who had six.

Mountaineers’ head coach Jeanne Newberry was pleased with what she saw in the second set.

“When our blockers were in step, we had some nice big blocks,” she said. “But then we would let down our guard.”

In the third and fourth sets, the Gremlins just kept putting the ball over the net, forcing the Mountaineers to make the mistake. The Mountaineers struggled to put any consistent offense together.

“We were flat and dragging in those last two sets,” Newberry said. “Some of that was due to sickness as not all our girls were at 100 percent. I thought we were spending most of those sets just reacting and surviving to put ball over. We gave them too many free balls and hoped that they messed up but they didn’t. Houghton played well.”

Houghton also won the JV game, 25-18, 25-18. The Mountaineers play at West Iron Thursday.

IRON MOUNTAIN

Aces – Alex Lewis 2, Alyssa Mendini 2, Anna Rittenhouse 1.

Blocks – Annslee Runsat 3, Rittenhouse 1, McKenna Smith 1.

Digs – Kalli Balmes 7, Chloe Bianco 5, Mendini 3, Runsat 3, Reagan Lundholm 3.

Kills – Rittenhouse 8, Runsat 7, Smith 5, Lundholm 4, Lewis 1.

Assists – Lewis 11, Andie Ellis 4.

Superior Central 3

North Central 2

POWERS — The Superior Central volleyball team grounded the North Central Jets in a nip-and-tuck five-setter (15-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-13, 15-13) here Tuesday as the Jets fell short of getting their first win of the season.

It all came down to the fifth set. North Central came out quick with a five-point service run from Alex Neville, but a kill from the Cougars’ Emma Rutter snapped the streak. Possession traded back-and-forth, and a run from Superior Central’s Elsie West put the Cougars up 7-6. A lifting penalty on the Cougars (3-9) and an ace from the Jets’ Cheyenne Borucki made it 8-7 in favor of North Central.

The next few points kept the Jets (0-12) ahead until Superior Central’s Katrina Augustyn tied it at 11 with a spike. The Cougars kept rolling behind two kills from Riley Johnson to lead 14-11.

The Jets had a chance as they forced two out-of-bounds shots from the Cougars, but a service error into the net finished the set and the match.

“We creep closer and closer (to our win) every week,” Jets coach Rick Mick said. “This was the closest we’ve come to it. The most positive thing, I think, is that we had a lot of gut-check moments tonight. I felt like there were moments tonight where we would’ve folded in the past, and tonight, the girls didn’t. They fought hard. I’ve been saying they fought hard all year, but this is the hardest they’ve fought. I’m disappointed in the loss, but I’m proud of the effort.”

North Central hosts Bark River-Harris Monday.

NORTH CENTRAL

Aces — Neville 7, M. Dani 4, A. Arsenault 2, Borucki 1; kills — Neville 5, A. Arsenault 4, Borucki 2, B. Arsenault 2; blocks — M. Dani 4, A. Arsenault 1, B. Arsenault 1, Neville 1, J. Dani 1, Borucki 1; assists — J. Dani 5, M. Dani 3, Neville 1; digs — A. Arsenault 12, M. Dani 12, B. Arsenault 9, T. Dani 4, Neville 4, Walters 1.

West Iron County 3

Ishpeming 2

ISHPEMING — In West PAC volleyball action, the West Iron Lady Wykons defeated the Lady Hematites of Ishpeming 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-17). Head coach Brenda Grubbs’ team hosts Iron Mountain on Thursday night from the Charles Greenlund Gymnasium. The Lady Wykons travel to Westwood Saturday morning for the West PAC Conference meet.

Mid Peninsula 3

Forest Park 2

CRYSTAL FALLS — The Mid Peninsula volleyball team squeezed past the Forest Park Trojans 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 13-25, 15-8) here Tuesday for the first time ever.

“In the final set, we capitalized on their errors and kept the ball on our side of the court,” Mid Pen coach Emily Kayser said. “All the girls had a personal best tonight, and all the girls are stepping into their roles well. It was just a great performance all-around.”

Forest Park, which won the jayvee match 2-0, travels to Rapid River on Thursday.

(The Escanaba Daily Press contributed to this report.)