CHARLEVOIX — Rest in-between the district semifinal and district final will be much needed for the Charlevoix volleyball team.
But, that rest has essentially already ended.
After a four-set thriller against Rudyard that lifted Charlevoix to a 3-1 win on Wednesday, the Rayders will now take to their home court again for a district championship match today, Thursday.
Advertisement
“I wish we had a day,” Charlevoix coach Christine Grunch-Halberg said after a long night vs. Rudyard.
Like most on the Rayder side of the court, Grunch-Halberg was exhausted after a final set that went in Charlevoix’s favor, 29-27.
Charlevoix and Rudyard volleyball met up in a thrilling Division 3 district clash Wednesday, with the Rayders pulling out a 3-1 win to advance to Thursday’s hosted district final. It included a 29-27 win to seal it.
That’s essentially how the night went, with Rudyard earning a 25-23 win to start, before wins of 25-22 and 27-25 for Charlevoix, before that fourth thriller.
Grunch-Halberg saw everything needed from her team to bring out those close and comeback wins.
“Adaptable, being able to make changes, resilience, a lot of character when they’re behind a lot of points,” she said. “Rudyard was super scrappy and no matter what we did, they worked their tail off.”
Advertisement
Boyne Falls Photos: Gaylord St. Mary volleyball hosts Boyne Falls, Nov. 4
East Jordan Photos: East Jordan volleyball in district action against Ellsworth, photos
Charlevoix was lifted in that fourth set by some huge plays by Taryn Carey at the net, including a huge kill with the Bulldogs at match point that brought it back to a 24-24 tie.
Carey then had a tip that put Charlevoix up 28-27, before Olivia Crouse sealed the win on an ace.
Charlevoix and Rudyard volleyball met up in a thrilling Division 3 district clash Wednesday, with the Rayders pulling out a 3-1 win to advance to Thursday’s hosted district final. It included a 29-27 win to seal it.
A middle that rotates all around the court, Carey impressed Grunch-Halberg, who knew she was likely on her last wind late Wednesday night.
“I think (Taryn) got really tired there,” Grunch-Halberg said. “I’ve coached a lot of years and my middles, I don’t usually play all the way around because that’s a big job. But, she does such a good job in the back row, it’s hard to bring her out. So, we use her a lot.”
Advertisement
Carey finished with 14 kills, three aces and a pair of blocks, then Megan Porath had 11 kills and six blocks. Ella Boss added 10 kills and an ace, Ayla Kemp had 24 digs and an ace and Addison Shearer finished with 30 assists, six digs and five kills.
Charlevoix will take on Boyne City at 6 p.m., Thursday in a hosted Division 3 district championship match.
BOYNE CITY 3, HARBOR SPRINGS 1
CHARLEVOIX — Boyne City volleyball coach Shannon Flippin had a feeling Harbor Springs was going to take the court looking much different than their last meeting.
And it certainly didn’t take long for that to show Wednesday during their Division 3 district semifinal match in Charlevoix.
Advertisement
“They have been playing better,” Flippin said. “When we watched them (on film) I thought, ‘Oh, they’re a different team right now.’ They were doing some good things.”
Unselfish Play: Addy Burns helping Boyne City volleyball keep wind in its sails
After being swept earlier this season without even reaching 20 points, the Rams stormed out to a 25-23 win in the opening set against Boyne Wednesday.
Boyne City and Harbor Springs battled it out in a Division 3 district semifinal match in Charlevoix Wednesday, with Boyne eventually pulling out a 3-1 victory to advance to Thursday’s district championship match in Charlevoix.
From there, Boyne City settled in and limited mistakes, before finishing out a four-set 3-1 win behind victories of 25-9, 25-15 and 25-14.
“That first set we made a lot of unforced errors and I thought we weren’t gong to do that for three straight sets,” Flippin said.
Advertisement
For Harbor Springs coach Abbie McCarthy, the night reaffirmed how far her team had come over the course of the 2026 season.
“We played incredibly hard against a tough Boyne City volleyball team,” McCarthy said. “I am so proud of how far we have come this season without having any offseason practice together.”
The win lifted the Ramblers into a D3 district championship match at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, where they’ll meet host Charlevoix.
Boyne City and Harbor Springs battled it out in a Division 3 district semifinal match in Charlevoix Wednesday, with Boyne eventually pulling out a 3-1 victory to advance to Thursday’s district championship match in Charlevoix.
The Rams closed out McCarthy’s first season leading the team, one where she believes Harbor’s best play is ahead of them. They spent the entirety of the offseason without a coach before McCarthy stepped up.
Advertisement
They’ll graduate key pieces in Riley Kring and Avery Sears, though a loaded lineup of underclassmen returns, led by Makenna Brey, who finished with a team-high 10 kills against the Ramblers.
The likes of Makayla Beach, Lilly Gilmour, Hattie Echelberger and more will also be back in Harbor Springs next season.
“The future is bright for the lady Rams volleyball team and we are ready to get back to work,” McCarthy added.
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Stage set for Boyne City, Charlevoix volleyball district final
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
