Manistique freshman Kendyl Flodin (10) digs the ball during a MHSAA Division 3 district semifinal volleyball match against Menominee on Nov. 6, 2024 at the Bonifas Gymnsasium in Manistique. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

MANISTIQUE — After letting the third set slip away in Wednesday’s MHSAA Division 3 volleyball district semifinal match, Manistique’s bench was urging to raise its energy.

The Emeralds led two sets to one, needing one last push to earn the right to play for their second straight district championship. Someone needed to come up with a big play to knock off Menominee.

Enter defensive specialist Kendyl Flodin.

The freshman came out firing from the service line to start the fourth set, firing back-to-back aces and igniting a 7-0 run to take a lead.

The Emeralds never look back from that moment on, knocking off the Maroons 25-18, 25-14, 22-25, 25-14.

“I’m going to ask her mom what she had for breakfast, because whatever it is, it’s working for her,” Emeralds coach Amy Nixon said. “She served great tonight. Her defense really stepped up too.”

Flodin added an ace later in the frame to push the lead to 20-10. She wasn’t the only Emerald to shine at the line in the fourth stanza. Senior Keira Frankovich had a trio of aces in the frame, including back-to-back aces to take a 23-12 lead in the set before senior Leah Goudreau delivered the kill shot to advance.

Manistique never trailed in the first two sets. The Maroons clawed to within one point on multiple occasions in the first set, but the Emeralds started the first two frames on big runs to put Menominee in the hole early. The Emeralds cranked out a 4-0 advantage in the first frame and claimed set two’s first six points.

But the third frame is where Menominee began to find its mojo. With their backs against the wall and season on the line, the Maroons dug deep to fend off any Manistique run.

After nine ties and four lead changes, junior Emily Sandahl came up with a block to even the third set at 22 which blossomed into a 24-22 Menominee lead.

But the Maroons had to fend off Goudreau, fresh off a 17 kill performance against Escanaba six days prior. Goudreau wound up to deliver a big swing in hopes of kickstarting a rally. But her kill attempt struck the middle of the net and landed on the floor. Menominee’s season lived on for at least one more set.

“You have to hand it to Menominee. They didn’t quit. They didn’t give up,” Nixon said of the Maroons. “When your back’s against the wall in the third set you have to fight back to try to reverse sweep or do something. They didn’t give up. Hats off to them. Like, they can feel proud about that.”

Wednesday also marked the final game for seniors Alexa Axtell, Addy Johnson, Avalynn Marsicek, Haley Owen and Ava Johnson, who provided a good dose of headaches for the Emeralds on Wednesday night.

“We had a gamelpan ready for her,” Nixon said of Ava Johnson. “We knew we had to stop her if we wanted to win this game. She got a few good swings on us, but every good hitter is going to.”

Flodin finished with 11 digs, five aces and an assist.

“She’s our little freshman,” Goudreau said of Flodin. “We love her so much. We’re so glad that she’s on our team.”

Goudreau finished with 20 kills, 17 digs and two aces. Senior Clara Cunningham added 12 digs, six kills and an ace. Frankovich finished with five aces and four digs. Senior Alexis McDade racked up 17 assists, three digs and an ace. Kyra Calrson contributed three kills and three digs. Maya Carlson had 12 digs, three kills and an ace. Senior Kamry Flodin tallied 12 digs and an ace.

The Emeralds now advance to the district championship game where they’ll face Iron Mountain at 7 p.m. eastern (6 p.m. central) in Iron Mountain with a chance to claim their second straight district championship.

“I want them to feel the reward of all of their hard work,” Nixon said. “Everyday we work to get a little bit better and better, but it sure is nice to have that external reward at the end of the tournament. We’ll see if we can achieve that tomorrow.”