Marquette, MI – June 29th, 2026 – For the first time in Upper Peninsula history, volleyball standouts from across the region came together Friday night for the inaugural U.P. All-Star Volleyball Games.
Twenty-eight recently graduated seniors earned one final opportunity to represent their schools, showcase their talents, and compete alongside some of the best players the U.P. has to offer. The historic event featured two highly competitive matches and highlighted the depth of volleyball talent across the peninsula.
Team Red Defeats Team Black in Four Sets
The opening match saw Team Red take on Team Black in a spirited four-set battle.
Team Red jumped out to an early advantage, but Team Black continued to answer throughout the opening set. With the score tight late, Manistique’s Kyra Carlson delivered a clutch kill to seal a 25-19 first-set victory for Team Red.
Team Black responded in the second set, using a balanced attack to even the match with a 25-20 win.
The third set belonged to Team Red, which controlled the action from the start and cruised to a 25-15 victory to move within one set of the match win.
Facing elimination, Team Black came out strong in the fourth set and built a 10-5 lead. Team Red battled back to tie the score at 11 before gradually regaining momentum. The two teams traded points throughout the remainder of the set before Carlson once again delivered the decisive kill, securing a 25-21 fourth-set victory and clinching the match.
Team Red claimed the inaugural match by a score of 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-15, 25-21).
Following the match, Dollar Bay’s Kiera Isaacson was named Offensive MVP, while Forest Park setter Elsie Williams earned Defensive MVP honors.
Team Red Roster
- Elsie Williams, Forest Park (Setter)
- Noelle Grace, Wakefield-Marenisco (Outside Hitter)
- Kyra Carlson, Manistique (Outside Hitter)
- Landry Bray, Escanaba (Middle Hitter)
- Caragan Thill, Big Bay de Noc (Middle Hitter)
- Ava Jo Hares, Ishpeming (Libero)
- Claire Johnson, Houghton (Right Side)
Coaches: Amy Nixon (Manistique) and Bobbie Anderson (Forest Park)
Team Black Roster
- Aleana Park, Negaunee (Setter)
- Kiera Isaacson, Dollar Bay (Outside Hitter)
- Ava Stalboerger, Escanaba (Outside Hitter)
- Lily Kwiatkowski, Rudyard (Middle Hitter)
- Aliya Taylor, Newberry (Middle Hitter)
- Olivia Cotey, Munising (Libero)
- Kaydence Ruggerio, Gwinn (Right Side)
Coaches: Lisa Fechter (Ironwood) and Brittany Killips (Sault Ste. Marie)
Team Blue Rallies Past Team White in Five-Set Thriller
The second and final match of the evening proved to be just as exciting as Team Blue and Team White battled through five sets.
Team Blue grabbed control early in the opening set and extended its lead to 17-9 following a kill from Munising’s Hayden Bayer. Blue went on to secure the set 25-19.
Team White answered emphatically in the second set, dominating from start to finish in a 25-11 victory to even the match.
The third set was the most competitive of the night. With both teams trading points throughout, Jeffers Mia Nordstrom came through in the closing moments. A point from Nordstrom followed by a Team Blue error gave Team White a dramatic 27-25 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Facing elimination, Team Blue responded in dominant fashion in the fourth set. Carney-Nadeau’s Elodie Lenca sparked a nine-point service run as Blue cruised to a 25-10 victory, forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.
In the deciding set, which was played to 15 points, Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Cleo Milkey helped Team Blue build an early 6-1 advantage. Later, Forest Park’s Ava Fischer put the match away with a five-point service run that included the final kill from Manistique middle blocker Maya Carlson.
Team Blue completed the comeback to defeat Team White 3-2 (25-19, 11-25, 25-27, 25-10, 15-10).
Following the match, Forest Park’s Ava Fischer, who was also crowned Miss U.P. Volleyball, earned Offensive MVP honors, while Houghton’s Emmy Pietila was named Defensive MVP.
Team White Roster
- Raina Ledzien, North Dickinson (Setter)
- Mia Nordstrom, Jeffers (Outside Hitter)
- Jenessa Eagle, Ishpeming (Outside Hitter)
- Cassie Olson, Kingsford (Middle Hitter)
- Sophie Berryman, Dollar Bay (Middle Hitter)
- Olivia Birk, Newberry (Libero)
- Breleigh Lahti, Ironwood (Right Side)
Coach: Kate Bonacorsi (Calumet)
Team Blue Roster
- Calie Tremblay, Brimley (Setter)
- Ava Fischer, Forest Park (Outside Hitter)
- Cleo Milkey, Lake Linden-Hubbell (Outside Hitter)
- Maya Carlson, Manistique (Middle Hitter)
- Hayden Bayer, Munising (Middle Hitter)
- Emmy Pietila, Houghton (Libero)
- Elodie Lenca, Carney-Nadeau (Right Side)
Coaches: Krista Squiers (Negaunee) and Lindsey Anderson (Forest Park)
The inaugural U.P. All-Star Volleyball Games proved to be a tremendous success, bringing together many of the Upper Peninsula’s top graduating seniors for one final showcase of their talents. Organizers have already begun planning for the 2026-27 event, ensuring the newest tradition in U.P. volleyball will continue for years to come.
