Escanaba senior Lily Nelson (9, in black) places the pass past Jeffers’ junior Celia Randell (11, in green) and senior Brooke Pietlila during pool play of the 2024 Escanaba Elks Volleyball Invitational on Oct. 5, 2024 at Escanaba High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

ESCANABA — A long day of volleyball action saw Escanaba collide with No. 1 Crystal Falls Forest Park in the championship match of the 2024 Escanaba Elks Volleyball Invitational on Saturday.

The squads were even for a majority of the day, but the Trojans came away with the final big plays to win the title match 25-22, 25-23.

“We had a few moments where we didn’t look great, got on our heels and played overly confident,” Trojans coach Bobbie Joe Anderson said. “Overall, I think the girls played great and dug deep when they needed to.”

With all of Saturday’s sets in the 10-team tournament starting tied at 4-4, the Trojans and Eskymos were even out at 22 all in the second set, the 10th tied score of the championship match. A service error from Esky sophomore Brooklyn Beauchamp gave the CFFP a 23-22 lead with a 1-0 match lead in hand. Junior Ava Fischer connected with a kill in the front left corner to set up match point with a 24-22 lead.

“When we were aggressive and swinging at (the Eskymos) they weren’t able to set up their offense or got their offense out of sync,” Anderson said. “If we tipped it over or freed it they set up some of their great hitters and slammed it at us.”

The Trojans were called for two-hitting the ball to keep the orange and black alive. But Fischer reminded everyone why she was an All-U.P. Dream Team selection as a sophomore a year ago. Fischer delivered the final blow, delivering a kill in the middle-back portion of the floor to win the set, match and tournament.

“She’s amazing,” Anderson said of Fischer. “She’s a leader on our court, and in games like (Saturday’s championship match) you have to give her the ball. When she’s on she’s on, and people can’t stop her. You have to keep feeding her, or as we say ‘feed the beast.”’

The first set of the title match saw seventies and two lead changes before the Trojans claimed four of the set’s final five points. Esky and CFFP also collided in pool play. The Trojans took the first frame 25-14 and the Eskymos won the second set 25-16. It was the only set the Trojans lost on Saturday.

“Forest Park is a great team. They have a couple of really good hitters,” Esky coach Beverly Ziebell said. “We held our own, but we made a few mistakes.”

But before fans saw round two of CFFP and Esky, each had to get through the semifinal round. The Trojans, the No. 1 team from the orange pool, bested Negaunee, the No. 2 team from the black pool, 25-17, 25-19.

Esky, the No. 2 team in the orange pool, defeated the No. 1 team in the black pool in Sault Ste. Marie 25-14, 25-20.

The Eskymos never trailed in the first set. The Blue Devils pulled to 16-13, but four kills from senior Grayson LaMarche led the charge in a 9-1 run to close the first set of the semifinals. Sault won the first four points of the second frame, but Esky rallied to tie the match at 14. From there it was all orange and black, who took 11 of the final 17 points to punch their ticket to the championship match.

The Eskymos and Blue Devils collide again in Escanaba on Oct. 17.

“Our team is on,” Ziebell said. “I have improvement in a lot of girls. I think we’re going to keep plugging away. Keep winning.”

In pool play, the Eskymos defeated Bark River-Harris, their opponent at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home, 25-22, 25-22, Ishpeming Westwood 25-13, 25-13 and split with Jeffers 25-21, 18-25.

On the day, LaMarche totaled 33 kills, six blocks, six digs, five aces and two assists. Beauchamp added 20 kills, nine digs and three aces. Harlee Coolman accumulated 73 digs, five aces and a kill. Chloe Dubord had eight digs. Clara Braun earned 53 assists, 19 digs and seven aces. Katey Lamb tallied 22 digs, 16 kills, two aces and an assist. Sophie Lehto added four kills, three assists and two digs in pool play. Lily Nelson finished with eight kills, seven digs, five aces and a block. Landry Bray added five kills and two digs. Susie Moberg earned 16 kills and a block. Addison Noblet tallied two assists and a kill. Mary Kate Tourangeau churned 39 assists, 23 digs, six aces and two kills. Bet Montal had 16 kills, six digs, four assists and a block. Breleigh Renhart earned five digs and an assist. Ava Stalboerger finished with 16 kills, three blocks and a dig.