Like any tussle between rivals, the players came into the match aching for a victory. Throw in two vociferous student cheering sections and add to the mix a steamy, muggy gymnasium and the elements were all there for a hot battle in the neighborhood.

The first two sets fell in line with the atmosphere, but Kingsford held off Iron Mountain in both and went on to defeat the Mountaineers 25-21, 25-20, 25-17 for the nonconference victory.

Flivver senior Elaina Bortolini described the night from her perspective.

“Because of the rivalry, it makes it so much more special to come out with a win,” the outside hitter said. “I have some really good friends on Iron Mountain, but we still want to take it to them.”

Kingsford’s Kailey Sundquist (7) and Bryonna Sanders (19) get into position as their teammate Jenna Viau (4) goes down to dig out an Iron Mountain serve on Tuesday night.

Despite her team’s loss, Mountaineer coach Jeanne Newberry enjoyed the passion in the gym as well.

“It was great,” she said. “The kids know each other; I know the coaches and am friends with the coaches. I always say it’s great when Iron Mountain and Kingsford get together.”

At first, the Flivvers played tentatively, sending kill attempts directly at the middle of the Mountaineers’ back row. Add to that kills from Iron Mountain seniors Chloe Maycroft and Shyanne Pearce and the hosts jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the opening set.

Quickly, Kingsford coach Jaclynn Kreider identified the problem and instructed her team to stop hitting the ball down the middle of the court and start going for the angles and corners.

“We were telling the girls, ‘It’s not a huge adjustment, it’s a difference of 12 inches in one direction or the other that’s going to make the difference,'” Kreider said.

Iron Mountain varsity netter Chloe Maycroft (6) smacks a shot by Kingsford’s Kailey Sundquist (7) during Tuesday night’s match between the two rivals at Iron Mountain High School, as Mountaineer teammates Emma Ellis (3) and Ellison Powell (13) look on.

“It’s a big deal, it’s a big game, and we were all making safe shots,” Bortolini added. “But then we started bringing each other up, trusting each other, and we were hitting our angles and it was so effective.”

Kailey Sundquist and Lexi DalSanto recorded kills and Laura Bracket added a block and the Flivvers were right back into the set.

Kingsford then went on a 9-2 run to take an 18-11 lead, sparked by six kills from Kingsford’s Maddy Kreider, who finished with a match-high 15 kills.

Kreider also posted a match-best 14 assists. It’s the combination of setter and outside hitter, plus a preternatural sense of the court, that makes Kreider such a dangerous player for the opposition.

As Newberry knows.

“I think Kingsford has very good control because Maddy is able to see the court and set (the offense) up,” she said. “She has great hands and she has a quick back-set and the quick back-set swings your defense.”

Coach Kreider was asked if her daughter is more dangerous as a setter or as a hitter.

“She’s more confident as a setter, so I think the value that she gives the team when she’s setting is different than when she’s hitting. She’s still unsure of herself and very insecure with her hitting. She’s still not that kid who comes in the huddle and says, ‘Get me the ball, I can get a kill.’ But I think that she’s physically capable of both.”

The Mountaineers made a late charge at the end of the first set to cut their gap to 23-21. But Coach Kreider called a timeout and her team responded with a quick kill by Sundquist to go up three and clinched the opening set on a hitting error by Iron Mountain.

The second set began as the first. The Mountaineers sprung out to a 5-1 lead on three service points by Ellison Powell, including an ace. The Flivvers answered back with an 8-4 spurt that knotted the score at 9-all.

The teams traded blows until the Flivvers ran off the final five points of the set to win it 25-20 and step within one set of the sweep.

Bortolini ran off the final five points from the service line, including one of her team-high three aces.

“She’s a great server,” Coach Kreider said of Bortolini. “She’s been a great server for us all year. She gets her aces because she places the ball well, she’s got a nice jump-float, and it was good to see her attacking like we saw her because we know that she is capable.”

As often happens after a team battles but goes down two sets, the Mountaineers saw their play dip some in the final set. Kreider started the set with two aces and the Mountaineers found themselves down 8-5 when Newberry called her first timeout of the set.

“When that occurs, you can see it,” Newberry said.

Kingsford distanced themselves further by scoring 11 of the next 15 points to go up 19-9. Iron Mountain did make a run, but Maddy Kreider ended the set and match with a tip as the Flivvers took the final set 25-17.

“It was a good night overall,” coach Kreider said. “I’m really happy with the girls being able to be coachable and make the changes that we wanted them to make.”

Newberry noted her team still needs to improve on the transition game and limiting errors.

“The unforced errors are the maker and breaker of games,” she said. “If we can take away our self-errors … because I thought we played them equally.”

Powell led the Iron Mountain offense with seven kills while Maycroft added six. Leah Winch paced the Mountaineers in digs with 16, while Powell posted 15, Emma Ellis had 12 and Pearce chipped in with 11. Ellis recorded 11 assists and Powell fired three aces.

For Kingsford, Bryonna Sanders registered 21 digs and Jenna Viau contributed 20. Alyssa Larson handed out 11 assists and Sundquist posted nine kills.