Kingsford Sweeps Escanaba; Closes In On GNC Title

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos from the match. Click the AUDIO buttons to hear post-game comments from both team's head coaches.

ESCANABA---The Kingsford High School volleyball team moved to within one win of the outright Great Northern Conference championship with a 3-0 win over the Escanaba Eskymos Tuesday night. The scores were 25-16, 25-16, and 25-15.

"Our serve-receive and defense was phenominal tonight," Kingsford Coach Jackie Kreider said. "Even wehen we started out slow, it was our hitting errors. Our serve receive and our defense stayed steady, and that, as we got our hitters back involved, we were able to grab some momentum and run with it."

Escanaba is playing without junior standout Grayson LaMarche, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury a month ago. The Eskymos jumped to a 12-7 lead in the first set Tuesday night, but could not sustain it, as Kingsford's depth and experience took over.

"We did our part," Escanaba Coach Adam Lambert said. "Kingsford hasn't lost all season except once to Calumet. They have a fantastic team. We were prepared for them. We watched some film and we talked about what we did against them last time, and we knew where they were hitting. So, our own errors sometimes get in the way. But I thought my girls, this time, kept their chins up. They had good energy tonight."

Kingsford will win the GNC championship outright if it beats Marquette on Thursday. Marquette defeated Gladstone, 3-0, by scores of 25-22, 25-16, and 25-14, Tuesday night.

"That would be nice," Kreider said. "It was 2016 the last time we won the coneference."

Escanaba, meanwhile, will host Menominee Thursday evening.

TUESDAY'S OTHER U.P. SCORES
Marquette 3 Gladstone 0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-14)

Munising 3, Rapid River 0 (25-5, 25-16, 25-20)

Superior Central 3, Mid Peninsula 0 (25-10, 25-22, 26-24)

Carney-Nadeau 3, Norway 0 (25-11, 25-12, 25-18)

L'Anse 3, Bessemer 1 (25-16, 15-25, 25-22, 25-12)

Ontonagon 3, Chassell 0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-11)

Hancock 3, Lake Linden-Hubbell 1 (25-11, 25-13, 24-26, 25-15)

Ironwood 3, Baraga 2 (25-21, 21-25, 22-25, 27-25, 15-11)

Sault Ste. Marie 3, Rudyard 2 (17-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-27, 15-9)

Newberry 3, Cedarville 0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-19)

Pickford 3, Engadine 0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-13)

Forest Park 3, West Iron County 1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-20)