Todd Rose | Daily Press Kayla Muth (7) of Manistique leaps to strike the ball with teammate Brooke Richey (5) watching as Norway’s Kasse Kay (11) readies to defend Monday night in Manistique.

MANISTIQUE — The Manistique Emeralds season will continue after they beat the Norway Knights 3-0 (25-15, 25-7, 25-9) Monday night in the first round of the Division 3 district playoffs in Manistique.

While the Emeralds scored the first point in the first set, the Knights retaliated with a five-point run helmed by Hannah Burklund.

The teams traded short runs until the set was tied at 15. Then, senior libero Madison Zellar spearheaded a ten-point run — including three aces — to claim the set.

Zellar got the second set underway with the same momentum from the first with a four-point run and two more aces. It was an eight-point run led, again, by Zellar that sealed set two for Manistique.

Zellar’s stellar night continued to end the match as she piloted the Emeralds on a five-point run that included three back-to-back aces.

“I feel great,” exclaimed Zellar immediately after the match. “I’m very glad that my team could keep getting my points and backing me up so I could keep serving. We had a really good night all around, everyone did great tonight.”

In her third year on the varsity squad, second as libero, Zellar says the pressure of serving and long runs no longer gets to her.

“I’m not really phased by it anymore,” she said. “I just like to start hot and stay hot.

“I just think every point could be closer to my last point and it’s my last season. So, I just have to keep fighting as much as I can and cheer on my teammates so we all do good.”

Emeralds’ coach Amy Nixon was pleased with the team’s performance, citing a quick offense as a key factor in putting pressure on the Knights. According to Nixon, every game this year has built up to this moment.

“I feel it’s been an all-season thing,” said Nixon. “The effort on the court is 100 percent all the time.”

Nixon also spoke about the performance of Madison Zellar.

“She has been a rockstar all year,” Nixon said. “To have a libero who can serve as well as she can is really an asset to our team.Her attitude and her work ethic speaks volumes about her character.”

Another Emerald putting a strong performance was Kayla Muth who made several crucial plays at the net throughout the match.

“It is a huge relief and confidence builder booster for everybody else to have a girl like her around them,” said coach Nixon about Muth.

As the Emerald’s journey continues into the postseason, Norway’s must come to an end.

In a season of uncertainty, the Knights were thrown several curveballs in just the last couple of weeks.

“We came off of two weeks of not being able to play which was really tough for us,” said Knights’ coach Erika Harnden. “We also lost our setter in the meantime.

“I took my girls from a 5-1 and put them in a 6-2 with two middle blockers who have never set.”

While the Knights were able to meet for a short practice over the weekend, it was limited by current COVID related restrictions.

“They never had speed tempo to even attempt it at practice,” said Harnden. “We had eight girls, that’s what I’m allowed to have at practice.”

Regardless of the season’s challenges and ending, Harnden is still happy with her team’s performance.

“Overall, I am beyond proud of those girls,” she said.” They played as hard as they could.”

“I am very proud of them.”

The Emeralds visit Iron Mountain Wednesday for the Division 3 district semifinals.