The Kingsford varsity volleyball team celebrates winning its tournament on Saturday at Kingsford High School. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

KINGSFORD — Well into the seventh hour of the season-starting Kingsford Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday, the host Flivvers and the Forest Park Lady Trojans stepped onto court at the hot and humid Flivver Gymnasium.

The teams had powered their way through their respective brackets without a hiccup, having each won all eight sets they played during the marathon day that featured an expanded 14-team field.

The feature match was well-fought throughout before the Flivvers emerged with a 25-21, 25-21 win to secure the title.

Kingsford head coach Jaclynn Kreider thought her team started the day slowly and did not serve efficiently in pool play.

But in the final match against the Lady Trojans, Kreider said her team executed how and when it was needed, in particular with improved serving and directing the ball to advantageous areas against the Forest Park defense.

Forest Park freshman Evie Anderson (12) sends the ball past the defense and to the floor on Saturday in Kingsford. The Lady Trojans finished second at the Kingsford Tournament for a second year in-a-row. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

“I felt that (FP) was not necessarily able to get in system where they could use, for example, Ava (Fischer) to put the ball down,” Kreider said, “because when they’re in system they have some hitters, including her, that can put it down.”

Kreider also said her team executed its attack, which included a heavy dose of hitting from her daughter, Maddie, off sets from fellow setter/hitter Alyssa Larson.

“I felt like Maddie, in particular, hit the spots that we were asking her to hit and that was huge because that’s what we need to be able to do.”

Directing the offense to Maddie Kreider has been a constant in recent years for the Flivvers as the Michigan Tech recruit is as comfortable hitting as she is setting. And with the impressive skill sets of her five senior teammates — Larson, Anna Bortolini, Ellery Nash, Kailey Sundquist and Jenna Viau — fitting together almost perfectly around her, Kingsford will likely head into the season as the top team in the U.P. after its run to the Division 2 regional final in 2023.

“I thought for sure we had our ups and downs today,” Maddie said.

“It’s a really long day and it’s hot and we had those weird breaks (waiting for long matches to finish), but I think overall we did a really good job coming through when we needed to.”

The 2023 U.P. Ms. Volleyball was also complimentary of the Lady Trojans’ effort.

“We always have a battle with Forest Park,” she said. “We see them all the time, every tournament it seems, and they always put up a good game. But we were in that spot at one time when we were the young girls. They’ll come along.”

If their performance Saturday is any indication, the Lady Trojans will have a formidable group again in 2024 after going on a magical run to the Division 4 state semifinals in 2023. The Lady Trojans showed their potential with their performance in Kingsford, despite having with a rotation that included three freshmen and two sophomores.

“I was very pleased with our performance,” FP coach Bobbie Anderson said. “We may have a young team, but we played with confidence and enthusiasm. My goal was to see Kingsford in the final and we did just that. To compete with a team the caliber of Kingsford is a victory in its own. I’m excited to see our growth this season.”

The field was divided into two pools of four teams and two pools of three teams. The squads in the four-team pools played two-set matches against each other, while the squads in the three-team pools played three sets against every opponent.

The top two teams in the four-team pools, plus the winners of the two three-teamers, moved into the best-of-three knockout rounds with the two highest finishers in pool play (Kingsford and Forest Park) earning byes into the semis.

In Pool A, Kingsford finished 6-0 with victories over Hancock, North Dickinson and Manistique. Both the Bulldogs and the Emeralds went 3-3 during pool play, while the Nordics finished 0-6 in a tough group.

In Pool B, Houghton went 5-1 to win the group, with Sault Ste. Marie (4-2), Iron Mountain (2-4) and Bark River-Harris (1-5) following.

Forest Park’s 6-0 record in Pool C placed them in front of Stephenson (2-4) and Gladstone (1-5).

West Iron County won the tiebreaker over Negaunee to advance to the semifinal round after finishing pool play at 4-2. The Miners also finished 4-2, while Escanaba followed at 1-5.

The Wykons capped their impressive performance with a three-set victory over Sault Ste. Marie in the quarterfinals before falling in two sets to the Flivvers in the semis.

Houghton edged rival Hancock in three sets to advance to a semifinal against Forest Park, which the Lady Trojans won to set up the championship match.

One emotional highlight of the day’s event was the first coaching matchup between Iron Mountain’s Jeanne Newberry and her daughter, Brittany Killups of Sault Ste. Marie.

Mother and daughter met up in pool play with the Mountaineers and the Blue Devils splitting the two sets.

“Can you write a script like this? No you can’t,” Newberry said. “Could I be here (at Iron Mountain) 30 years and be here long enough … to actually coach against my child?”

The teams split their two games, which seemed a fitting result.

“She knows my tricks, and yet I felt we did well,” Newberry continued. “She has a young group, like we do. But what an honor to have our kids have the passion that we do for the game.”