MANISTEE – Nine wins for a girls volleyball team might not seem like a major gain, but for the Manistee spikers it was impressive and leads to hope that the program might be turning the corner.

The Mariners have never enjoyed much success in volleyball, and usually felt good about recording two or three match wins every year.

So, last year marked a big swing in the positive direction that head coach Dana Wayward hopes continues.

“I think we’re starting to make a positive name for ourselves,” Wayward said prior to the start of the 2025 campaign.

“I’ve seen a lot of of growth from our players, as they’ve taken their individual talents and learned to play as a team.

“We graduated four seniors who were important to our program – Jaden Fortin and Aubrey Rischel both stepped into right-side

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