Kingsford junior Cassie Olson (12) prepares to kill the ball during a MHSAA Division 2 regional semifinal volleyball match against Kingsley on Nov. 12, 2024 at the Bonifas Gymnasium at Manistique Middle and High School. (Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press photo)

MANISTIQUE — One point away from glory.

It’s the situation Kingsford volleyball faced leading 14-12 in set five of Tuesday’s regional semifinal matchup against Kingsley in Manistique High School’s Bonifas Gymnasium.

The Flivvers took the first two frames somewhat handily. A furious rally from the Stags was about to be extinguished.

Then, in what felt like a blink of an eye, Kingsley senior Aizlyn McKinley delivered a serve that died in front of a Kingsford defender. The Stags claimed the fifth frame’s final four points, cemented by McKinley’s ace, to complete the comeback in a 17-25, 22-25, 27-25, 25-23, 16-14 win.

“It’s a bummer. A big bummer,” Flivvers coach Jaclynn Kreider said. “We had moments where we could’ve won it. It’s a special group of seniors that we’re going to miss. For me, right now, it doesn’t feel real. It’s hard. It’s going to hurt.

“It’s going to hurt for a long time.”

The Stags opened the final frame by claiming its first three points behind a pair of aces from McKinley. The Flivvers stormed back, and with contributions from junior Cassie Olson, senior Maddy Kreider, sophomore Mylee Kreider and senior Anna Bortolini they found themselves one point away from advancing to Thursday’s regional championship game in Ludington.

Stags senior Olivia Reamer came up with a hefty swing from the right side of the floor. Bortolini came up with a mammoth block, but the ball ricocheted off her hands and out of bounds on the Stags’ side of the floor.

The snowball began its descent down the hill.

Kingsley tied the match at 14. Then a kill from sophomore Jenna Middleton gave the Stags a 15-14 lead, forcing a Kingsford timeout. Then McKinley rifled her final ace for the win in a match that had 27 ties and 14 lead changes.

“That’s a really good team,” Kingsley coach Dave Hall said of the Flivvers, “I’ve watched them probably eight times. I’ve never seen them look that good. Their hitters are unbelievable. Their defense is way, way better than it looks.”

Everything appeared to be going Kingsford’s way early. A 10-8 lead in set one grew into a 15-8 lead off a trio of aces from Bortolini and an Olson kill to force a Stags timeout. It was the push that gave the Flivvers their 25-17 win in the frame.

Kingsford found itself down 21-19 in set two. Then Maddy Kreider reminded everyone in attendance why she’s the reigning Miss U.P. Volleyball.

The senior was lofted a picture-perfect pass. Maddy Kreider leaped, and somehow managed to float in the air for what felt like 10 seconds before delivering a vicious kill. It sparked what became a 6-1 Flivvers run to win the second frame and take a definitive 2-0 match lead.

Then miscues began to plague the maize and blue.

Set three saw 10 ties and four lead changes.

It also saw the Flivvers commit a combined 10 service, attack and blocking errors. Kingsley won the third stanza 27-25.

Kingsford committed nine miscues in the fourth frame. The Flivvers tied the stanza four times, but never led as the Stags forced a pivotal fifth set with a 25-23 set four win.

The Stags now face Essexville Garber — who defeated Clare 25-12, 25-12, 25-16 — at 7 p.m. today in Ludington.

Maddy Kreider totaled 32 assists, 29 digs, 21 kills, two aces and a block. Bortolini accumulated 29 digs, 19 assists, 13 kills, three blocks and a trio of aces.

Alyssa Larson added 28 assists, 11 digs, two aces and a kill. Ellery Nash finished with 29 digs, four helpers and a trio of aces. Jenna Viau had 15 digs and a kill.

Mylee Kreider added nine kills, seven digs and a block. Kailey Sundquist earned 12 digs, 11 kills and three blocks. Cassie Olson finished with nine kills, four digs and three blocks.

For seniors Bortolini, Larson, Nash, Viau, Sundquist and Maddy Kreider, Tuesday was the final match in a season littered with positives. A 31-5 record along with being one of the top two teams in the U.P.S.S.A. poll is nothing to scoff at. Then you add in two perfect seasons in Great Northern Conference play with two titles and two district titles.

“This group, at a young age, started to play the game together, love the game together and put in a lot of time in the offseason to get as good as they can be,” coach Jaclynn Kreider said of the 2024 Flivvers. “We’re not very big, and we’ve been able to battle year after year with teams that are bigger than us, that hit harder than us. They have a lot of heart and a lot of desire for the game of volleyball. That’s going to be extremely missed.”