Iron Mountain’s Lucy Baumgartner (14) soars above the net for a big hit as Kingsford's Mckynzee Kreider tries for a block in a Sept. 23 match at Kingsford. The crosstown rivals meet again tonight at Iron Mountain. The Flivvers won the earlier meeting 25-23, 25-16, 25-17. (Terry Raiche photo)

Iron Mountain will host Kingsford in a pink-out volleyball match today at Iron Mountain High School. The “volley for a cure” varsity match is at 6 p.m.

On Thursday in Gladstone, the host Braves overcame adversity in a big way in a 3-1 (25-14, 20-25, 26-24, 25-16) triumph over the Mountaineers.

After dropping the first set, Iron Mountain controlled the pace in the second and led 16-4 in the third before the Braves began their comeback in the Mid-Peninsula Conference match.

“They definitely played their game in the second set,” Braves’ senior Lilly Johnson said. “I think they got us out of position.”

A service ace by junior Ava Sardina gave the Mountaineers their 12-point cushion in the decisive third set.

The Braves were still training 19-9 after they committed a service error. But Gladstone then got a sideout on a kill by Johnson and junior Brooklyn Lauscher served for six straight points to pull the Braves within 19-16.

Iron Mountain extended its lead to 24-19 on a kill by junior Ava Marttila before the Braves answered with a 7-0 run, ending the set on a kill by freshman Makenna Mills.

In the fourth set, Iron Mountain took a 10-9 lead on a kill by junior Margot McRoberts. It was tied at 11 before junior Mercedes Koski recorded an ace to give the Braves a 12-11 lead.

A five-point service run, including an ace, by junior Joselyn Mills also helped the Braves as they went up by eight points, 21-13.

The match ended on back-to-back hitting errors by the Mountaineers.

In the second set won by Iron Mountain, Gladstone took an 11-10 lead on an offensive miscue by the Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers, aided on a kill by Marttila and an ace by junior Emma Bouchard, helped them extend their lead to 15-11.

Gladstone climbed within 15-14 on a kill by Johnson and 16-15 on a Mountaineers’ hitting miscue. After a sideout, Iron Mountain surged to a 22-15 advantage. A kill by Lauscher got the Braves within four points, but that would be as close as the hosts would get.

“We changed our whole rotation,” Mountaineers’ coach Emma Cronkright said. “We worked on being aggressive. When you find a group that can click, it can turn things around. Our communication was good in the second set and for a while in the third. It’s about how you defend their front row. I think we were pretty evenly matched. I think this opened their eyes a little,” she said.